Meet the Winemaker: Lynn Penner-Ash
Penner Ash Vineyard
Lynn's interest in wine began while studying Botany at the University of California. In her junior year, she changed her major to Viticulture, and then, after working a harvest at Domaine Chandon, to Enology. She worked at a number of top wineries in California before moving to Oregon with her husband, Ron, in 1988 to become the winemaker at Rex Hill Vineyards – the first female winemaker to be hired in Oregon. She remained with Rex Hill, in various roles, until 2002 when she left them to focus on her burgeoning side-project, Penner-Ash Wine Cellars.
Starting in 1998, Lynn and Ron had produced small amounts of Pinot Noir and Syrah under the Penner-Ash label, and early success allowed them to focus their efforts on building this brand. In 2005, they designed and built a sustainable, gravity-flow estate winery on a hilltop surrounded by their estate vineyards; and the business has gone from strength to strength since. Over the past few decades, Lynn has mentored dozens in the vineyard, in the cellar and across the wine industry. Today, she continues to inspire and lead an all-female winemaking team at Penner-Ash! Click here to explore the Penner Ash range.
Image source: Penner Ash Vineyard
