The addition of Einberger contributes to a period of rapid growth and innovation at the winery during its 20th Anniversary
Dundee, OR (March 17, 2022) — Dobbes Family Estate is proud to announce the hiring of tenured Oregon winemaker, Derek Einberger. Derek joins the innovative and dedicated team at Dobbes Family Estate who are celebrating the winery’s 20th Anniversary in 2022.
A progressive leader in Oregon wine, Dobbes Family Estate is an industry frontrunner in successful innovation-–from their multi-tiered business model to their creative packaging solutions and their distinctive hospitality programs–Dobbes is a winery that honors tradition yet is unbound by convention.
In keeping with the momentum building during its 20th Anniversary, Dobbes CEO, Sarah Pearson, conducted a national search for the winemaker role, understanding the position as central to the next chapter of the Dobbes story. Ultimately, the ideal candidate arrived in Derek Einberger, a passionate steward of the diverse potential of Oregon wine informed by a decade-long winemaking career at Willamette Valley premium Pinot Noir house, Patton Valley Vineyard.
Born the son of a winemaker in the Napa Valley, Derek grew up with an appreciation for great food and wine, but a career in the wine business wasn’t his initial plan. Einberger received his bachelor’s degree in studio art in 2003 from the University of the Redlands and moved to Oregon to pursue a career as an artist. When gallery work failed to provide a consistent living, Derek began working in restaurants where his passion for food and beverage was reignited.
Inspired to gain experience in craft beverage, Einberger moved to Portland, Oregon, and brewed beer for five years.
After overseeing many successful fermentations at well known breweries like Alameda Brewing, Bridgeport Brewing, and McMenamins, Einberger set his sights on premium winemaking and completed harvest internships around the world to bolster his enology skills. Cellar roles at the legendary Vietti in northern Italy, Silver Oak/Twomey in Healdsburg, California, and Joseph Phelps in Napa unveiled Einberger’s talent for making fine Pinot Noir and his passion for innovation in the cellar.
Oregon drew Einberger back in 2009, when he served as cellar master for Willamette Valley producer Lemelson Vineyards alongside his mentor, winemaker Anthony King. Einberger was then quickly hired as winemaker and vineyard manager for Patton Valley Vineyard, where he eventually became part-owner and where he made inspiring Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
“I couldn’t be prouder to join the Dobbes Family Estate team,” said Einberger. “Dobbes is a brand that is just as intensely focused on its people as it is its wine quality, and I feel poised to do my best work here. What I really want to do as a winemaker is to show the life and the soul of the wine. I want to make diverse wines with energy and promise that taste like what they are and where they come from. To me, complexity often comes from simplicity in the cellar, and I feel privileged to join a talented team that shares this vision.”
CEO, Sarah Pearson, shares Einberger’s enthusiasm for the partnership. “We are thrilled to have Derek join us now to help usher in the next chapter at Dobbes Family Estate. We value Derek’s traditional yet innovative approach to winemaking and diverse experience, and we feel sure his addition will greatly contribute to the ever-increasing quality of our portfolio of wines and our essential focus on workplace culture.”
About Dobbes Family Estate:
An urban winery and tasting room in the heart of Dundee, Oregon, Dobbes Family Estate was founded in 2002 and celebrates its 20th Anniversary in 2022. Makers of fine Oregon Chardonnay, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Rosé of Pinot Noir, Single Vineyard Pinot Noir, Cuvée Pinot Noir, Syrah, Late Harvest Viognier, and Port-style Syrah; Dobbes Family Estate crafts under 7,000 cases of wine annually with fruit sourced from the Willamette, Columbia, and Rogue Valley AVAs. A wine industry frontrunner in successful innovation–from their multi-tiered business model to their creative packaging solutions and their distinctive hospitality programs–Dobbes Family Estate is a refreshingly progressive leader in Oregon wine driven by a strong commitment to center people, purpose, and progress in all they do. For more information, visit dobbesfamilyestate.com or connect with the winery on Instagram.
