Partners

PARTNERS

An exceptional vineyard and notable wine optimize the expertise and commitment of Lazy River Vineyard’s business and family partners. Together they are responsible stewards of the land, its fruit and the vinification of the grapes.

BUSINESS PARTNER

NED LUMPKIN For Ned Lumpkin the switch from commercial construction to the wine business utilized similar skills, accurate cost analysis, comfort with risk and a commitment to quality. He was president of Lumpkin Construction for 30 years, completing a body of work throughout the State of Washington ranging from high tech to commercial to academic. In 2000 he “retired” to begin Lazy River Vineyard. For many years he sailed competitively. Currently, he participates in the master’s ski racing program in Sun Valley, ID. He is a graduate in economics from the University of Washington. His goal is to produce the best wine grapes in Oregon.

KIRSTEN LUMPKIN By profession Kirsten Lumpkin is a writer, a skill used for Lazy River Vineyard’s WEB materials and brochures. A long time supporter of education, she has been on the boards of primary and secondary schools and currently sits on the College Board for the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington. She also managed commercial real estate. Her goal is to bring outstanding wines to the public. A descendent of Oregon homesteaders, she wryly notes that her family has been farming in Oregon off and on since 1885.

ERIC HAMACHER Under his own label Lazy River Vineyard Winemaker Eric Hamacher of Hamacher Wines makes notable Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. His Pinot Noir Rosé sells out within weeks of being released. As a student at the University of California Davis, his original biochemistry studies were to lead him to medical school. His detour to wine was fortuitous for all of us who think of him as an innovative thinker in the planning of wineries. His respect for fruit quality compels him to let the grapes’ character shine through into the bottle. After graduation he worked harvests in Australia and California wineries among them Chalone and Etude. He is a natural wine educator sharing his knowledge with visitors and winemakers alike.

THE CARLTON WINEMAKERS STUDIO Creating The Carlton Winemakers Studio brought together the talents of Ned and Kirsten and their partners Eric Hamacher and Luisa Ponzi. Ned and Kirsten were able to realize Eric’s vision of a winery built especially to accommodate the needs of small high–end winemakers. Ned’s experience with development and construction proved pivotal. Construction began in March of 2002; the facility opened for harvest in the fall of that year. It is home to ten individual wineries.

WALLACE “BUDDY” BECK It is Buddy Beck’s day in and day out decisions that yield the remarkable fruit — Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Riesling — that goes into Lazy River wine. Buddy designed the vineyard, matching soil depth and exposures to appropriate clones and rootstocks. He decides when to prune, when to plant and when to drip irrigate. He is at heart a farmer in tune with the land. Buddy is a graduate of Southwest Texas State in Plant and Soil Science and of Oregon State University where he earned a Masters Degree of Agriculture in Horticulture in 1987. Prior to establishing his company Advanced Vineyard Systems he was vineyard manager at Domaine Drouhin Oregon.

ANGEL MARTINEZ The man on the ground for Advanced Vineyard Systems is Angel Martinez. An immigrant from Mexico where he grew up on a family farm, Angel studied accounting and worked for an accounting firm before emigrating to Oregon. An aggressive student he has learned general computer software programs and taken a variety of classes in viticulture at Chemeketa Community College. Angel is regarded as an expert in planning and establishing irrigation systems. He supervises crews that produce wine grapes for 33 different winemakers. In 2009 Angel joined the ownership group at AVS.

FAMILY PARTNERS

ANNA FOWLER The love of my life once thought that any wine went with any food. Can you imagine a Viognier with steak? Well, one night my darling husband was eating ribs and exclaimed, “I can't taste my wine, I should have had a Syrah.” Ha! I was thrilled he was making progress.
My time in the wine program at Chemeketa Community College and working for both the Ponzi and The Carlton Winemakers Studio tasting rooms taught me more about wines that I thought I’d ever know.

SCOTT FOWLER The Lumpkin Family ruined me. When I first met Ned and Kirsten I was served a Hamacher Rosé, a far cry from the $6 magnums I used to enjoy. To me wine was just red and white. Now, because of Anna, her family and my time at Lazy River Vineyard I’ve come to enjoy the subtleties of Pinot Noir, the power of Syrah, and the light crisp flavor of Sauvignon Blanc.

Anna Lumpkin Fowler and husband Scott with sons Will and Nick live in Bellevue, near Seattle. Scott works as a software designer. Prior to motherhood Anna consulted for a customer management program and has worked in various capacities in the software world. She is in charge of direct sales for LRV wine. Scott enjoys endurance sports such as marathons and biking. Anna skis both cross country and downhill. She is seldom without a book in progress, a needlepoint project or something on her knitting needles. Both are graduates of the University of Washington, and continue to attend lectures and athletic events.

TOBY AND JULIE LUMPKIN Toby, Julie, Alden and Georgia Lumpkin live, work and play in Seattle. As a child in the early 70’s, one of his favorite destinations was the Wedin family farm located just outside of Gresham, Oregon. In the original barn at the farm the small boy saw his Great Uncle Ed’s amazing collection of rocks and crystals collected from the Eastern Oregon hills, polished with care and proudly displayed.
“As adults Julie and I are proud to take our children to another Oregon farm, Lazy River Vineyard to see Ned and Kirsten’s rolling hills of Pinot Noir vines. The whole family takes part in making the wine, from picking the grapes in the fall, to bottling it 18 months later. Finally we all help sell the wine. This year three generations picked Pinot Gris for the Lazy River label,” said Toby.

Toby Lumpkin’s business, The Lumpkin Company, builds and remodels houses, mostly in the Seattle area. Toby is a skier, sometime golfer and reader of World War II history. Julie’s company, Swift Group, plans events for a major Seattle area business. She swims, skies and with Toby spends Saturday mornings in a rigorous exercise routine. Alden Lumpkin has changed alliances from Builder Bob to action heroes and complex Lego projects. Georgia’s fascination with horses seems without end. Both children love books, skiing, soccer and swimming.

JEFF AND RUOH-SHIN LUMPKIN Jeff and Ruoh-Shin, toddler sons Vernon and Walter, live in Munich Germany where he works for a software company. For two years they lived at Lazy River while Jeff managed The Carlton Winemakers Studio and worked independently as a consulting financial analyst. Ruoh-Shin completed the second level course of the International Sommelier Guild and assisted in the marketing efforts for Lazy River Vineyard. Bothe holders of MBA's, they have worked together on business plans in the wine industry.

A native Singaporean, Ruoh-Shin brings a particular Southeast Asian flair to her pursuits — painting, gardening and cooking. An avid skier and climber, Jeff loves the mountains both winter and summer, and has worked as a skiing/climbing guide in the USA and former Soviet Union. Son Vernon loves vineyard life and is an active participant in harvest. His work in the vegetable garden includes eating raspberries and diligent watering. Both he and Wally run instead of walk.

FRANÇOISE NEUVILLE “When I first stayed with the Lumpkin Family, in 1978, within a student exchange program, I certainly could not imagine that a few decades later we would still be such close friends ... and together live the Lazy River Vineyard adventure — Pinot Noir in Oregon. How unexpected for a French southerner with a family connection in the past to a famous Sauternes (Bordeaux) wine Chateau. I had some training periods in the wine industry, longstanding memberships in wine clubs, some wine trips around France but also Italy, the USA and Australia. These are a few facts about a wine amateur who passed by Yamhill. But s'il vous plaît , not a word to my French compatriots.”

Françoise Neuville lives in Paris, France where she is a banker. She’s been to Oregon for the annual Thanksgiving in Wine Country and has poured Lazy River Vineyard’s ’02 Pinot Noir at Copia in Napa. She loves music from classical to jazz and is a fearless traveler. Françoise’ niece, Anne-Laure has spent four summer vacations with the Lumpkin Family, another generation continuing their friendship.

KIRSTEN LUMPKIN In the early 1960’s Kirsten Wedin Lumpkin and her friend Flo DeTurk Giske caught the Number 7 bus from the University District to downtown Seattle. Their destination was Ivar’s On Fifth Avenue, a seafood restaurant paneled in dark wood walls, dimly lit and with comfortable booths. After ordering fried clams and oysters, Flo asked the waiter for a bottle of Wente Bros. Grey Riesling. It was Kirsten’s first wine, one that she remembers as light and approachable. Her grandmother Matilda Ruff owned a “fruit” press, which was used to make apple cider, but likely pressed grapes for wine as well. Her grandfather Wilhelm Ruff drank wine made at his family’s farm in the Ukraine.

NED LUMPKIN One can only imagine the small town farm kid, Burbank, Washington population 345 who arrived in Frankfurt, Germany, wearing his private’s uniform ready to learn about everything. Everything included opera, sports cars and over two years an array of Rieslings from the Rheingau. Private Ned Lumpkin pooled a huge part of his paycheck with a fellow named Roger Downey, now Seattle writer and raconteur. They visited vineyards, tasted and talked about the wines. Producing wine was always in the back of Ned’s mind as he finished his education, established a construction company and spent many free days at the helm of his sailboat. In 2000 he and Kirsten bought Lazy River, both grateful for the opportunity to be involved in wine.

Kirsten and Ned Lumpkin ski downhill and cross-country. Ned races in the master’s program. Both usually have at least two books underway, one is likely to be about travel or wine. Kirsten’s avocations include gardening, duplicate bridge and writing. She serves on the College Board for the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington. Ned’s involvement with the construction industry is downsizing to a few favorite projects, mostly associated with the wine business. He is happiest walking the rows of the vineyard and harvesting the garden’s produce. Both of them are nuts about their grandchildren.