Jimi Brooks would have loved it: the Brooks Winery Ara Riesling 2006 was poured at the White House for President Obama's first state dinner, November 24th, 2009. Jimi's son, sister, and friends (including help from some of Oregon's best winemakers) have grown his winery to popularity and success in Oregon and across the US.
When Jimi Brooks died at the age of 38, the future of his young winery was uncertain. Summer was coming, and harvest and winemaking would have to start soon. But Brooks Winery had a 2005 vintage. Jimi's winemaker friends worked together to make the 2005 vintage.
Jimi's son, Pascal, inherited the winery and became Oregon's youngest winery owner (at eight). Jimi's sister, Janie, stepped in to manage it and in 2006, Chris Williams was hired as winemaker.
Jimi's vision of wine, especially his dedication to green practices, is fulfilled today with Brooks Winery's range of wines, all made from biodynamically farmed grapes. With the completion of their own facility in the Eola-Amity Hills, Brooks has fulfilled Jimi's dream to create a first-class winery.
