He met his wife, Claire, during a harvest at HVW and was married at the winery.
Born in Mexico City, Vicente moved at the age of 12 to Fresno, California, with his family. His father worked in Central California vineyards starting in 1993. During summers, holidays, and weekends, Vicente worked there as well, learning the craft of tending grapevines.
He first came to Oregon in 1997 during the summer to help his uncle, a vineyard labor contractor, manage vineyard hand labor. Vicente’s vineyard knowledge was acquired over many years, from working with many different vineyard managers, and learning from his Dad.
Vicente felt that he needed to continue his education, and he enrolled in Chemeketa College in Oregon, where he graduated in 2007 with a degree in vineyard management. He began managing HVW vineyards in 2013.
Eve and Bill moved to the Portland area in 1999. Their entry into the wine business was simply meant to be.
They purchased a “heritage” vineyard on Worden Hill Road in Dundee and a large parcel of land perfect for grape growing in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. When the harvest of 1999 fast approached they needed a place to make wine so the winery began in a converted horse barn located at their West Linn property in September 1999. (Bill is credited for launching the “garagiste” movement in Oregon in 1999.) Their first harvest in 1999 produced 500 cases of Pinot noir, Riesling, and Chardonnay.
Fast forward many years and the winery and vineyards have since been expanded as has HVW’s case production.
Bill started in technology when punched cards were in vogue, and has “retired” from the software business to be full time at HVW. Eve began her career as a graphic designer. She now manages events, marketing, wine dinners, and tastings.