Fullerton Wines explores the rich and varied AVAs of Oregon by expressing the distinct personality of each vineyard and vintage in the bottle. Founded in the Fullerton family garage in 2011, the winery is a deeply personal family collaboration. Winemaker Alex Fullerton first got into the industry when his father Eric suggested the career path while wine tasting in the Willamette Valley after Alex had just graduated from the University of Oregon in 2010. That conversation led to Alex having a harvest internship with Penner Ash Wine Cellars which started the very next day. When making their first vintage in 2011, Alex and Eric made a few barrels of Pinot Noir in a garage. Despite the challenging vintage, the wine impressed and Fullerton Wines was born.
A family of enophiles, the Fullertons can trace their love of wine to Eric, who was first introduced to wine growing and production during his teenage years when he worked as a cellar hand in Germany (a story in and of itself). A few years later, his best friend in Denmark inherited an impressive cellar of Bordeaux and Burgundy wines. Together, they sought younger bottlings of the cellared wines, and held vertical tastings. Their interest in wine grew, and they began traveling throughout France discovering new producers to fuel their expanding passion.
When Eric and Susanne met in Stockholm, it did not take long for Susanne to fall in love with Eric and the wines he respected. Marriage soon followed, and they continued tasting, savoring, and cellaring wine.
