Gresser Vineyard was founded in 1998 when the first grapes were planted.  It was established by Paul Gates and his wife Lori.  

Paul grew up in California wine country, and started his lifetime's preoccupation with wine by helping to prune his fathers small vineyard at an early age.  He worked various wine jobs in California including sales, field hand, wine store clerk and assistant winemaker.  After receiving his enology degree from California State University Fresno, Paul moved to northwest Oregon and over the years worked as winemaker at several wineries in the region.  He began looking for the ideal place to grow Pinot Noir, and found it in the rolling foothills southwest of Portland.  He named it Gresser Vineyard after his maternal great-grandmother, of German descent.   

Paul and his 2 oldest sons do the majority of the vineyard work, except during harvest, when hired workers often assist.  Even the youngest family member can help in the fall by making loud noises to scare birds away from the ripening grapes.