About Us
A little about Coach...Growing up in West Virginia, we didn’t drink much wine………
Only after I had followed my early passion for sports, and begun my career in athletics as a player, coach, and an administrator, did I have the opportunity to begin exploring wine as I traveled to and lived in other parts of the United States.
In 2007 I accepted a position in Portland, Oregon. It’s where I began tasting and exploring Oregon’s wines, and especially it’s renowned Pinot Noir, and coincidentally…found a new passion! NW Wine Coach was created out of that passion, and wanting to share with others some of what I’ve learned. I had so much fun planning wine tasting outings for friends, athletics business associates, and small group alumni outings for various universities. I loved learning about wine, pouring wine, and drinking wine.
I began to develop more skill in tasting, and to exercise the ability to help others learn more about their own tastes and preferences. I took some classes, read numerous books on wines of the world, listened to the people pouring and talking about their wines, and I tasted and tasted! It was FUN! And, oddly enough, people began to say “I know what YOU’RE going to do when you retire!” And I would laugh.
While studying the complexity of wine, I found I had also developed a fascination with food and wine pairing. To me there is nothing better than finding that perfect flavor combination, whether it’s a rib-eye steak with Cabernet Sauvignon, or salmon and pork with Pinot Noir, or dark chocolate with Port, or butterscotch popcorn with Chardonnay, I enjoyed it all.
I’m very happy to be able to pursue my passion and work in the wine industry. Thank you for viewing our website and your interest in NW Wine Coach. I look forward to sharing with you a fun filled day to remember in Oregon’s Willamette Valley Wine Country! Come JOIN us!
Cheers and let’s enjoy the journey together,
Barb Dearing
A little about Karen
My wine journey began in California when I was actually too young to drink wine. My father raised 45 acres of grapes destined to become raisins, instead of wine; however, growing them was much the same – pruning, irrigating, pest control and harvesting—then, Do It Again!
When I was 11, we relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area, and it was here that I grew up, went to college and started my career in Nutrition in the Bay area.
Karen Lewis
Operations
“The truth is, it takes our Oregon terroir, weather, dedicated, knowledgeable and adventurous winemakers to bring Pinot Noir to perfection.”
As a young adult, I began tasting and drinking wine sourced from the Napa Valley; visiting that area many times over the years, as more and more wineries opened for business. I started drinking white wines, as many people do, gradually moving into the reds, such as Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. I have to say that I didn’t care for the Pinot Noir wines I tasted in California then, even the ones produced in the Sierra Nevada mountains, in the Historic Gold Rush areas along Highway 49.
Eventually, I moved to Oregon and found that the number of wineries producing Pinot Noir wines was large…and growing. I decided to revisit my earlier decision of not particularly caring for Pinot Noir and found MANY lovely renditions of this infinitely variable wine. The truth is, it takes our Oregon terroir, weather, dedicated, knowledgeable and adventurous winemakers to bring Pinot Noir to perfection.
I do SO enjoy introducing Pinot to people who think they hate it!
Karen Lewis