Winery Overview
Over forty years ago, the Gerber family began planting their first vineyard on the terrace of the Siskiyou Mountains in Oregon’s remote Illinois Valley with the specific intention of growing grapes. Only seven miles from the California/Oregon border, Foris is the southern-most vineyard in the Pacific Northwest. As one of the state’s grape growing pioneers, the Gerber family recognized the potential to grow high quality, premium vinifera grapes in the higher elevations of the region. For years, they provided fruit to various vintners in southern Oregon, and in 1986 started producing their own wines under the Foris label. Surrounded by several pristine wilderness areas, Foris now boasts 188 acres of estate vineyards, just 25 miles due east of the Pacific Ocean in what is now Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley Appellation. Originally from Gilroy, California, Ted Gerber founded the winery with his late wife Meri Gerber. A graduate of Cal State Hayward in 1969, Ted studied political science and public administration. During his college years, he also developed a passion for making homemade wine. His late wife Meri passed away in 2000 after a lengthy illness, and in 2003 Ted married his present wife, Terri, a health professional with thirty years of medical experience and an avid interest in photography and landscape painting. Terri is responsible for keeping the vineyards’ books, employee safety, and helping out with the administrative needs of the winery. Alicia Gerber, Ted’s daughter, came of age in the family vineyard. She studied childhood development in college and went out into the world on her own until returning home during her mother’s illness. Because she loves gardening and all things that grow, working alongside her father proved a natural fit. Over time, Alicia assumed a variety of important roles at the winery, and at present her responsibilities include working in the business office, the tasting room, and managing the gardens and grounds with Terri. Alicia, her son, Skylar, and daughter, Ava live on Maple Ranch in the foothills of the Siskiyous Mountains, a few short minutes east of Gerber Vineyards. Terri’s daughter, Heidi and her husband, Brian, and daughter Alex are also part of the Gerber family. They are both learning the wine business from the ground up. Heidi devotes the majority of her time working in the Foris business office, managing the wine club, and assisting during harvest. Brian’s specialties include oversight of computer security and operations, in addition to working in the vineyard. Stephanie Pao joined Foris in 2017 as the fourth winemaker in the 30-year history of the winery. Stephanie previously worked at Double Canyon, a custom crush facility in Washington, and spent three years in winemaking at Justin Vineyards in Paso Robles. She has experience working with Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir in Napa. She also worked with Pinot Noir at other wineries in Oregon, and spent a harvest season in Martinborough, New Zealand. Stephanie’s impressive resume is backed by a degree in Molecular Biology from U.C. San Diego prior to studying viticulture and enology at U.C. Davis.