Bow & Arrow

Portland, Oregon’s Bow & Arrow Winery is owned by New York transplant Scott Frank. He moved west after 9/11 when he watched the tragedy from the 47th floor of a Manhattan skyscraper. His wife, Dana, owns Dame, a popular wine bar in Portland.

With no job and no previous winery experience, Frank bluffed his way into a job at the wine department of New Seasons Market where he realized that good wine didn’t have to come at a high price. He began to envision a future in wine when working harvest at the influential Cameron Estate Winery in Dundee, eventually becoming assistant winemaker.

Frank’s goal is to make affordable, everyday wine in the manner of ready-to-drink-now Loire Valley table wines – “wine of the people.” Bow & Arrow’s fruit is sourced from a select group of growers in the Willamette Valley who were willing to risk grafting and planting the varieties Frank needed and to farm them in a way that was aligned with his beliefs. He embraces a simple, low-intervention winemaking style.

Currently, Frank partners with growers from whom he buys varieties that best characterize their distinctive terroirs. His partner vineyards stretch from around Yamhill in the north of the valley to Junction City, 90 miles to the south. Vines range from seven to 27 years in age. Elevations vary from 180 to 750 feet with clay-dominated soils.