Our winemaking journey began over 20 years ago in Woodinville WA, an emerging wine destination, just outside of Seattle. Christmas 2004, Tami gifted Mark a small wine making starter kit—just enough equipment to squeeze under the stairs at our home in Woodinville. We fermented our first batch in a space barely big enough to stand in, but something about the process hooked us immediately.

After a couple of vintages and a move from Woodinville to Boulder CO, five gallons turned into ten. Kits turned into frozen must. Frozen must turned into fresh fruit shipped from California. Before long, our little room had grown into a fully outfitted 15×15 production space (in our garage) with stainless steel tanks and small oak barrels. Tami and I were learning, experimenting, and—much to our surprise—making wine our family and friends enjoyed, and we were genuinely proud of.

In 2014, we decided to send a few bottles to the WineMaker Magazines International Amateur Wine Competition, the largest amateur competition in the world. We entered with modest expectations and came home with Best of Show Red for our 2012 Rhône‑style blend, plus gold medals for our Pinot Grigio and Riesling. That moment changed everything. It proved that what started under the stairs had real potential.

A few years later, with our kids grown and our dream growing louder, Tami and I made a decision we’d talked about for years: we were going to build an equestrian facility (to support her passion), plant a vineyard and build a winery of our own. After exploring emerging wine regions across the West Coast, we fell in love with southern Oregon—the climate, the hills, the energy of a region on the rise.

The search for the right property wasn’t easy, but the moment we stepped onto a piece of land on Carpenter Hill Road, we knew. The slope, the soil, the feel of the place—it was exactly what we’d imagined. Within minutes of walking it, we made an offer.

That land became Tesoro—Italian for “Treasure.” The name reflects what this place means to us: a dream built slowly, batch by batch, from a tiny room under the stairs to a vineyard, winery and equestrian facility we now call home.

Join us for a taste or two at Little Room Winery!