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chow | winemaker

RESISTANCE

WINE COMPANY

From a pastime to a passion

Pamela Ruhl Gibson
Courtesy of Resistance Winery

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “resistance” as “an act or
instance of resisting,” “an opposing force” and “the power or capacity
to resist.” According to co-owners, Kirk and Kimberly Drake of
Resistance Wine Company, “the spark of resistance for us started with
the desire to step off the treadmill and follow passion. To live life with
purpose and spend time on something worthwhile. To appreciate what
is good and define success on our own terms.”
With their wines, the Drakes are resisting industrial farming practices
and mass wine production, embracing the ideal of a premium wine
product made with integrity. Their wines are sourced from sustainably
farmed local vineyards and fermented in small lots with minimally
invasive practices. In fact, the duo “take a stand against industry
practices that sacrifice wine quality in the interest of profit and scale.”
They believe that there are no shortcuts to making great wines.

The creation of Resistance Wines was in Chili, where Kimberly was
first introduced to wine as an exchange student. After returning to the
states, she met Kirk and they developed a mutual love of wine. They
settled in Washington, D.C., where Kimberly practiced law and Kirk
worked in the financial technology sector. They started making wine in
their basement and eventually, their pastime grew into a desire to make
great wines to share commercially.
During a trip to Kirk’s high school reunion, they discovered that
Southern Oregon had morphed into a thriving wine country. They
had not been back to the region in over twenty years, and now the
landscape was speckled with vineyards. The area was established and
had become a flourishing wine scene with reputable wineries and
winemakers alike. The area had, in fact, become the new destination
spot for wine enthusiasts and held a bright future for attracting
professional winemaking talent.
The history of Southern Oregon grapes and winemaking actually
started in the 1840’s when European immigrants first grew grapes,
which eventually lead to the first official winery opening in 1852.
Interestingly, the Rogue Valley is situated in an area that provides warm
days and cool nights, varying microclimates, and soil that is mixed
with metamorphic, sedimentary, and volcanic earth. This provides for
a perfect compilation of ingredients to grow and make fine wines. The
region was designated an American Viticulture (AVA) in 1991 and is
officially considered a wine grape-growing region. Today, the region
boasts tasting rooms and nearly a hundred vineyards with dozens of
wineries producing superior wines from the Rogue Valley.

122 www.southernoregonmagazine.com | fall 2020