For more than two decades, our co-founders Jeff Russell and Mark Zook have been friends and colleagues. Professionally, they both have reputations as changemakers — catalysts who are forward-looking and curious. Socially, they talked a lot (and we mean a lot) about wines. While both maintained their day jobs, they worked to further their wine education. Mark earned a vineyard operations certificate from NW Wine Studies Program. Jeff’s education came from multiple trips to the West Coast and picking the brains of winemakers and knowledgeable tasting room staff.

They determined they wanted to deliver great wines from winemakers they had appreciated and admired. Years of planning and dreaming about owning a wine label became a reality in 2019 when the fate of geography connected them with renowned winemaker Joe Dobbes, a neighbor of Mark’s in the Willamette Valley.

Mark and Jeff knew they wanted to make approachable, great wines that deliver that little bit of joy in a glass. They envisioned wines bold in flavor, but accessible to both the sophisticated and casual palette. Joe’s winemaking philosophy aligned with this vision, and they put into motion the first vintage of Catalyst Ridge Wines.

As catalysts are the spark of change, our wines honor the transformation from vine to wine. Change is a critical part of winemaking. It’s more than the change that happens in the field, or the change that happens through the fermentation process. It’s even greater than the change that happens in the bottle. It’s the sum of all those changes, with a little nurturing from the winemaker, to create the magic of a special glass of wine.

We envision Catalyst Ridge Wines as the spark that will change how you think about wine, especially those that define this incredible region.

Bold in flavor, bold in vision. Welcome to Catalyst Ridge Wines