Franchere Wine Company

  • Willamette Valley, Oregon, United States
Franchere Wine Company
  • I tasted three wines from Mike, two pinot noirs and one syrah, and was very impressed with what I tasted, particularly given that these are only from the second vintage that he has produced. The syrah is already top flight, and the pinot noirs, while not the most transparent examples one will find these days, are deep, complex and nicely built for the cellar. Mike Hinds at Franchere Wines is off to an excellent start and is a name to watch in the coming years."

    —John Gilman, View From the Cellar

Franchere Wine Company is an exciting project helmed by Mike Hinds. An Oregon native, Mike got his start working in wine shops in Chicago. After catching the wine bug from a bottle of Vouvray, he returned to his home state where he started taking viticulture classes, working in the cellar at Illahe Vineyards, farming grapes, and finally producing his own wines.

Launched with the 2013 vintage, Mike named his project Franchere after his great great grandfather, Gabriel Franchère, who arrived in Oregon in 1811 aboard the ill-fated ship, Tonquin. In Gabriel’s memoir he gave his impression of what would later become Portland, describing the incredible landscape as having presented “…a smiling and enchanting prospect to the observer who loved the beauties of simple nature”. This regard for history, nature, and place runs through the wines of Franchere. Mike works with small, family owned, responsibly worked, and dry-farmed vineyards. In the cellar he utilizes native fermentations, neutral aging vessels, and no adjustments, allowing the wines to speak for themselves. And along with his name, the label depicts his great great grandfather’s ship.

Again and again Oregon has shown its ability to challenge our expectations with surprising and impressive new talents, and we’re very excited to welcome this new voice to Bowler. 

Image Producer PRODUCT Description Country / Region

DB5163-22
Organic
Franchere Wine Company "For Heaven's Sake, Don't Move Here" Willamette Valley
2022
Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris 85%, Grüner Veltliner 15%. The fruit was sourced from three vineyard sites within the Willamette Valley - Keeler Estate (Pinot...
United States

DB5161-19
Franchere Wine Company Pinot Noir "Havlin Vineyard" Willamette Valley
2019
Pinot Noir
The Havlin Vineyard is a southeast facing site that sits at the base of the Van Duzer Corridor - winds blow in from the Pacific every...
United States

DB5158-21
Organic
Franchere Wine Company Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills
2021
Pinot Noir
The fruit comes from Zenith Vineyard (LIVE-certified sustainable), which is centrally located in the Eola-Amity Hills on marine sedimentary...
United States

DB5164-21
Organic
Franchere Wine Company Red Blend 'Cascadia'
2021
Pinot Noir
A co-ferment of Pinot Noir (83%), Grüner Veltliner (10%), and Syrah (7%). The fruit is sourced from Zenith Vineyard in Eola-Amity Hills AVA...
United States

DB5160-18
Organic
Franchere Wine Company Syrah "Havlin Vineyard" Willamette Valley
2018
Syrah
Havlin is located in the cool Van Duzer Corridor. Soils are shallow silt-loam atop ironstone bedrock. Lots of wind, south eastern facing...
United States

DB3672-22
Franchere Wine Company Lionesses White Blend Willamette Valley
2022
63% Ehrenfelser (A riesling based crossing), and 37% Kerner from Satori Springs Vineyard - a west-facing site planted on Jory soils (rocky... United States

DB5164-22
Organic
Franchere Wine Company Red Blend 'Cascadia'
2022
Pinot Noir
A co-ferment of Pinot Noir (83%), Grüner Veltliner (10%), and Syrah (7%). The fruit is sourced from Zenith Vineyard in Eola-Amity Hills AVA...
United States