Wine on the Edge
Grape Ink Wines is one of Oregon's most visionary and boundary-pushing natural wine projects — a poet-farmer-winemaker operation on the northernmost edge of the Willamette Valley, where the Columbia and Willamette Rivers meet, the Oregon Coast Range looms to the west, and the city of Portland glitters in the close distance. [^122^] Founded by Jarad Hadi — a first-generation Iraqi-American with a Masters in Winemaking & Viticulture from the University of Bordeaux, a mentor from Opus One, and a background in poetry and snowboarding — Grape Ink makes wines that break barriers of what we expect from certain grapes: extended ferments, wines under flor, oxidative ageing, field blends, and a level of patience that is rare in an industry obsessed with speed. [^120^] [^122^]
From Poetry & Snowboarding to Bordeaux & the Edge
Jarad Hadi did not grow up in wine. Before he became a winemaker, he was a poet, a snowboarder, and a traveller — someone who followed curiosity wherever it led. [^120^] His entry into wine was driven by a simple question: "What are the best wines in the world? What are their tricks?" [^122^] This compass took him to the University of Bordeaux, where he earned his Masters in Winemaking & Viticulture, and to Opus One in Napa Valley, where he worked under one of the industry's most respected mentors. [^122^] The classical training gave him technique; the poetic sensibility gave him vision.
Hadi chose Oregon because he believed the Willamette Valley had untapped potential — especially its northern reaches, where the climate is colder, the soils are windblown mineral layers mixed with weathered Columbia Basalt, and the vineyards are few and far between. [^122^] In 2018, he planted his home vineyard on Mason Hill Road in North Plains — six acres of self-supporting vines on shallow soil that reaches only 12–30 inches deep before hitting a concrete layer of rock and shells. [^122^] The site had been a strawberry patch in the 1950s, then a grazing field for cows. Before Hadi, it was just grass.
He regenerated the quartz-rich, wind-deposited soil with a field of native wildflowers for a full year before planting. [^122^] The vineyard has never been irrigated — a rarity for baby vines of Chardonnay. Alpacas and goats roam the rows during winter, helping fertilise. [^122^] Crown-hearted purple flowers of dead nettle pop between the rows. The property is a 26-acre parcel full of captivating living systems — 110-year-old pear trees, an Italian Isabella vine (the forbidden grape that brought phylloxera to Europe) trained into a pergola by his wife Giulia, greenhouses full of fruiting trees and baby vines, and an elk cove where herds pass through. [^122^]
Hadi's vision extends beyond his own land. In partnership with One Green World — a family-owned nursery in Portland — he acquired Art Hill, a 1,000-foot-elevation property on Rocky Point Road that had held "a lot of broken dreams of cultivation." [^122^] He called on his community to invest. The site now has two full greenhouses, thousands of seeds planted to turn the soil (wild carrot, lacy phacelia, daikon radish, wild daisy, chamomile), and a spreadsheet of varieties that reads like an oenophile's fever dream: Garganega, Chenin Blanc, Grolleau, Grecanico Etna, and hundreds of rootstocks grafted for resistance and resilience. [^122^] "He is planting echoes to outlive us," one writer observed. [^122^]
"Each vineyard site has a deep story to interpret into wine when one has time to listen to their subtle requests. These are the small songs that vineyards sing that one can only hear when they are in the vineyard and that we hope to share with everyone."
— Jarad Hadi
Biodiversity, Extended Ferments & Wines Under Flor
Grape Ink's farming is defined by biodiversity and natural systems. As a natural farmer, Hadi replaces irrigation, herbicides, and systemic fungicides with sprays that have a symbiotic relationship with the vines — Japanese knotweed, cinnamon oil, and other plant-based preparations. [^122^] He introduces plant species to increase the diversity of beneficial roots, flowers, and habitats on the land he tends. "Our goal is to regenerate a healthy ecosystem and treat each vineyard like a garden," he says. [^122^] Chardonnay and Savagnin reach down to the tree line that provides shade. A huge open field backed by diverse trees is reserved for nature — Hadi intends to keep only 50% of his property dedicated to agriculture, leaving the rest wild. [^122^]
The home vineyard is a field blend of Pinot Noir, Trousseau, and Mondeuse — varieties that "vibe together" as part of Hadi's unique contribution to what the north Willamette Valley is capable of. [^122^] He also consults for neighbouring vineyards, converting them to natural farming techniques, biodiversity, and dry farming. Merten Vineyards — at 950 feet with own-rooted Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris vines planted in the 1980s — is one of the oldest sites in the area, yielding "dramatic and mineral-driven expressions of original Oregon varietals." [^122^] Hadi's consulting work allows him to incorporate exclusive selections from sites he farms into his core production.
The cellar is where Hadi's patience truly reveals itself. He ages wines in Damigiana — Italian glass carboys — where the cool morning sun shines upon them, "relieving hues of raw sienna, lilac, yellow ochre, and indigo." [^122^] Inside a ceramic vessel hand-spun by Giulia, an oxidative Chardonnay has been ageing for four years — healthy cellar mold gripping the white space of the amphora as painted yellow teardrops cascade down the side. [^122^] "His intention is to not rush things, a rarity in the wine industry. He possesses a poetic energy in expressing wines that break barriers of what we expect from certain grapes." [^122^]
The techniques are minimal but intentful: hand-harvested grapes placed in open-top neutral barrels and tubs that allow slow fermentation; 18 months ageing in a cave in Oregon's coastal mountain range; unfined and unfiltered bottling; zero sulfur added. [^122^] The "Flower Power" Chardonnay — the first vintage from the home vineyard — was barrel-fermented with ambient yeast and zero SO2, aged for 20 months without ever racking. The first 8 months, it was topped off; then Hadi let a flor develop and did not top it off for the remaining 12 months. [^122^] The result is a wine with "verve, mystery, and fineness" — a Chardonnay that tastes like nothing else in Oregon.
No sulfur added at any point — not at crush, not at bottling, not ever. [^121^] [^122^] A radical commitment that demands perfect fruit, perfect timing, and perfect hygiene. The wines must speak for themselves.
"Flower Power" Chardonnay: 20 months without racking, 12 months under flor. [^122^] Oxidative Chardonnay ageing 4 years in ceramic. Extended ferments that build complexity, texture, and a savoury depth impossible to achieve quickly.
Japanese knotweed, cinnamon oil, native wildflowers, alpacas and goats for fertiliser. [^122^] No irrigation, no herbicides, no systemic fungicides. "Treat each vineyard like a garden."
1,000-foot elevation property acquired with community investment. [^122^] Garganega, Chenin Blanc, Grolleau, Grecanico Etna planted. Hundreds of rootstocks grafted for climate resilience. "Planting echoes to outlive us."
Agricultural Love Notes & Living Time Capsules
Grape Ink's wines are described as "agricultural love notes that speak to our path in opening new chapters about our own intentions as human beings (animal) and our interaction with vines (plants) and other species." [^115^] This is not marketing language — it is the philosophical foundation of everything Hadi does. The wind-blown mineral soils hold the wines together, drawing a line of consistency. The techniques they choose not to use provide clarity. And their understanding of change presents itself often as insanity — because making wine this way, in this place, with this patience, is not rational by industry standards. It is an act of faith. [^115^]
Hadi's wines are organised into categories that reflect his creative approach. "Inspired by Art" includes En Plein Air (exploration of a single vineyard's layered personalities), Nebbioso (single-vineyard field blend of red and white varieties), and Canvas of the Valley (hand-painted rosé inspired by the first flowers of spring). [^115^] "Inspired by Neighborhood" includes Days Until Harvest — a village-level Pinot Noir representing all vineyards farmed by Hadi throughout the year, with a small selection from each site chosen to create a profile of what he farms. [^115^] [^122^]
"Inspired by Changing Climate" includes Interpretations — wines designed by Hadi from vineyards he consults on, currently Aligoté and Cabernet Franc. [^115^] The Aligoté Interpretations are "a pure expression of Aligoté very low in alcohol and high in pleasure... they never yell but sing lightly with high notes like a soprano." [^130^] [^132^] "Inspired by Farm" includes the home vineyard wines: Grape Ink Red Wine (light representation of Pinot Noir, Trousseau, and Mondeuse), Flower Field (the first red wine from the home vineyard), Flower Power (the first white, Chardonnay), and Wind Notes (Savagnin and Chardonnay from a single parcel). [^115^]
The "Persuasive" category includes the 1er Cuvée — a selection of the best wine in the cellar from a noteworthy vintage, made in both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay expressions. [^115^] Yes, you read that right: premier cuvée in Oregon. It is from the same unique terroir of older vineyards in the Northern Willamette Valley — "a true balance of depth and vibrancy that can only be achieved through farming pinot noir in cold climates." [^122^] The one-off wines include Giallo (flor-aged Pinot Gris from 2006), 48 Months (Pinot Noir aged 4 years as an oxygen-stable red), Skyline Rosé (from the highest-elevation vineyard in the Willamette Valley at 1,400 feet), Risqué (natural naked Chardonnay), and Natura Nuda (natural naked demi-sec of Chardonnay). [^115^]
Hadi's wife Giulia — an Italian artist — paints the wine labels, warming the interior of the red barn with original artwork that captures the spirit of each cuvée. [^122^] The labels are as much a part of the wine as the liquid inside — hand-painted, unique, and deeply personal. Together, Jarad and Giulia have created something that is not just a winery but a living art project: a place where agriculture, poetry, painting, and patience converge.
"Flower Power" Chardonnay 2021 — 20 Months, Flor, Zero SO2
"The first vintage from Hadi's home vineyard that surrounds his house. Before the vines were planted in 2018, Hadi regenerated the quartz rich wind deposited soil with a field of native wildflowers for a year. The plot was never irrigated, a rarity for baby vines of chardonnay. Alpacas and goats roam the vineyard during the winter, helping fertilize. The chardonnay is barrel fermented with ambient yeast and zero SO2, it was aged for a total of 20 months without ever racking. The first 8 months of aging, the chardonnay was topped off, Hadi let a flor develop and the wine then wasn't topped off for the remaining 12 months of aging. An absolutely stunning wine with verve, mystery, and fineness." [^122^] The Flower Power is Grape Ink's signature white — a Chardonnay that proves Oregon's northern Willamette Valley can produce wines of extraordinary complexity and patience. It is not a cocktail Chardonnay. It is not a poolside sipper. It is a wine that demands attention, that rewards decanting, that evolves in the glass over hours. The flor development adds a savoury, saline quality that is rare in New World wines. The zero-sulfur approach means it is alive, evolving, and utterly unique. At around $32–$38, it is a wine that offers something no one else in Oregon is making — a love letter to patience, written in grape ink.
The Grape Ink Range
Grape Ink Wines produces a diverse and visionary portfolio of natural wines from organic, dry-farmed vineyards on the northernmost edge of the Willamette Valley — primarily from Jarad Hadi's home vineyard in North Plains and partner sites he consults on, including Merten Vineyards and Art Hill. [^115^] [^122^] All wines are made with zero sulfur added, native yeast fermentation, extended ageing, and minimal intervention — reflecting Hadi's belief that "the quality of great wine is found in the vineyards" and that patience is the ultimate technique. [^122^] The range is organised into thematic categories: Inspired by Art, Inspired by Neighborhood, Inspired by Changing Climate, Inspired by Farm, Persuasive, and One-Off wines. [^115^] Prices are approximate and in USD.