John Paul, the irrepressible owner and winemaker of Cameron, founded the winery in 1984. After working out of a roofless warehouse on the other side of the tracks in McMinnville, the enterprise moved to its current location in the hills above Dundee. Here, he planted Clos Electrique, a 4 acre dry-farmed vineyard that included Pinot noir and Chardonnay. Clos Electrique was planted in a traditional Burgundian manner, using several different clones of each varietal. Over the years the vineyard has expanded to include Nebbiolo and a field blend of white varietals.
John Paul came to winemaking from an academic background. After receiving a PhD in Marine Biochemistry (neeeeeerrrr), he realized that winemaking offered opportunities to use the right side of his brain and to drink at work. He therefore jumped academic ship and began working in the wine industry, with stints in Oregon, New Zealand, and California. After working as an assistant winemaker at Carneros Creek Winery in the Napa Valley, he took the high road north and started Cameron with his wife, Teri Wadsworth, and partners, Bill and Julia Wayne of Abbey Ridge Vineyard, Marc Dochez, and Shawna Archibald. The winery name was inspired by its location in Dundee and was named after the Paul family’s Scottish Clan.
John is dedicated to producing high-quality, hand-crafted and sustainably-farmed libations for the people. A small family operation, producing 3,000 to 4,000 cases annually, John is now joined by assistant winemaker Tom Sivilli, his wife Teri, a cat, two geese, three goats, 11 chickens and a hive of bees. John and Teri’s children, Tawny and Julian, are also intimately involved in the winery’s happenings.
For more about the animals and our farming philosophy, please click here.