We recently connected with Katie Santora and have shared our conversation below.

Katie , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

There is always a risk when you become the leader of an organization. Our winery was established in the
early 90s. In 2018, our Proprietor, Bill Stoller, purchased his long-time partner’s share of equity in the
business, and I was promoted to winemaker. Having worked for the winery since 2012, I understood our
house style and how our wines were traditionally made. Yet, once I was in charge, I was able to question
why we did things a certain way a bit more. The question became, “How can we keep the historical
essence of the wines while fine-tuning the process to make them better.” It was hard. It was a huge risk
to question the status quo that had been in place for decades. I believe that through questioning
yourself and your own “truth,” you can grow in all aspects of life. Today, I make questioning the “why”
common practice with our team. If anyone I work with asks me why we do something a certain way and
I can’t explain it or believe in it, there is most likely a better way to do it. My biggest risk was questioning
and tweaking the long-held ideology that ultimately made our wines even better.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Katie Santora, and I am the winemaker for Chehalem Winery in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Wine was not something I had planned to pursue as a career, but it was a part of our family culture.
Food and wine with friends and family gatherings were always around as a part of life. Growing up in
Salt Lake City, Utah, I wanted to see what else was out there in the world, so I left after high school and
jumped around between colleges, trying to find my calling. Knowing I enjoyed science and math, my
dad’s good friend said one summer, “I know what you should do; you should go to UC Davis and study
winemaking.” I laughed, thinking that no one studies winemaking, but the seed was planted, and I
looked into it. Long story short, I received my enology and viticulture degree from UC Davis and traveled
all over the world making wine. My first harvest in Oregon was in 2008, and I loved the community and
industry so much that I decided to stay. I took the assistant winemaker position at Chehalem Winery in
2012, intending to stay here for four years and put some baby roots down in my young adult life. Now,
12 years later, I am the winemaker for Chehalem and have a wonderful dog, two small children, and an
amazingly supportive partner.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In winemaking, we only get one opportunity to craft our product each fall. We patiently wait each year for the grapes to reach their optimal ripeness, measured by sugar accumulation, flavor intensity, and
acidity profile. When the grapes are ready, the time clock begins, and it’s a rush to pick the fruit so we
can get it in the winery to start the fermentation and aging process. Everything during harvest happens
so fast. When grapes are ready to be picked, it needs to happen the next day, and everything in the
winery that needs to be done cannot wait until the next day, so typically, we work 10 – 16 hours a day,
seven days a week, for weeks on end until harvest is complete. Not only are the hours and weeks long,
but grapegrowing and winemaking are also extremely physical. I explain all this because having a baby
during harvest is NOT ideal, yet I had two children during harvest.

My first child was born at the very beginning of the 2019 harvest. I never planned to be on maternity
leave, so I took about a week to recover when he was born while still answering phone calls and working
on grape-picking plans. I would not have been able to bond with my son and make gorgeous wines
without fantastic support at home and work. We had an incredibly talented team at Chehalem that
harvest, and my Assistant Winemaker, Jessica Spera, was ready to take the reins and step up when
needed. My mother came to live with my partner and me for harvest so I could go to work. Looking
back, I wonder how any of this was even possible or why I made the decision, but I truly believed both

the birth of my son and the new vintage were important. My resilience came from my dedication and
passion for my family and work. I dug deep with both of my children, so I didn’t have to choose one or
the other.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Having genuine authenticity in your brand and product is the best way to grow your clientele. When your mission, vision, thoughts, and actions align with what you are making, your brand will be
remembered and appreciated more than just the product or service. Acting with authenticity and
intention is magnetic.

Contact Info:

• Website: Chehalem Winery
• Other: katies@chehalemwines.com (503) 538-4700