Wasson Brothers Winery

Who says you can’t please all the people all the time?

In the case of Wasson Brothers Winery, both the enthusiasts of fruit and berry wines as well as the folks who like “pinot” in the name of their wines are satisfied. Production at the winery is split about 50/50 between fruit and berry wines and varietal grape wines. Anecdotal evidence finds that local folks prefer the tasty loganberry, blackberry, and rhubarb wines, and the city folks like the pinot. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Wasson Brothers specializes in berry cane wines. After all, in this part of Oregon, you have miles of berry fields in any given direction. It would be a shame not to take advantage of all that fruit!

WineTrail trivia: Oregon’s Tri-County area (Clackamas, Marion, and Multnomah counties) is one of the leading producers of nursery stock in the world. Driving to Wasson Brothers Winery, you’ll pass mile after mile of nurseries.

Wasson Brothers winery is located in Sandy, Oregon, right off Highway 26 on the road leading to Mount Hood. Owners John and Jim Wasson have pursued their winemaking passion for several decades. When they’re not making wine, they are often involved with their other infatuation — flying. The Wasson brothers are identical twins, though there is a slight difference in their heights; a couple of knee surgeries are responsible for John being slightly shorter than Jim.

Their number-one selling wine is Niagara, the white-wine cousin of Concord grape wine. A big chunk of their annual production of 3,500 cases is this sweet wine. But they also produce a fair amount of pinot noir, riesling, and chardonnay. And you can’t beat their prices. Most Wasson Brothers wines cost between $11 and $16. It’s also the place where locals purchase their beer and winemaking supplies. If Prohibition revisits us, the folks of Sandy and other nearby burgs are sitting pretty.

Now in their sixties, the Wasson brothers are thinking about life beyond the winery. At the time of this writing, their winery was up for sale. If you pluck down $260,000, the winery — including the business, its loyal following, as well as the equipment — is yours. Although inventory is extra, you’re going to need some bottles to celebrate.