Monkey Face Vineyard at Ranch at the Canyons is generally considered the pioneer vineyard of Central Oregon ’s newly emerging viticulture industry.
Named for the imposing Monkey Face rock spire witch looms over it from across the Crooked River
Today the approximately 2.5 acres yield several varieties of French-American hybrid grapes that have made their way into first bottlings of wines with a distinctively high desert character. Several wineries in Central Oregon have blended the vineyard’s fruit into their wines, among them nearby Maragas Winery which won a Silver Medal at the San Francisco Chronicle’s Wine Competition for its “Beat Red” that included Monkey Face grapes.
Moreover, founders of the region’s largest new vineyard, the 15-acre Faith Hope and Charity, are bottling wine made off site from one of Monkey Face’s varietals while their vines mature.
The evolution of Monkey Face grapes has been guided by Kerry Damon, an experienced vineyard specialist who was recruited from previous positions in California ’s Sonoma County
