RED ELECTRIC Team

Doug ackerman

Grape-grower Douglas Ackerman experienced his Oregon wine epiphany when served a bottle of 1993 Bethel Heights SE Block Pinot Noir at dinner in Salem.  He simply could not believe that such a compelling and complete wine was produced a mere 8 miles from where he sat at that moment.  His passion for great wine rapidly led him to the Old World, and the wines of Burgundy, Champagne, Piedmont and Austria in particular.  By 2006, Doug and his wife Michele were convinced that Oregon was producing world class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay—and that they needed to be a part of the wine community.  When a 16 acre parcel of a beautiful horse farm on Lewis Rogers Lane became available, Doug and Michele took the plunge and began the process of developing Armstrong Vineyard. 

During the first five years of grape production, all Armstrong fruit was sold to terrific local wineries and developed a reputation for exceptional quality.  Old friends Doug and John discussed the idea of starting a brand based solely on Armstrong fruit—and their common vision was immediately clear:  here was an opportunity to utilize all sections of the vineyard to produce the balanced, beautiful and intense wines.  For John, the opportunity to come full circle and work intensively with Ribbon Ridge fruit was irresistible.  Doug and Michele are delighted to have such a talented and dedicated winemaker on board the Red Electric!

john grochau

John Grochau was first introduced to wine and the winemaking landscape in his early 20s while racing bicycles for a French team in the Loire Valley. For several years, he raced through some of France’s most revered winemaking regions including Champagne, Burgundy and across the Loire Valley. When he returned to his hometown of Portland, Oregon, he went to work in the restaurant business and his appreciation for wine grew.

After more than decade selling wine in some of Portland’s finest restaurants, including a 14-year stint at Higgins, Grochau plunged into winemaking. He spent a year in Sonoma before returning to Oregon to work at Erath Winery, and then worked alongside winemaker Doug Tunnel at Brick House Vineyards for four years. 

In 2002, he founded Grochau Cellars (now GC Wines), his eponymous wine label, to explore the production of food-friendly wines reminiscent of place. More than twenty years later, John has become well known in the Oregon wine industry as a friend, compatriot and community builder.

He has lent his expertise to countless winemaking endeavors and prioritized strong relationships with growers across the state. After reflecting on more than two decades in the business, he shortened the name to GC Wines to reflect the brand’s evolution from one person’s dream to a dream realized and a much bigger wine family.