After spending several years as a semiconductor engineer in Oregon and Dublin, Ireland, Winemaker Gina Hennen returned to the Pacific Northwest in 2006 in pursuit of a career without cubicles and inspired by her love of food and wine. She found it upon her return to Oregon when she snagged a harvest position and enrolled in winemaking classes where she found winemaking to be a fulfilling blend of science and artisanship.  Seventeen years later, she hasn’t looked back, and serves as Winemaker for Adelsheim Vineyard in the Chehalem Mountains AVA in the Willamette Valley.

Gina spent many years honing her craft with Adelsheim as part of the winemaking team before taking the lead as head Winemaker. Known for her ability to execute, and armed with the knowledge that everything the winemaking team does touches every aspect of Adelsheim, she focuses on setting a high bar while still enjoying the winemaking process and reveling in the fact that every wine produced is unique and will never be replicated. She is an active participant in the Willamette Valley winemaking community, currently serving on the Oregon Wine Board Research committee and the Pinot noir Technical Tasting committee.   In previous years she volunteered her time as Board of Directors President for the International Pinot Noir Celebration, on the Chardonnay Technical Tasting committee, the OWB education committee, and the LIVE technical group committee.

Gina spends her free time both outdoors and in and loves bouldering and mountain biking as much as she enjoys a pot of tea, freshly baked bread, and a crossword puzzle. But her favorite pastime? Spending time with her daughter and husband.

Gina is a featured winemaker for the Honoring 40 years in the Willamette Valley Dinner on Saturday, March 2, at 7:00pm.