In Memoriam: Russell Rainey

Remembering the founder of Evesham Wood Vineyard and Winery

Russell Rainey, founder of Evesham Wood Vineyard and Winery near Salem, died July 9. He was 70.

Rainey was born February 1, 1952, in Monroe, Louisiana. Soon afterward, his family relocated to Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where he lived until graduating high school. While studying German at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, Rainey spent his junior year abroad in Germany, developing an appreciation for the wines made in Baden and Alsace.

After graduating college, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri, here he planted grapevines and managed Cheshire Cellars, a wine shop inside The Cheshire Inn, a local landmark. One evening, while having dinner with friends, Rainey met Mary Ann Mattingly, a young server. The two fell in love and married in Fulton.

Click this link to read the rest of the story on the Oregon Wine Press website