History of Reustle
“A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world.”
- Louis Pasteur
Before the Winery
Before the vineyard and winery, Stephen and Gloria Reustle owned a successful marketing company based in Philadelphia that taught them the value of providing world-class products to a loyal customer base. However, having a farming background and a love for wine, Stephen had always dreamed of owning a vineyard and winery. Selling their marketing firm, the Reustles moved to the West Coast in hopes of finding an ideal location to start their vineyard. After an extensive search, the Reustles eventually purchased property through a newspaper advertisement for 'Potential Vineyard Land' in Oregon's Umpqua Valley.
The Property
Prior to the arrival of the Reustles, locals said the property was once a moonshining operation. While no evidence of moonshine has ever been found, we have uncovered several bottles and moonshine jugs filled with water. We do know however, that a historic school resided on the western edges of the property, dating back to the late 1800s. While the building may no longer exist, it adds richness to the prehistory of the vineyard and winery.
The Beginning
By 2000, all that remained was a failed Christmas tree farm overgrown with trees, brush, and copious amounts of poison oak. With the help of neighbor Mike Richie and other local farmers, the Reustles began clearing the steep south-facing slopes, bringing their dream of establishing a vineyard one step closer to reality. Shortly after arriving, the Reustles purchased the adjacent property from Mike Richie, giving them water rights and the location for a second vineyard site. Residing at the highest point of this new picturesque property stood a Volkswagen-sized boulder, shaded by a single solitary oak tree overlooking the dramatic Callahan mountains. This humble boulder would soon become the namesake of the vineyard and winery, being named ‘Prayer Rock’ after Stephen and his 4-year-old son, Walter, began a daily habit of 'praying at the rock' before priming the irrigation lines.
Planting
In 2002, Stephen and Gloria planted their first ten acres of vines, which consisted of Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, and Syrah. The following year, Stephen planted the Austrian grape Grüner Veltliner, which made history in 2005 as the first commercial bottling in the United States. The Reustles expanded their vineyards to include Viognier, Sémillon, Grenache, and many other classic French, German, and Spanish varieties. To date, the combined size of both vineyards totals 40 acres and consists of 15 different grape varieties.
The Cork
The Reustles' inaugural 2004 vintage encountered surprising pushback from the federal government. All 5,000 bottles of wine had corks bearing an inscription: Ecclesiastes 9:7 – 'Drink your wine with a happy heart. God approves of this.' Unbeknownst to Stephen and Gloria, the government deemed it illegal, stating they were making a therapeutic curative claim. Through several bureaucratic hurdles and legal negotiations, the Reustles secured a one-time exemption. As a result, Stephen's first vintage became a highly prized collectible! While unable to print the entire verse on each cork, Stephen and Gloria still keep the reference 'Ecclesiastes 9:7' as a testament to their faith.
Growth and Expansion
The first vintage of wine was crafted in 2004 within Stephen's newly established winery (also affectionately referred to as his garage). While the tasting room and winery were modest in size and appearance, the Reustles witnessed exponential growth, attracting new visitors and wine club members from both near and far. Recognizing the need for additional space, Stephen embarked on fulfilling a dream he had from the very beginning—a wine cave.
Wine Cave
In 2008, the Reustles began construction of a new winery and wine cave. Featuring angelic carvings on the walls, Biblical scriptures on the floors, and renditions of Renaissance paintings on the ceiling, the Reustle wine cave will make you feel like you've gone to Europe without leaving home.
Notable Achievements
In 2007, Stephen and Gloria began entering their wine in competitions. It wasn't long before they started to receive medals, many of which included 'Gold' and 'Double Gold.' In 2015, however, Stephen and Gloria received their most prestigious award yet: Best Syrah of the New World at the 6 Nations Wine Competition. This prestigious wine judging showcases the top 100 wines from each nation...the United States, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Argentina, and Chile. Reustle not only claimed the top award for the Syrah category but also secured a tie of second place for its 2012 Syrah Winemaker's Reserve.
Best White Wine in North America
Other awards include 2010 Small Winery of the Year at the Riverside Int'l and 2020 Small Winery of the Year at Dan Berger's Int'l Wine Competition. Additionally, Wine Press Northwest Magazine named us 2017 Northwest Winery of the Year. In 2023, we received 'Best White Wine in North America' at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (the largest wine competition in North America) for our 2021 Grüner Veltliner-Green Lizard.