Jim Maresh started his career as a navy reserve officer in Portland. After spending years travelling around the country, he left the navy and opted for a corporate position as a business analyst. Until he fell in love with the 'red hills of Dundee' in Oregon. In 1959, Jim bought an estate with 10 acres of land. There were plum, hazelnut and cherry trees planted on it at the time. It became a big challenge, as he did not have an agricultural background. Jim: "My only exposure to Agriculture was when I passed the Ag building on the Madison campus!". Fortunately, local farmers were very supportive and taught him the finer points of the trade. Consequently, when they retired, they sold their pieces of land to Jim. As a result, his property grew to about 65 hectares. For the first few years, Jim simply maintained the plum and cherry trees. Because of the reclamation in the nearby town of Newberg, no one thought about the potential of wine, so cherries seemed a better investment. Only after 10 years were the first plots ploughed. Today, Arterberry Maresch is not only the fifth-oldest vineyard in Oregon, but also the oldest located on Worden Hill Road.
The winery is known for its fantastic pinot noir and chardonnay wines. The pinot noir vines are clones from Pommard (Burgundy) and Wädenswil (Switzerland). The fruit comes from the top parcels Weber, Juliard and Winderlea, among others. After fermentation, most wines mature for an average of 18 months in oak barrels. The proportion of new wood is deliberately kept low. The wines are harmonious and very complex. A total of 10 different cuvées are produced. In addition, one cask is released each year under the name Loie's Wine. Loie was Jim's wife and she regularly helped children with reading. Therefore, all proceeds from this wine are donated to Dundee Reading Fund.
One of Jim and Loie's children is Martha. She married Fred Arterberry, one of the first winemakers in Oregon. Together they had son Jim Arterberry Maresh, who has taken care of the winery for several years. He represents the third generation of the Maresh family to work on the farm. Already at the age of 27, Jim was named Best Young Oregon Winemaker!
2019 is considered the iconic vintage. From this vintage, the three wines scored: Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard, Pinot Noir Weber Vineyard and Pinot Noir Winemaker's Reserve scored 98 points. Other vintages of Arterberry Maresh are also highly rated by professional wine reviewers such as Robert Parker, Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast.
