Contributors

OWP regular freelance writers

Gail Oberst

Gail has been a Northwest writer, editor and publisher for decades. Among her favorite gigs was business editor for the News-Register, and editor pro temp for three months for the Oregon Wine Press. Inspired by the OWP, she founded the Oregon Beer Growler with her family, later selling it to Oregon Lithoprint. She continues to edit and write a wide range of articles for magazines, and weekly and regional newspapers. Recently, she published her first fiction novel, Valkyrie Dance, available on Amazon, and is working on her second, San Souci. She lives with her husband, Michael Cairns, a retired ecologist, in Independence, Oregon. They have four grown children and seven grandchildren.

Greg Norton

Greg is a freelance writer with a broad background in nonprofit communications and the arts. He studied journalistic writing through the UCLA Extension and has traveled to wine regions around the world. Greg is a Certified Specialist of Wine and received the Level II award from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. When not writing about wine, he can be found pouring it in the tasting room at Campbell Lane Winery near West Linn. Read more by Greg at www.onthevine.blog.

Paula Bandy

Paula, a writer transplant from the flatlands of Illinois to the mountains of Southern Oregon, is currently the bi-weekly wine columnist for Rogue Valley Times. She’s covered wine, lifestyle, food and home for Southern Oregon Magazine, and additional national and international academic publications. She was a writer and on-air commentator for Jefferson Public Radio, the Southern Oregon University NPR affiliate, for a decade. She’s also a Certified Sherry Wine Specialist (CSWS) and jewelry designer, pb~bodyvine. Connect with her at pbthegrapevine@gmail.com.

Tamara Belgard Turner 

A story hunter at heart, Tamara is a freelance journalist focused on uncovering interesting and educational stories in the wine and travel industries. WSET2 certified, she passionately writes about wine, spirits, food, and travel for a variety of lifestyle and wine publications. One of her favorite pastimes is locating and sharing information about hidden wine gems.

Neal D. Hulkower

Neal is an applied mathematician and freelance writer living in McMinnville. His first contributions to a wine publication appeared in the early 1970s. Since 2009, he has been writing regularly about wine-related topics for academic, trade and popular publications including Journal of Wine Research, Journal of Wine Economics, American Wine Society Wine Journal, Oregon Wine Press, Practical Winery & Vineyard, Wine Press Northwest, Slow Wine Guide USA and The World of Fine Wine as well as wine-searcher.com, trinkmag.com, and guildsomm.com. Neal is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers. His first book, Grape Explications, will be released by Fall 2024.

Annelise Kelly

After living in Denmark, the Netherlands, L.A. and the Bay Area, writer Annelise Kelly settled in Portland, where she delights in food carts, Douglas firs, dancing and getting crafty. Thanks to Annelise’s broad interests, her career path has weaved through cooking, events, technical writing, decorative painting and retail display. Wanderlust takes her across borders and oceans every chance she gets. Connect with Annelise at www.annelisekelly.com.

Carolyn Wells-Kramer

Carolyn has been a wine industry photographer in Oregon’s Willamette Valley since 2007. She has numerous winery clients and also provides photography service for the Oregon Wine Board, International Pinot Noir Celebration and many other regional organizations. She specializes in capturing the essence of our great Oregon wine industry, especially its people. Discover more of her work at www.cwkphotography.com.

Brooke Strickland

A lifelong resident of the Pacific Northwest, Brooke is a full-time freelance writer who specializes in writing blogs, website content, and business news for companies & publications around the country. She is also the co-author of Hooked on Games, a book about technology and video game addiction. When she's not writing, you can find her on her porch swing reading a historical fiction novel with a glass of rosé or hanging out with her husband and two kids. 

Jessica Zimmer

Jessica is a news reporter, attorney, and educator based in Northern California. She has worked in journalism for over 20 years. She covers a wide variety of industries, including alcoholic beverage production, transportation, law and the arts.

Aakanksha Agarwal

Aakanksha is a wine, travel and lifestyle writer from India. Formerly a Bollywood stylist, she now resides in the U.S., embracing writing full-time while juggling family life and indulging in her passions for cuisine, literature and wanderlust.

Sarah (aka Sally) Murdoch

Sarah runs Puncheon PR and has marketed many iconic sports and beverage brands, which eventually led her to the Oregon Wine Board where she headed communications for almost seven years. A native Portlander and Oregon Duck with a journalism degree, she is an avid tennis player and captains a number of tennis teams. She recently made Forest Grove her home, and her go-to winery is David Hill Vineyards & Winery. Visit sallymurdoch.com to learn more. Visit sallymurdoch.com to learn more.

Patty Mamula

Patty is a Portland-based freelance writer focusing on Northwest art, entertainment and culture. Her résumé includes Sunriver Magazine, The Capital Press and other publications. Connect with her at pattymamula@gmail.com.

Andrea Jacoby OShell

Andrea has been in the wine industry for over a decade first discovering her love of wine at a small neighborhood wine shop in Miamisburg, Ohio. She also discovered her love of writing during that time by writing and publishing background guides for the International Model United Nations Organization. She moved to Oregon in 2015 where her wine journey continued. She resides in Southern Oregon and currently works for a small wine distributor. She also achieved her WSET level III with merit in 2021. In her spare time, you can usually find her meandering through old East Medford with her two dogs, Teddy and Luna.

Dr. Greg Jones

For over 25 years, world-renowned wine climatologist Greg has conducted research firmly linking weather and climate with grapevine growth, fruit chemistry and wine characteristics in regions around the globe. He was named to Decanter Magazine’s 2009 Power List representing the top 50 most influential people in the world of wine, Oregon Wine Press 2009 Person of the Year and listed among the most influential people in the U.S. wine industry. Greg serves as a Director on the Oregon Wine Board, founding member of the Society for International Terroir Experts, contributor to the Porto Protocol, and member of the Sustainable Wine Roundtable. He has lifelong ties to the Oregon wine community, most closely as CEO of Abacela, his family winery and vineyards. www.climateofwine.com.

Kerry McDaniel Boenisch

Kerry McDaniel Boenisch is a professional speaker, wine judge and author of three wine books. She owns DirtVineWine Brand Communications and co-hosts “Wine Sisters — Cheers to Change, Diversity and Inclusion,” a vlog with Atlanta’s Corks and Cuvée wine store owner Regina Jackson. Discover more at www.dirtvinewine.com or www.winesisterscheersforchange.com.