Christy is a native Oregonian who grew up in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. I went to college and played basketball at both Linfield College and Western Oregon University.  After graduating, I started my teaching career in San Diego, but soon found my way back to Oregon. After many drives out to wine country, I quickly fell in love with the area and my passion for wine started to grow. I enjoyed soaking up what I could from each visit and began studying about wine on my own. My husband and I moved to the Dundee Hills in 2012, and after 13 years of teaching, as well as serving as an Athletic Director, I decided it was time to turn my passion into a reality. In the beginning of 2016, I started my career in the wine industry and have been loving every minute of it.

When I’m not working in the tasting room, I take time to enjoy the many adventures that the Pacific Northwest has to offer – hiking, camping, kayaking, and spending time on the Oregon Coast.  I also enjoy gardening, landscaping, and of course, just having a glass of wine on my deck!

I am an educator at heart. In my earlier career, it was a joy serving as President at a small liberal arts college now known as The Voices School of Liberation and Theology. I have served as adjunct professor at over a dozen colleges and universities which has been a fun outlet for my love for creativity, philosophy and history. I’ve been able to explore a wide range of academic interests through the authoring of five books and articles discussing the topics of creativity, faith, and a theology of justice. It was an honor to have my fourth book, The Myth of Equality, a history of race and faith in America, named one of the Top 5 Religion Books of the Year by Publishers Weekly. As an entrepreneur, I planted a church in Bend, Oregon and founded The Justice Conference, which has multiplied to eleven countries. 

My passion for history and a theology of justice have taken me around the world where I was introduced to and developed a love for Pinot noir. Now in my second career, I enjoy living near the orchards and vineyards in the Willamette Valley with my wife, Tamara, and four daughters, finding time to write and combining my passion for history and education as a tasting room ambassador at Winderlea. 

I was drawn to Winderlea by the beautiful location in the Dundee Hills, the focus on quality small-lot production of Pinot noir and Chardonnay, and the unique social focus of Bill and Donna, who donate a portion of tasting room proceeds to healthcare for vineyard stewards and have a commitment to diversity and equity in the wine industry as the second Oregon winery to be recognized as a certified B Corporation. 

My story began back in 2002 while being unofficially mentored by the original buyer of Trader Joe’s. Since then my journey has taken me from tasting rooms to the oldest winery in Los Angeles, to retail shops from northern to southern California to even a magical place called Disney where I got my hospitality education in spreading a tiny thing called pixie dust; all the while crafting specialty wine and cheese pairings and events.

In 2019 my wife, at the time 1 year-old son, and I packed our belongings to leave the chaos of SoCal. We found ourselves seeking a better life in the Pacific Northwest of Oregon, pursing our passions and better opportunities for our son. Now landing here with the Winderlea family, I am so excited to be a part of the Winderlea team and share my love and passion for wines with you.

When I am not in the tasting room I spend time creating fun wine pairings, hosting a winecast (podcast), swimming, cycling, and geeking out to my favorite Star Wars and Harry Potter movies. I also cherish spending time with the two loves my life, my wife and son, by hiking wilderness trails to find Ewoks, taking car trips to Del Taco, or cruising on our bikes together to find the coolest parks.