Coelho Family History

What started out as a dream later became reality for the Coelho family. Each member has contributed to the development and growth of their family business. Dave, Deolinda and their four children David, Samuel, Stephanie, and Jeanne are pictured below.

Dave and Deolinda’s History

In the 1980’s, prior to the start of Coelho Winery, Dave and Deolinda Coelho farmed approximately 800 acres of tomatoes, sugar beets, corn and alfalfa in California’s San Joaquin Valley. 

In 1990 Dave and Deolinda borrowed her parents van and took the four young children on camping trips throughout Oregon, Washington and Idaho.  After their experience of farming furrow irrigation in the high winds of the San Joaquin Valley, Dave was seeking fertile soil.  He finally found the land he was looking for in the Willamette Valley.  In June of 1991, the family settled in Amity, Oregon - just in time for their eldest son to start kindergarten.

The 40 acres of rolling farmland that Dave and Deolinda purchased was previously planted in wheat.  However, Dave immediately noticed the southern slope and thought the land would be well suited to a vineyard.

Dave and Deolinda had always dreamed of owning their own land and growing grapes.  Dave began working part-time in local vineyards and wineries, which “cemented the idea.”

In spring 2002, the Coelho family took a leap and planted 28.5 of the 40 acres surrounding their home in Pinot noir.  At first they thought they would sell all the fruit they were growing, but soon discovered they’d been bitten by the wine bug and in 2004 produced the first bottles of “Paciência”.

David

David graduated from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, earning a double degree in German and Economics. During his time at Willamette University, he spent a year abroad at the University of Dortmund in Germany, expanding his knowledge internationally. After finishing his undergraduate in 2008 he later found himself back in Germany where he completed his master’s in December 2009. David earned his master’s in European Integration Studies.

David joined the winery full-time in the summer of 2010. He leads the winemaking program and actively participates in the estate vineyard.

Samuel

Samuel graduated from Oregon State University, a well-known Agriculture, Engineering, and Business College in Oregon. He earned his degree in Business Administration Management with a focus in Spanish. He has been actively involved in the family business, including harvest, crush, and operations. He now heads up the marketing and sales department. Samuel has had the opportunity to travel abroad to further his Spanish speaking skills by spending time in Argentina, Mexico, Costa Rica and other Latin American countries.

The First Generation

Dave's grandfather, Joe Coelho, was originally from Terceira, Portugal.  He moved to Brazil for work as a young boy then returned to the Azores, before immigrating to Rhode Island in 1914 at the age of 14.  

At 22, Joe married Virginia, originally from San Miguel and they started a family.  In 1936 he migrated alone to California in order to make a home for his new family.  Isolated, he found work with the mafia.  When they asked him to start passing counterfeit $10 and $20 bills, his wife weighed in and gave him an ultimatum: no more mafia work.  Joe acquiesced, returned to Rhode Island, picked up his family and moved the whole crew to Novato, California.  He became a dairyman, and made Portuguese wine on the side for his family and friends.

Deolinda’s grandfather, José (Joe) Serpa was a whaler in the Azores.  He was from the island of Pico, and her grandmother, Delphina was from the island of São Jorge.  Joe Serpa came to the United States via Ellis Island around 1922 and settled in Massachusetts.  Two years later he sent for his family.  In 1927, the family migrated to California where Joe worked for a creamery for many years, before starting his own carpentry business.

Joe tried his hand at winemaking in the basement, but it was short lived.  Joe and Delphina had eight children, and one evening the boys thought that it would be a good idea to siphon some wine out for themselves and friends.  The next morning, the siphon was still in the barrel, the wine was all over the floor, and so were a few sick boys!