Founded by Ted and Meri Gerber, Foris Winery and Vineyards is family-owned and family-managed. A graduate of Cal State Hayward in 1969, Ted studied political science and public administration. During his college years, he also developed a passion for making homemade wine. In 1971, Ted and Meri purchased hillside acreage in southern Oregon's remote Illinois Valley with the specific intention of growing grapes. Starting from scratch, they built a house, bought the land that is now Gerber Vineyards, and began planting grapes.

For a number of years they provided fruit to various vintners in southern Oregon, and in 1986 started producing their own wines under the Foris label.

Over 35 years ago, the Gerber family began planting their first vineyard on the terrace of the Siskiyou Mountains. Foris Vineyards Winery was established in 1986. Surrounded by several pristine wilderness areas, Foris now boasts over 178 acres of estate vineyards, just 25 miles due east of the Pacific Ocean in Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley Appellation.

Founding owner, Ted Gerber, has been nurturing the land since the early seventies. His commitment as a caretaker of the vineyards since the planting of the first vine to the last, is the hallmark of Foris and the foundation of our commitment to produce distinctive, high quality wines.