Two Josephs Vineyard's name recognizes the Two Josephs who figured prominently in early Eagle Valley history: Chief Joseph of the Wallowa Nez Perce and the mountain man Joseph Gale. "Governor" Gale was one of 3 members of Oregon's 1843 Executive Committee, the first small step towards today's state government of Oregon. Gale's wife was Eliza, older half sister to Chief Joseph and his brother Ollok
ot. In happier days before the Nez Perce War of 1877, Chief Joseph and the Wallowa Nez Perce would camp for weeks at the Gale homestead on Eagle Creek, hunting, fishing and visiting with relatives. Two Josephs Vineyard is in its fifth year of existence and remains in assessment phase. We are growing small quantities of 21 varieties of vinifera grapes (plus several clones) to identify those that perform best in our demanding growing environment. Jane Ellis, whose family has farmed this land since the early 1890s, and her husband Jeff Backstrand and daughter Sarah, planted the first block of grapes in April 2006. Three additional grape varieties were planted in April 2007, another 3 varieties in April 2008, and 2 more in April 2010.
