“My degree is in mathematics, so
I’ve always been in math and sci-
ence, and I’ve always been odd as
a women in math and science. It’s
a little bit the same in the wine in-
dustry. You stand out a little bit. But
my husband points out...if I say,
‘This was made by a woman wine-
maker!’ he thinks, ‘What am I sup-
posed to do with this information?
Am I supposed to not be as hard on
the wine because it was made by a
woman winemaker? Do I not judge
it the same as I would a wine made
by a man?’ and I personally don’t
want that. I want all wines to be
judged equally regardless of who
made them… I want you to know
that it’s a good bottle of wine that
was also made by a woman, like it’s
a secondary piece of information.”
Women also feel empowered to
support other women in business.
Mary’s seen and felt this through-
out her career both at the phone
company and with her business. It
makes her proud to support other
women who are good at what they
do and because they are wom-
en. As Mary puts it, “It’s a plus.”
As far as what the future holds,
Mary wants to maintain Airlie as
a small destination winery in the
Willamette Valley. With so many
beautiful wineries nearby, it make
the perfect stop on a wine tour.
Airlie is a true destination winery. If you don’t stop and linger on the first visit, you will surely return when you can pack a
picnic, bring the dogs and just relax the afternoon away. Mary Olson will tell the stories of our estate and the extensive list of
varietals we offer. Her beguiling tales will capture and enchant you just like the wines served in our cozy tasting room, on the
spacious sunny patio and the hillside deck. After tasting, take a glass or bottle to savor with a picnic and just enjoy the serene
surroundings. Our little slice of heaven is nestled in a small secluded vale on the western edge of the Willamette Valley. The
setting is surrounded by views of the Coast Range Mountains, the beautiful Dunn Forest (the namesake of our estate vineyard)
and pastoral vistas of neighboring farms. Located in the Heart of the Willamette Valley, Corvallis, Salem, Albany, Dallas and
Monmouth are just a short drive away.
airliewinery.com
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