Liska Wine Co was founded in 2021 by husband and wife team Chris Butler and Draga Zheleva. Many moons ago, they met at UC Davis while studying viticulture and enology and not long after were traveling around the world and making wine in various cellars. During their harvest of 2017 in Mosel, Germany, they fell in love with cooler climate varietals - especially Riesling. They decided to make the Willamette Valley of Oregon their home and embarked on a new chapter of life. Around the time they welcomed their daughter into the world they launched their first wine label, Liska - as if having a kid wasn’t a challenge enough! I don’t know how they do it!

Chris and Draga have very full lives. They are producing these wines, raising a daughter and keeping their rescue German Shepard busy roaming the vineyard sites regularly. (Have I mentioned their dog’s name is Liska!? She is the OG.) But that’s not all - they both have full time work outside of those roles. Draga is pursuing her her PhD in biological and ecological engineering and Chris works as the Assistant Winemaker for Cristom Vineyards. Now do you see what I mean by I don’t know how they do it?

They started in 2021 with about 500 cases, grew to 850 cases in 2023 with projections to make around 950 cases in 2024. When they first started Liska they didn’t feel like they quite had a concept of brand and it organically blossomed into what is is today in pretty short order. If you aren’t aware of the winemaking process: harvest season starts in Oregon around September and ends in November. Typically you bottle in the spring but need to have your labels ready by January. Everything happened so fast that first year for them that Draga did 5 label designs in January - each taking about 13-15 hours. That is dedication! Then came their first bottling in March of 2022.

When they first started production and were sourcing fruit, they knew they loved German style Riesling and wanted that to be the brand’s North Star. The Willamette Valley of Oregon is known for high quality production of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that rivals that of Burgundian winemaking houses in France. The wines produced by Cristom, where Chris works, already have set a very high bar for those varietals. So that’s when they decided they wanted to shine a light on lesser known varietals. They have more room for improvement to which they can bring their own interpretation to life. Think of varietals such as Gewurtztraminer, Gamay Noir, and Gruner Veltliner. The Gruner is so popular it is already sold out! You can buy their wines direct here and have them shipped. You can also buy original size versions of the wine labels that are linocut block prints from Draga to hang in your home.

I first met Draga in 2019 when we had hired her to help with bottling at Big Table Farm. I knew immediately that she had some awesome stories to tell and wished she could always be in the cellar working with me. Unfortunately, I worked alone managing the cellar and bottling is a short gig. I wouldn’t see her again until my new friend Brynn invited me to a potluck. That’s where my circle of friends in the winemaking world really started to come together. Once a month we would gather in McMinnville and bring dishes, bottles of our own wines (usually shiners) and just enjoy not being in the throes of harvest season. I really, really miss those days. It was always so nice seeing Chris and Draga at the potlucks, trading recipes and talking about anything other than work.

This dinner will be taking place at my personal home in Chapel Hill, where I have been steadily rebuilding my farm from the ground up after leaving Oregon last summer.

The evening will start before sunset, where guests will be welcomed with a glass of wine along with snacks while they explore the grounds to see all the projects that are continuing to grow. Guests can go visit with the ducks and chickens, see the “Secret Garden” area where the bees live, and wildflower patches planted with native flowers for the bees to snack on. Oh, and don’t forget about the newest addition, Brujita, our mischievous black kitten.

Around 7:30 we will then gather around tables located next to the flower beds to enjoy a meal. The beds currently have ranunculus in bloom, sun chokes that are knee-high, cosmos have been sown, a variety of tomatoes and cover crop where the dahlias will be transplanted out soon.

I will be preparing a menu for dinner that is inspired by the first pot-luck dinner I was invited to where my friendship with Chris and Draga really began in McMinnville, Oregon. There will also be some recipes to pay homage to Draga’s home - Bulgaria.

The most important part of this evening for me is giving my friends and supporters a chance to see first hand what it is that I am doing. To see how each piece of this farm works together in symbiosis to create harmony. It’s not just about flowers, it is about building a strong foundation in which to build upon. Starting with building soil health, feeding the pollinators, and giving back more than you take.

I would be honored to have your support and welcome you to my home.

Seats for the dinner are gifts for donors. A donation of $115 will come with one seat at the table.

Seating is highly limited and is first-come, first-serve.