Art, Wine, and Famiglia
At Furioso Vineyards, our dedicated team forms the heart and soul of our winery, and we warmly invite you to learn more about us and our beloved Furioso Famiglia.
Giorgio Furioso - Proprietor
Giorgio was born in 1948 in the town of Tagliacozzo, Italy, high in the mountains an hour northeast of Rome. As a young man, he immigrated to the United States with his family via Montreal, Canada. Giorgio’s first love was art – he began collecting at the age of eighteen, and came from a long line of craftspeople.
His career has spanned from being a professor of fine arts, to gallery owner, restaurateur, and for the last few decades, he has been known for his work in development: art studios, condos, historic property renovations, and work/live spaces for artists in the DC area.
From Italy, to Montreal, to New York and Washington DC, Giorgio eventually found his way to Oregon in pursuit of his lifelong dream of connecting his familial ties to wine and becoming a vineyard owner. He founded Furioso Vineyards in 2014.
As you walk through the tasting room today, you will find both pieces by Giorgio and pieces from his many years of art collecting.
A father of three, he now splits his time between Washington DC and Dundee. When on property, he can often be spotted strolling his namesake estate vineyard, or sat on the piazza with a glass of Friulano.
Dominique Mahe - Winemaker/GM
Dominique has his roots back in Brittany, France but, through different careers, spent most of his adult life circling the globe. He stumbled into wine when he moved to Australia in the mid-1990’s. With an engineering background, he studied Wine Science at Charles Sturt University in New South Wales. He enjoyed the flying winemaker life for a few years before getting his first taste of an American vintage in Idaho in 1999. What was supposed to be a two-month gig turned into a full time job there.
In 2002, he came over to Oregon as a member of the harvest crew for Rex Hill Vineyard. That vintage opened his eyes on the amazing potential of Pinot Noir in this (at the time) underrated part of the world. As importantly, Dom felt a strong spiritual connection with the Northwest, the land, and its people.
Dom joined the Furioso Vineyards team as winemaker and general manager in 2015.
He lives with his girlfriend Kris, new dog Benny, and two cats on their beautiful and secluded forest property, where you can find him tackling various innovative and resourceful home improvement projects. When he isn’t making wine, he enjoys relaxing with a plate of steak frites, and hosting friends for good food and delicious wine.
Drew Hildebrandt - Director of Operations
Director of Operations Drew Hildebrandt was originally born in La Grande, Oregon but was raised on the East Coast in Virginia’s wine country, just outside Washington, DC. An avid fan of all things Virginia Tech, Drew earned his Bachelor degree in Geography and GIS from VPI in 2014.
After graduation, his interest in wine led Drew back to his roots in Oregon, where he worked his first harvest in 2015. That initial vintage sparked a love of the wine industry and started a string of harvest hopping opportunities that took him down under to New Zealand and eventually back to where his heart is – the Willamette Valley.
Though his journey in wine began in production, hospitality is where Drew found his true calling. Joining the Furioso team in March of 2018 as a Tasting Room Associate, he now oversees the top-level business operations.
When not in the office, Drew, his wife Shelby, and their newborn daughter, Evelynn, spend their time at Timbers and Thorns matches, hosting board game nights with friends, and spending leisurely evenings by the fire at home with their Great Dane mixes Pepper and Bleu.
Shea Guevara - Viticulturist and Horticulturist
Shea was raised in Southern California and landed in the Willamette Valley after receiving her degree in biochem. A self proclaimed “outside girl”, Shea enjoys foraging, tending to her garden and house plants, and spending time with her fiance Vince.
Alex Lindblom - Assistant Winemaker
Alex is a Willamette Valley native who worked his first harvest in Sonoma, and has been in cellars across California and Oregon ever since. When not in the winery Alex is an avid reader and enjoys outdoor sports like surfing and mountain biking.
Aspen Mathias - Lead Wine Educator
Aspen is an Oregon native and has spent her early years exploring all the beauty this state has to offer – developing a passion for wine, the terroir, and the sciences of the Willamette Valley soils and vines. Having earned her Bachelor’s in Earth Sciences & WSET level 3 certification, she brings a charming energy, the thrill of adventure, and great hair to the team. You can find her pursuing her passions outside the winery with her rooftop book club & wine socials and catching the occasional wave.
Keenan Crosbie - Wine Liaison
Wine Liason, Keenan Crosbie joins the team after working a couple of harvests in his hometown of Paso Robles. He runs our after-hours wine bar and when he isn’t pouring wine and discussing obscure grape varietals you can find him exploring Portland’s restaurant scene, or spending time at the coast.
David Luneski - Wine Educator
David joined our team in 2023 after having spent four years as a Furioso club member! Growing up in Tigard, he spent his early career in Medical Administration before falling in love with the confluence of science and community that the wine industry brought to his life. Outside of work he is an avid gamer (both video and tabletop) and cat lover.
Daisy Vande Brake - Wine Educator
Meet our newest full-time Wine Educator, Daisy!
A true local who grew up just two streets over from Furioso Vineyards and now brings her passion for wine and community full circle as part of our team.
A graduate of Newberg High and Linfield University’s Wine Studies program, Daisy blends deep-rooted local knowledge with professional expertise and hospitality.
When she’s not tending vines or guiding tastings, you’ll find her hiking, reading, gardening, or enjoying a glass of wine with her high school sweetheart and fiancé, Corey.
