LENA VARNER AND DAVID TRAUL, the couple behind the Ledger David label, were literally operating together long before their dream of having a vineyard and producing wine became a reality. In 1999 David, a vascular surgeon, moved to Southern Oregon and met Lena, an Operating Room nurse, who was pursuing a medical degree. Lena explains, “I took a leave of absence from medical school at OHSU and became his assistant. I had worked as a surgery nurse since ’97, so I knew about the OR and began working with him in surgery.”

So how did working together in health care morph into a partnership in the wine industry? Initially the instigator was David. His parents were wine enthusiasts who introduced their son to many fine vintages and encouraged him to develop his palate. David in turn introduced Lena to wine.

But it’s Lena who has a long family history tied to the land, a heritage that goes back nine generations from her son and continues with the 26 acre farm in Talent known since 2006 as the Varner-Traul vineyard. “I’ve always felt a connection with a lot of relatives here in Southern Oregon and knew that I was, quote, homegrown,” she says. “It really means a lot to me and to be actively doing something now that’s so connected to the land.”

Lena’s connection is anything but metaphorical. As David maintained his surgical practice and became the face of the franchise at events and in the Central Point tasting room, it was Lena who headed-up vineyard operations. Her involvement started even before the vines were planted in 2007. She recalls consultations with climatologist Greg Jones and viticulturalist Randy Gold that resulted in the experts’ list of varieties that would thrive on their land. “My new interest in wine helped guide our direction as well. We had just tasted a Vouvray and I fell in love with this grape from the Loire Valley. On our list was Sauvignon Blanc and Cab Franc. These are Loire Valley varieties, so why couldn’t we do a Chenin Blanc?” Her intuition was right. Chenin Blanc became a flagship varietal for Ledger David.

“We took a risk on some varieties,” she adds. “David really loves Malvasia Bianca so we put in a few hundred plants of that, and then a few hundred plants of Petit Verdot. Variety was a big part of what we were going for in the beginning. We saw the entire vineyard as a test vineyard.” Parenthetically, it’s fair to say the couple has achieved test results to be proud of: a slew of awards from gold to best in show in competitions ranging from Savor Northwest to the San Francisco Chronicle and recently a first 90 from Wine Enthusiast for their 2014 Syrah.

As their vineyard and wine business grew, David maintained a full-time surgical practice and Lena’s involvement with the vines intensified. In 2009, the first year they had a vintage in production, the couple had their first child, son Ledger. Lena was harvesting grapes two days after giving birth. “My grandmother was there to watch the baby with my niece that day.”

Today, as a mother of three, Lena still actively manages the vineyard. “My sister Heather and I are out there working those vines all the time. If you don’t have time to pay attention to your vines, you lose track of the wine. You’ve got to be proud of what you put into the bottle.”

Up to this point, putting it into the bottle has meant custom crush, but come autumn, David is transitioning to a part-time surgical practice in order to begin planning for an estate winery. “There’s always that drive to make it completely your own,” Lena observes, “to have the winery and tasting room on your land. We set those goals and have those plans, but David has to slow down the surgery for us to continue as a team. Come harvest, he’s going to go right into being just as busy.”

With a third child now in preschool, Lena says she has slowed down enough to enjoy the fruits of their labor. “We’re out in the vineyard and the kids are walking with us every night in the summer, tasting grapes … there’s a connection that comes from that. It’s more than a legacy. It’s a lifestyle.” Sounds de-vine!

©Southern Oregon Wine Scene

Summer 2018 issue