About

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Olive Louise Hamilton Russell

Olive Hamilton Russell is the founder, owner, and winemaker of OLIVE HAMILTON RUSSELL. A boutique producer dedicated to expressing the distinctive terroirs of the Willamette Valley’s carefully delineated nested-AVAs through single-vineyard Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. 

Raised on a cattle ranch near the Swaziland border in South Africa, which her family  owned and ran for nearly two centuries, Olive developed a deep, formative connection to land and agriculture. When she and her sister had to make the very difficult decision to sell the farm, Olive chose to honor her heritage by investing her share of the proceeds in a personal wine venture. 

Before establishing her own label, Olive spent nearly two decades working within her former husband’s family wineries in South Africa, helping build their international reach, respect and success. Her time there shaped her commitment to terroir-driven, small-lot  winemaking and provided a deep understanding of the growing and production of world class wines. 

Olive majored in Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Stellenbosch and holds both the WSET Diploma and the Cape Wine Academy Diploma. She is the author of a Gourmand Award winning cookbook Entertaining at Hamilton Russell Vineyards and has appeared on numerous food and wine television programs. 

She has served on international food and wine judging panels and participated in wine  seminars in Oregon, Florida, Massachusetts and California. She is a Chevalier de la Société des Amis du Champagne. She currently serves on the Marketing Committee of the Eola-Amity Hills Winegrowers Association.

Her Wines

The maiden vintage of OLIVE HAMILTON RUSSELL, the 2023, is the first vintage with Olive as sole winemaker. She now lives in the Willamette Valley and is responsible for every aspect of the business - vineyard partnerships to winemaking, management to marketing. She has secured long-term relationships with LIVE Certified growers across the Valley and makes her wines at the Northwest Wine Company in Dundee. Olive holds the WSET Diploma and continues her winemaking studies through short courses at UC Davis. She is grateful to learn and benefit from the guidance of the expert team at the winery. 

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The Label

Olive grew up on a cattle ranch near the Swaziland border in South Africa, which her family owned and operated for nearly two centuries. It was here that she developed a deep, formative connection to land and agriculture. When she and her sister had to make the difficult decision to sell the farm, Olive chose to honor her heritage by investing her share of the proceeds in a personal wine venture.

Before establishing her own label, Olive spent nearly two decades working within her former husband’s family wineries in South Africa. When the marriage very sadly came to an end, Olive relocated to the United States with the intention of building this nascent project into an independent wine business.

Olive’s maiden name is Nel, and her family crest incorporates a phoenix. Given the circumstances surrounding her relocation to the U.S., she felt this mythical bird needed to be included in her eponymous label. Rather than rising from ashes, this phoenix rises from South Africa’s national flower, the King Protea (Protea cynaroides), and Oregon’s state flower, the Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium).

The Vineyards

  • Nestled in the gentle hills southwest of Monmouth in Oregon's Willamette Valley, Maple Grove Vineyard is a site distinguished by its serenity, balance, and quiet confidence. Originally part of a large Christmas tree farm, the property has gradually evolved into one of the region's exceptional sources of cool-climate Chardonnay.

    The vineyard lies on rolling slopes of ancient marine sedimentary soils deposited millions of years ago when much of the Willamette Valley lay beneath a shallow inland sea. These well-drained soils naturally limit vine vigor and encourage deep root systems, yielding fruit of concentration, purity, and striking mineral expression.

    Maple Grove benefits from the Willamette Valley's long summer days and cool evenings. The moderate climate allows Chardonnay to ripen slowly and evenly, preserving the vibrant acidity and aromatic precision that define the world's finest examples of the variety. The growing season is rarely hurried, allowing flavors to develop gradually while maintaining freshness and balance.

    For OLIVE HAMILTON RUSSELL, the fruit is sourced from select blocks planted between 510 and 575 feet above sea level to Dijon Clones 76 and 95. The combination of elevation, marine soils, and meticulous farming consistently produces Chardonnay of remarkable tension and refinement.

    The wines from Maple Grove Vineyard are characterized by lifted aromas of citrus blossom, lemon curd, white peach, and orchard fruit, underpinned by a distinctive mineral spine. On the palate, they possess both generosity and precision: layered and textural yet defined by energy and freshness.

    Maple Grove is a vineyard that speaks softly rather than loudly. Its greatest gift is not power, but harmony - a capacity to produce Chardonnay of elegance, restraint, and enduring sense of place.

  • Located in the Southern reaches of the Oregon’s Eola-Amity Hills AVA, Zena Crown Vineyard has emerged as one of the Willamette Valley's most celebrated Pinot Noir sites. First planted in 2003 and now encompassing approximately 115 acres divided into numerous distinct blocks, the vineyard occupies a dramatic landscape of rolling hills West of Salem.

    What distinguishes Zena Crown is its exposure to the cooling Pacific winds that funnel through the Van Duzer Corridor. These afternoon breezes moderate summer temperatures, slowing ripening and extending the growing season. The result is fruit that achieves full physiological maturity with aromatic complexity while retaining vibrant natural acidity.

    The vineyard's varied topography contributes significantly to its character. Elevations range from approximately 350 to 620 feet, with a mosaic of slopes and exposures creating numerous unique micro-sites. The soils are predominantly volcanic Jory and Nekia series—well-drained red clay loams formed from ancient basalt flows. These soils naturally restrict vine vigor and encourage the development of wines with both concentration and finesse.

    For OLIVE HAMILTON RUSSELL, the fruit comes from Blocks 10A, 10B and 11A, planted exclusively to Dijon Clone 115 at an elevation of approximately 460 feet. These distinctive parcels consistently produce Pinot Noir of striking purity and elegance. Aromatically expressive and finely structured, it offers vibrant blue and red fruit, floral lift, and subtle spice, framed by the energy and tension that are hallmarks of the Eola-Amity Hills.

    Zena Crown Vineyard is a site where wind, volcanic soils, and thoughtful farming converge to create wines of unmistakable identity.