Morgan White leads winemaking at Amaterra’s gravity-flow winery in Portland, Oregon’s West Hills, overseeing a portfolio that includes Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, along with a range of reds, whites, and rosés. She joined Amaterra as Cellar Lead, later serving as Assistant Winemaker and Production Manager before being named Head Winemaker in 2026.
White’s path to wine began with a formative experience in Mendoza, Argentina. She holds a degree in Physiology and Kinesiology from the University of Florida and became a sommelier in 2012. After moving to Oregon, she studied winemaking and viticulture at Chemeketa Community College while working as Cellar Master at Apolloni Vineyards, where she also completed a harvest internship with Rockburn Wines in Central Otago, New Zealand. She is known for her hands-on approach and fast-paced decision-making in the cellar.
Media Inquiries: Grace Briggs grace@lawrence-pr.com | https://amaterrawines.com/
What’s the ONE THING most unique, authentic, & memorable about your brand?
The most unique attribute of Amaterra is the idea behind Amaterra, as a place where land, craft, and community come together to create a unique experience. Having this location so close to Portland with a working vineyard, a state-of-the-art winery, and an amazing restaurant and event space – that’s unique! We are our neighbors’ weekday dinner spot, and we’re guests’ favorite location to celebrate life events. I know of one family that has celebrated their wedding reception, baby shower, and a parent’s retirement here. That’s so cool!
Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained.
I would start a wellness center with a winery and restaurant. In another life, I studied Physiology and Kinesiology, and I still love fitness and wellness. There would be a garden so we could grow a lot of our own produce. We would have a fun wine and dinner series. For example, in the spring, it would just be a whole dinner devoted to strawberries, things like that. We would have yoga, hiking, a hot mineral pool, sauna, steam room, and maybe a cold plunge for the crazy people who like that. Then afterward, you can go have a glass of wine and a healthy snack. This is what I want to do with my friends in my free time.
What is the One Wine most emblematic of your brand and/or winemaking style? Tell us its story.
The one wine that really showcases Amaterra is our estate-grown Swede Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir. It’s comprised of a unique combination of clones, aspects, AVAs, and great growers. Swede Hill Vineyard is named after the Swedish settlers who homesteaded this land that we are on now. The site was another in the list of pieces of land thoughtfully procured by our team. When you tell people there’s an 8-acre vineyard and a state-of-the-art winery 10 minutes from downtown Portland, they don’t quite understand what that looks like until they come to see it for themselves. Our vineyards sit between 750 and 950 ft elevation with a mix of volcanic and silt loess soils, and the wines tend to be more nuanced, with high acidity. Our 2021 Swede Hill Pinot Noir received 92 points from Wine Enthusiast, so it speaks for itself. Read my review of this exceptional Pinot Noir.
Bonus Question: What’s the one thing people would be surprised to learn about you?
I’ve been stacking my ‘end of the world’ skills. I know enough to be mediocre at gardening, woodworking, sewing, canning, and brewing. When the world ends, at least I’ll be pretty good at making wine.