04/13/2026
Only Always is our liquid love letter to one of our favorite humans: Luci Wisniewski.
In 1980, at just 26 years old, Luci and her husband Tom Owen purchased Sunnyside Vineyard. At the time, it was a modest five-acre parcel already a decade into its life. Today, it stands as the oldest site we work with.
Without the cushion of generational wealth, Luci (a Forestry Department rookie) and Tom (a high school science teacher) poured their middle-income salaries and endless sweat equity into what has become one of Oregon's most singular sites.
Perched at 700 feet on iron-rich, volcanic Jory soil, Sunnyside is a relic of a different era. The gnarly, own-rooted vines are planted in the “wrong” orientation (east/west vs. the Oregon standard of north/south) and dry-farmed exclusively by Luci and Tom. Even after 46 vintages, their zeal hasn't flickered. We regularly receive text updates from Luci - photos of her and Tom pruning in the winter chill, or hedging the canopy under the summer sun.
At the winery, we affectionately call Luci "human Prozac." Her optimism is infectious, her energy is boundless, and her passion is the north star for everything we do at Fossil & Fawn.
Only Always is a co-fermented blend of Auxerrois, Gewürztraminer, and Riesling. The process is as spirited as the woman behind the fruit:
*Luci personally delivers the fruit on a flatbed truck, usually singing at the top of her lungs behind the wheel.
*We foot-tread the Auxerrois, allowing it to macerate for several hours before pressing. The following day, the Gewürztraminer is direct-pressed and added to the tank.
*About two weeks later, the Riesling is picked, direct-pressed, and blended into the juice, which is by then mid-spontaneous fermentation.
*Just before the wine reaches dryness, we barrel-down into a mix of neutral French oak, neutral Oregon oak, and a kiss of new Oregon oak barriques for 10 months.
We don't force a recipe. Instead, we let the vintage dictate the percentages. Some years the Gewürz leads; others, the Auxerrois takes the floor. We find that letting nature "do the thinking" results in a wine that is more honest and infinitely more exciting.
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