Marchesi Vineyards

Franco Marchesi immigrated to the United States at the age of 22, working as a sommelier for a luxury cruise line based in San Francisco. He later became a wine buyer for an Italian restaurant in San Francisco and soon was importing Italian wines. He left California to live in Oregon's Columbia Gorge region and began planting Northern Italian grapes on an abandoned apple orchard in Hood River in 2003 when he also founded Marchesi Vineyards & Winery.

The winery's Pinot Noir is sourced from neighbor growers including Wy'East Vineyard in the Hood River area. Some Pinot Noir was planted on the estate in 2008.

A tasting room is located at 3955 Belmont Drive in Hood River, Oregon, and is open from March through November. The wines are distributed throughout the Northwest.