Dave + Lois Cho

Years of Participation

2024

Crafting authentic wines with distinct character from higher elevation sites in the Willamette Valley, Oregon, CHO Wines values our connectedness to earth and to each other. BIPOC owned, female led, sustainably focused. Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen (CHO), the make up of all living things.

Dave and Lois Cho are the husband and wife duo that founded and launched CHO Wines during the pandemic, while working the frontlines and raising three children.

CHO Wines has taken the wine industry by storm, having received 90+ scores by Wine Enthusiast and James Suckling in their first release. They were nominated in USA Today’s Reader’s Choice 10Best New Winery category in 2022. Their sparkling wine was voted Top 100 Enthusiast Wine in 2022, blind tasted among 21,000+ wines from around the world. They most recently were named Wine Enthusiast Future 40 Tastemakers and SevenFifty Daily’s Drinks Innovators of 2023.

In 2021, the Chos acquired a 77 acre parcel in Hillsboro that had been owned by one family for 150 years. The Chos, Oregon’s first Korean-American winemakers, planted 8.5 acres to Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay and are developing a sustainable vineyard, oak savanna, and projected winery and tasting room build for 2024.

The CHO winemaking story began when busking on the streets of Santa Monica, they were asked to perform at a winery. Dave decided to pursue a career in winemaking and studied enology & viticulture at Oregon State. He then worked for notable wineries in the valley before preparing his own label. the Chos’ journey is a culmination of a decade of hard work and an inspiration to follow your passions.