We had the great pleasure of spending time with Chris and Draga of Liska Wines this April 2025 and learning about them both as people as well as their wines. They’re a charming couple with a young daughter and Liska, the very namesake of the brand itself, and their passion for winemaking is evident from the moment we sit down together.
Chris showing us the sheep at Cristom
Gorgeous Liska label
Liska the dog
The two met in college at UC Davis where they quickly learned that they had many similar attitudes towards life and wine. They went and worked both independently and together at different times both in Germany and Australia, where they fell in love with mosel style Rieslings (they’re not all super sweet!) and light bodied reds. When they decided to settle down, they picked Oregon as their destination of choice, having spent significant time studying the terroir and Chris having worked at Cristom Vineyards (where he still is employed today).
Cristom Vineyards kindly allows Liska Wines to produce their wine on site and they source fruits from all throughout the Williamette Valley - seeking out producers of lesser known varietals (like gewurztraminer) for the valley, and then curating their own magical wine combinations.
On a tour of Cristom vineyards
Chris walking us through their gamay
Views at Cristom Vineyards
They’ve been highly successful thus far, with their wines landing on coveted tasting flights at favorite local shops like Artists Block, and with a rapidly expanding market into the east coast and most recently, Washington, DC. We had first discovered them via wine shops in the Pacific Northwest and even amongst shelves full of natural wines, their wine always stood out. But perhaps it’s not just the taste: Draga also custom designs each the print for each and every wine varietal they produce, ensuring that the print itself reflects the character of the wine.
Gorgeous linocut Liska label
Sheep at Cristom Vineyards
Views at Cristom Vineyards
I admit to keeping their bottles highly visible in my kitchen simply because I like the look of them: a major bonus!
Chris and Draga are down to earth folks, which can seem rare these days - especially in the wine industry. When asked where they’ve made mistakes, they’re happy to share… and not in a “what’s your best but worst, but also best quality” kind of way that you would hear answered in a job interview. They’re learning everything the hard (rewarding?) way, by getting their hands dirty every step of the way… overproducing and learning how much they can actually sell in a year, ensuring that they keep up with ever-changing compliance standards, and being open to future possibilities - whether that be their own land someday, or a different forum for their passion all together.
We were so lucky to spend the day in their company and can’t wait til we can come help out at harvest!