Daily Mail
By Eliot Force
April 20th, 2026
A dramatic feud over inheriting a family-owned Oregon winery drove a wedge between four children and led to a landmark penalty over the use of AI in court.
Valley View Winery boasts 80 acres of vineyards tucked between two mountains along Oregon’s southern border. It proudly claims a ’50 year tradition of excellence’ as one of the state’s first wineries.
The founder, Frank Wisnovsky, and his wife, Ann, launched the business in 1972 before Frank suddenly died eight years later. Ann continued to operate the winery with the help of her two youngest sons, Mark and Michael. She managed the finances and owned the property while her sons did the work of growing grapes and selling wine.
The oldest child, Robert, had helped run the business for a few years before leaving, and the second-oldest, Joanne Couvrette, never returned to the winery after leaving for college.
The four children were originally set to receive equal stakes in Valley View after their mother’s death, but in 2016, Ann modified her will so that her youngest sons would get full ownership of the business. Any remaining niceties were thrown out the window, and the legal action between siblings cranked up.
