FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Bells Up, Willamette Valley’s Newest Micro-Boutique Winery, Announces Grand Opening Dates
NEWBERG, OR (April 22, 2015) — Bells Up Winery (www.bellsupwinery.com) will be open to the public for its Grand Opening on Memorial Day weekend, Saturday through Monday (May 23–25) from noon to 4:00 p.m. The label is the Willamette Valley’s newest micro-boutique winery, producing 400 cases annually, and is usually open only by appointment. Located on Chehalem Mountain, Bells Up is housed in a newly renovated pole barn at 27895 Northeast Bell Road at the intersection of Zimri Drive. Tastings are $15 per person, deducted from a $75 purchase.
Four of Bells Up Winery’s inaugural releases will be poured:
- 2014 Rhapsody Pinot Blanc
- 2014 Prelude Rosé of Pinot Noir
- 2013 Titan Pinot Noir
- 2013 Firebird Syrah
Owned by winemaker Dave Specter, Bells Up produces handcrafted Oregon Pinot Noir from grapes sourced from micro-growers located on the northern side of the Willamette Valley. It also offers a small selection of other Oregon-grown and produced vintages.
The name “Bells Up” is a reference to a dramatic moment in classical music where the composer instructs French horn players to lift the bells of their instruments upward and project their sound with maximum intensity. Specter, a French horn player who performed in bands and symphonic groups throughout high school and college, says the winery is his “Bells Up” moment.
In addition to making wine, Specter has been selecting Pinot Noir clones and rootstocks to take full advantage of the nine plantable acres of Jory soil in the Bells Up Estate Vineyard. The first two blocks of Pommard and 667 were planted in April 2014. Further, Bells Up just planted what is believed to be the Willamette Valley’s first Seyval Blanc vines.
“Seyval Blanc is a French hybrid wine grape that can be made in a variety of styles,” explains Specter. “I worked with it extensively when we lived in Ohio, and had a lot of success with it there. I wanted to plant something that honored our story, as well as bring something new to the Willamette Valley.”
Previously a corporate tax attorney specializing in mergers and acquisitions, Specter walked away from his legal career in 2009 to evolve his hobby into full-time dedication to the art and craft of winemaking. He subsequently held an assistant winemaker position at an urban winery in Cincinnati for three years.
After he won two national amateur winemaking competitions with two different wines in 2011 (including a Seyval Blanc), Specter and his wife, Sara Pearson Specter, decided to relocate and open a winery in Newberg—an area they had fallen in love with while on vacation in 2008. The couple moved here in June 2012, and Specter took a harvest internship at Alexana Winery in Dundee while his wife conducted a property search. After extensive networking, they found and purchased the unlisted parcel in late 2012.
For more information, please contact Dave Specter at info@bellsupwinery.com or 503.537.1328.
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