All credit to Nancy Zaffaro, a Portland-based travel, food, beverage, arts and lifestyle writer for taking the only photo of Sara at the 2019 Drink Pink Festival (photo by Zaffaro, featured above), hosted for the 8th year in a row by Patton Valley Vineyards. Not only did Zaffaro grab a great photo of the hardest working #moneyhoney in the business, but she also wrote the nicest things about our 2018 Prelude Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir in her post-event coverage on Confetti Travel Cafe, her blog dedicated to celebrating travel, culture and connections.
The post, “Drink Pink: Rosé Wine Festival in the Willamette Valley,” includes some great shots of the event and the amazing ensembles attendees wore in celebration of the annual event. Additionally, Zaffaro wrote the following about 2018 Prelude:
“Bells Up Winery surprised me with their pour of an almost Koolaid red rosé. Now that doesn’t necessarily sound like a complement, I know. And winery co-owner Sara and chatted about that, so I’ll be quick to clarify that theirs is a sophisticated and well-crafted rosé that was among my “best of” of the day. Made from two heritage clones of Pinot Noir grapes grown on their Chehalem Mountain vineyard, the fruit fermented on the skins for 36 hours, giving the wine its full body. I enjoyed strawberry and rose petal on the nose, the red fruit flavors with a little citrus up front, and a satisfying dry finish.
“Dave and Sara Specter’s Bells Up Winery is the smallest of the wineries mentioned here. Winemaker Dave produces 500 cases a year from their Newberg property. Dave began making wine from their home in suburban Cincinnati in 2006—including rosé, which actually puts him on the cutting edge of rosé’s resurgence in popularity. The pair left their old lives behind and began anew to start their winery in 2012. They currently produce their Rhapsody Pinot Blanc, Titan Pinot Noir, and Prelude Rosé. Their rosé is only their second estate wine release. Expect many more delicious wines from this duo.“
We’ll be continuing to celebrate 2018 Prelude Rosé throughout our two-day Labor Day Weekend Open House Event: Summer Sendoff.
Join us to sample this wine (and three others) without an appointment on Saturday, August 31 and Sunday, September 1 from noon – 4:00p.m. Can’t wait to get our version of grown-up Koolaid? Contact us for an appointment and we’ll be happy to host you for a private tasting experience at any time.
