What originally drew us to Oregon in general — and Oregon’s Willamette Valley in particular — back in 2008 was the “off the beaten path” opportunities to enjoy personal experiences with winery owners and winemakers. Four years later, when we moved here in 2012, more labels were slowly backing away from hosting such personal tastings.
Now, eight years after that, it’s safe to say that the majority of the wineries in our area wouldn’t be embracing the private appointment model if it wasn’t for the recent pandemic. Frankly, we were one of the few remaining holdouts that still offered reservation-only, by appointment tastings limited exclusively to a single group, from the beginning and continue to do so. It’s important that we recreate the same atmosphere that we so enjoyed as tourists.
So it was quite an honor to discover our teensy winery, among the smallest producers in the state, was included in Porthole Cruise Magazine’s listing of “10 Boutique Oregon Wineries That Need Exploring.”
We completely agree with the piece’s intro:
Finding Oregon’s most popular wineries is easy — they’re well represented in travel media, billboards, and brochures in hotels and regional visitors’ centers, and there are some truly great wineries on Oregon’s widely beaten path… However, no Oregon adventure is complete without a least a few footsteps that veer onto the road less traveled.
A visit to a boutique Oregon winery provides a backward look into the art of winemaking before commercialized wines entered the picture. You’ll enjoy small-batch wines, conversations with winemakers who are passionate about their craft, and settings resplendent with unspoiled natural beauty. These are the places that might be found down an unmarked gravel road off a rural byway or on the main street of a tiny town, where the same person who’s pouring the wine in a rustic tasting room is the same one who tended the vines and bottled the final product.
Here’s what they wrote about us:
The proprietors of Newberg’s Bells Up Winery turned a basement hobby into a joy-fueled business featuring handcrafted Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, and Seyval Blanc. Among the smallest of Oregon’s boutique wineries, you’ll need to make a reservation to visit the tasting room here.
We’d love to share our joy and passion for Oregon wine with you. Tastings are available seven days a week, generally between the hours of 11am and 4pm (although we can likely accommodate other times). To experience a private, seated wine tasting hosted by Winemaker Dave exclusively for your group, call us at 503.537.1328 to reserve your time.
