Although we are sadly sold out of it, we were honored that Tamara Belgard Turner included our Joy Estate Seyval Blanc Brut in her June 2024 Oregon Wine Press feature, “Méthode Untraditionnelle.” Her article noted the significant uptick in bubbly bottles in the Willamette Valley made from both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but also from other varietals as well. We’re firmly in the “using other varietals” camp — or, as Tamara put it, “un-Champagne grapes.”
How Bells Up is “Defying Tradition”
For Tamara, including our Seyval Blanc in the article gave her an opportunity to revisit the varietal she originally wrote about in the Oregon Wine Press several years ago. She previously filed an article on our hybrid planting back in 2018.
Here’s what she wrote in the June 2024 issue…
When Dave Specter, owner and winemaker of Bells Up Winery, planted his vineyard in the Willamette Valley, he included hybrid grape Seyval Blanc, popular on the East Coast. “If you’re going to play around with different varieties in the Willamette Valley, it’s easier to do with whites. Plus, I had a history with it,” says Specter. He won his first amateur wine competition with Seyval Blanc. But he never thought he’d turn it into sparkling wine.
Bells Up Winery started commercially producing Seyval Blanc’s “Helios” in 2018. “Back then, I repeatedly said we’d never make sparkling of any kind. I wasn’t convinced I could make one that would stand out in the Valley,” admits Specter. But in 2022, things changed.
“I’d love to say I had some grand inspiration for creating a sparkling Seyval Blanc, but in reality, it was born out of necessity,” observes Specter. With excess fruit, Specter assumed selling any would be difficult since the variety is quite unusual in Oregon. A friend suggested making it into sparkling wine.
“As I did more research, I discovered sparkling Seyval Blanc is fairly common in the U.K. and can also be found in New York’s Finger Lakes region. At that point, I figured it was worth a try,” says Specter.
Bells Up harvests their estate-grown Seyval Blanc all at once. As a small winery, two picks that small is neither commercially nor practically feasible. Specter presses and ferments the entire batch in a single tank. Once fermentation is complete, he stirs the lees a few times each week for six months, building a creamy texture critical for both the still and sparkling versions.
“Side-by-side tastings are a really fun way to show customers the impact the bubbles make,” says Specter. “Most people can’t believe the two wines come from the exact same batch — the nose and palate are very different between the two.”
Bonus: Review of 2022 Joy Estate Seyval Blanc Brut
Although there wasn’t enough space in the magazine to include it, Tamara sent us a review of the 2022 Joy Estate Seyval Blanc Brut, detailing her impressions of the bottling.
2022 Joy Estate Seyval Blanc Brut: Buttery in color, with a delicate mousse, Joy introduces itself with aromas of bright citrus and Anjou pear. The palate explodes, as layers of lemon cookies, candied pineapple, papaya, savory olive, and an herbaceous finish of thyme are revealed. Oregon Seyval Blanc really seems to find itself in a sparkling wine; with mouth-watering acidity and a deep and complex flavor profile that makes this wine memorable, it’s an absolute pleasure to drink — no wonder it’s called Joy.
Don’t worry. There’s currently 2024 Estate Seyval Blanc in tank going through its sur lie treatment. It’s destined to be both 2024 Helios and 2024 Joy Brut!
