Even in a year filled with remarkable travel and tasting experiences, it meant a great deal to see Bells Up Winery included in wine writer and reviewer Cori Solomon’s 2025 Travel Year in Review on Written Palette. One of the two virtual tastings she highlighted was a return visit—via Zoom—to Bells Up, and reading her reflections felt a bit like being back in the room together, glasses in hand.
Virtual tastings are a great way for us to stay connected with people who love our wines but can’t always make it to the Willamette Valley. What Cori captured so beautifully is that even through a screen, the heart of what we do at Bells Up still comes through.
Wine writer Cori Solomon with Bells Up winemaker Dave Specter in the estate vineyard during her in-person visit a few years ago.
Dave’s Musical Approach to Pinot Noir
Music has always been central to Dave’s winemaking, and Cori’s tasting offered an opportunity to explore that connection more deeply. Dave often talks about blending Pinot Noir the way a composer builds a musical score—balancing tension and release, structure and nuance.
Cori described it perfectly by likening the process to sharps and flats in music. Each Pinot Noir clone is chosen for how it moves across the palate—from the first impression at the front of the mouth, through the mid-palate, and into the finish. No single clone tells the whole story on its own. It’s how they interact that creates harmony.
During the tasting, Cori and Dave explored several Pinot Noirs from our 2022 vintage, including Jupiter, Titan, and Candide. Each had its own voice, but together they illustrated Dave’s philosophy: blending isn’t just about structure or chemistry—it’s about flow, balance, and emotion.
Maestro: The Wine That Conducts the Ensemble
Of all the 2022 Pinot Noirs Cori tasted, her favorite was Maestro, which made us smile—because Maestro is exactly that. It’s the wine where everything comes together, where the individual elements resolve into a unified whole.
Maestro reflects Dave’s role as both winemaker and conductor, bringing together different components into a wine that feels complete and expressive without any one note overpowering the others. It’s always rewarding when someone tastes that intention in the glass.
A Sparkling Moment of Joy
Cori also tasted our Joy Estate Seyval Blanc Brut, and her description of it as fresh and celebratory rang true for us. Joy has always been about brightness—both in style and in spirit—and it’s a wine we love sharing during moments worth marking.
Seeing Joy included alongside our Pinot Noirs was a reminder that while we’re deeply rooted in Pinot, our curiosity and creativity extend beyond it, guided by the same sense of precision and playfulness.
Why These Connections Matter
Reading Cori’s reflection reinforced why we continue to value virtual tastings. While nothing replaces welcoming people to the winery in person, these experiences allow us to share not just our wines, but the thinking and feeling behind them.
Wine, for us, has always been about connection—between music and flavor, between people and place. Whether tasted in our tasting room or through a Zoom screen, we’re grateful when someone takes the time to listen, taste, and truly engage.
We’re thankful to Cori for revisiting Bells Up and for capturing the spirit of what we strive to do. Sometimes the most meaningful journeys don’t require a plane ticket—just an open mind, a good glass of wine, and maybe a little music in the background.
Book Your One-on-One Tasting with Winemaker Dave
To book your private tasting experience, hosted by Winemaker Dave exclusively for one group at a time—either in person or virtually—call us at 503-537-1328. We are open year-round, including January-March, when many small producers are closed.
