In 15 seasons and 645 episodes, Travel Itch Radio had never given a whole show to a winery. Then host and founder Dan Schlossberg invited Winemaker Dave to talk about Bells Up. Travel Itch is “the show that lets you enjoy the pleasures of travel from the comfort of your armchair.” Over about 35 minutes, Dan and Dave covered how a tax attorney ended up making wine in Oregon and what makes Newberg worth the trip.
From a Basement Kit to a Willamette Valley Hillside
Why “Bells Up”?
Dave played French horn for 20 years, which is why a horn is on our logo. Most of the time, horn players rest the bell of the instrument on their right leg. When a composer wants a dramatic flourish, though, the part says “bells up.” The players lift their bells into the air and get their moment to be the stars of the show. Add the fact that we’re on Bell Road in Newberg, and the name picked itself.
The music goes deeper than the name. Every wine we make has a personality tied to a piece of music or a composer. That way, tasting is less about hunting for specific aromas and more about how the wine makes you feel.
A Hobby That Got Out of Control
Yes, it’s true. Dave spent 10 years as a corporate tax attorney, and in 2006 we started making wine from kits in our Cincinnati basement. We soon moved on to real grapes from Ohio and California. Then our first trip to the Willamette Valley in 2008 changed everything.
We loved how the owners of small wineries spent time in their tasting rooms swapping stories with guests. We figured we might do that someday. A month after we got home, Sara’s mentor, Kelly, told her she had stage four pancreatic cancer. Losing Kelly taught us not to wait for a tomorrow we might never get. We were in our mid-30s, and we started planning the move.
Learning the Craft
Dave apprenticed at Henke Winery, an urban winery in the basement of a 100-year-old Victorian building on Cincinnati’s west side. Winemaker Joe taught him technique and also the mental game. “When you’re a lawyer, you’re micromanaging everything,” Dave said. “When you’re making wine, you have to come to grips with the idea that you can only control so much.”
In 2011 he won two national amateur winemaking competitions. For Sara, that was the sign. We put the house on the market and headed west. After the move, Dave spent a year in a hands-on viticulture program at a local community college, which covered the growing side of the equation.
Finding the Land, and What We Grow
Buyers from California often outbid everyone on listed vineyard land, so we went back to our corporate roots and networked. We asked everyone we met, and a stop at a peach orchard led us to a land use attorney. She turned out to live directly across the street from the 10 acres we bought. The property sits about 650 feet up, with a south-facing view across the valley toward Salem.
The valley’s cool, wet climate is world-class for Pinot Noir and nearly any white grape. It’s not suited to big reds like Syrah, Cabernet, or Merlot. We didn’t let that stop us from planting a few surprises:
- Pinot Noir, which the valley does best.
- Pinot Blanc, similar to Pinot Gris but with more flavor complexity.
- Seyval Blanc, a Great Lakes grape we make in a drier style. We’re the only winery in the valley that grows it and one of just two in Oregon. It’s also the base for Joy, our sparkling wine.
- Schioppettino, an unusual Italian red with its first release coming soon.
- Zweigelt, from Austria, planted last year and headed for its first harvest and first time in barrel this fall.
With about 800 wineries in the valley, visitors love that a winery our size makes this much variety.
Making a Trip of It: Newberg and Beyond
Dan asked a lot of travel questions, which makes sense for a travel show. Dave’s main point: wine should be a big part of your trip to the valley, but not the only part.
- A friendly neighborhood. Oregon makes only about 1.5 to 2% of U.S. wine, so wineries here don’t see each other as competition. “A rising tide lifts all boats,” Dave said. We’re always glad to recommend other places that suit what you’re looking for.
- Food and farm trails. The valley is an agricultural mecca, and “we’ll turn it into a festival if given the opportunity.” Depending on the season, there are lavender, truffle, and whiskey trails to follow.
- Relaxing and eating well. The Allison Inn & Spa is a two-minute drive from us. Rosmarino, run by Chef Dario Pisoni, is one of our favorite Italian restaurants anywhere. He cooks from his nonna’s recipes, and we send guests there often.
- Unexpected history. You can walk through Howard Hughes’s Spruce Goose at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, about 25 minutes away. There’s also an aviation-themed water park next door and Herbert Hoover’s boyhood home in Newberg.
- Classic fun. Newberg still has a seasonal drive-in movie theater from the 1950s. Dave admits the late double features are a stretch for someone who’s rarely up past 10.
- Arts and downtown. The Chehalem Cultural Center, the Newberg Art Walk, and the galleries, shops, and restaurants downtown are all about five minutes from us. Downtown has really come into its own in the last few years.
- Outdoors. Between hiking and biking, and the coast just an hour and a half away, there’s plenty to fill out your visit.
When to Visit
We’re open year-round. Summer is peak season, with warm days and very little humidity. Fall brings harvest and cooler, crisper weather, and the vineyards turn yellow and red at the end of the growing season.
Why We Visit by Appointment
Dave closed the conversation by addressing something people often misunderstand. We take visitors by appointment, one group at a time. That’s not to be exclusive. It’s so we can skip the script and the technobabble and meet each guest wherever they are. “I’ve had people where I’m literally the first winery they’ve ever visited,” he said, “and people that have been all over the world.” Nothing is off limits, and no question is a bad one.
And no, we have no plans to grow. We make about 600 cases a year, which lets us give every customer real personal attention. “Our customers like it, we like it. Why change it?”
Let’s Talk Wine
Thank you, Dan, for opening Travel Itch’s doors to a winery for the first time. We had a great time.
We’re a bit old-school about ordering, too. We skip point-and-click checkout because we’d rather talk with you and find the wines that fit your taste. Email us at info@bellsupwinery.com or call 503-537-1328. We ship all over the country, so you can stock up for Thanksgiving, the holidays, and New Year’s. If you’d like to visit, reach out and book your appointment.
