We were thrilled to be the first real stop on Kim’s solo wine trip through the Willamette Valley. Kim Deece (pictured above in our vineyard) hosts the Travel Squad Podcast with her friends Brittanie and Jamal. Their September 8, 2026 episode, “5 Days of Wine Tasting in the Beautiful Willamette Valley Oregon,” covers her trip from the north end of the valley to the south. Bells Up was on day two.
Kim stayed at Chehalem Ridge Bed & Breakfast, about five minutes from us. She said she wanted to connect with “the wine and the people and the community and the local culture behind it.” Then she added: “So Bells Up was a great one to start with.”
A Private Tasting on the Balcony
“I did a private wine tasting with Dave, the winemaker,” Kim said, “and we sat on that balcony overlooking the vineyards, went through many of the different wines as he kind of told me the story of these grapes and this wine.”
Here’s what stood out to her:
- Our story. Kim called Dave and Sara’s leap from corporate jobs to winemaking “the American dream for anyone that ever thinks about quitting their corporate job.”
- Small on purpose. At 600 cases a year, we were the smallest winery on her trip. She said that size allows a personal connection you can’t get at bigger places.
- The music. Every wine is named for a piece of music, and each one is meant to taste the way its music feels.
- Grapes you won’t find elsewhere. “They have many different experimental types of grapes that are not typically grown in the Willamette Valley,” she said, “so they’re making some really interesting types of wines.”
- Pinot Noir with a shape. Kim tasted how different Pinot Noir clones, like Pommard, 777, and 115, change a wine’s flavor and mouthfeel. She remembered Dave describing the shape of each one: “He’ll say this one is more like a bell. The flavor comes in, it builds up, it peaks, and then it comes back down.”
Photo courtesy of Travel Squad Podcast.
Appointment-Only, and Worth It
Kim’s verdict: she’d “highly recommend going there.” She also cleared up a common assumption about wineries like ours. Visiting by appointment isn’t about being exclusive. It’s how a winery our size works. For us, it means you get our full attention, one group at a time.
Thank you, Kim and the Travel Squad, for spending part of your trip with us. If the episode has you planning your own visit, reach out to book a tasting by calling 503.537.1328 or emailing info@bellsupwinery.com.
