Pictured above: Patty and Fred Mishler with Winemaker Dave on the deck. Same view, same friends, ten years on.
A Wine Wednesday with Old Friends
Few things make us happier than a familiar face pulling up the drive. Patty Mishler, better known as Meemaw Eats, has been visiting us for about a decade, and this summer she came back on a Wine Wednesday, as part of her latest Oregon adventure.
In her August 30 Facebook post, she called us her “favorite Willamette Valley winery” and said no Oregon trip is complete without a stop here. We’re honored.
“The sign we’d been waiting for!” Photo: Meemaw Eats
Up the Hill and Into the Vines
Her photos follow the whole visit, starting with “that winding path leading to our destination.”
Photo: Meemaw Eats
It was late summer, and the Pinot Noir was heavy on the vine. “Those vines have matured so much since our first visit a decade ago!” she wrote. We think so too.
“Just look at those vines… and all of those grapes!!!” Photo: Meemaw Eats
At the top of the hill, the view across the valley stopped her in her tracks: “Breathtaking… Always!”
Photo: Meemaw Eats
Inside the Winery
Dave welcomed her with a hug, and they walked through the building and out onto the deck. Along the way she got a look at the tasting room (“everything is spotless and welcoming”) and the barrels where our wines rest.
Photo: Meemaw Eats
“And just look at those barrels!” Photo: Meemaw Eats
“Even if You Know NOTHING about Wine”
Meemaw didn’t try to repeat everything Dave told her that day. She focused on one thing she wanted her readers to know: “Even if you know NOTHING about wine, Bells Up is the PERFECT spot to visit.”
The reason, she said, is that “David and Sara will make you feel like part of their family. There is nothing stuffy or pretentious about enjoying a wine tasting there!” Her advice? Relax, enjoy the view, and taste the wines.
That’s exactly the experience we hope every guest has.
Friendship in a Glass
The tasting happened out on the deck, with the valley stretched out below. Meemaw called it “friendship in a glass.”
Peepaw (Fred Mishler), “my designated driver that day,” catching up with Winemaker Dave. Photo: Meemaw Eats
She made a point of how easygoing it was. “You don’t need to know stuffy wine terms to enjoy a tasting at Bells Up,” she wrote. When she said things like “I LOVE this one,” Dave “simply BEAMED.”
Photo: Meemaw Eats
The lineup went “from bubbly whites…”
Photo: Meemaw Eats
“…to ruby reds.”
Photo: Meemaw Eats
Her takeaway is one we’ll be repeating for a long time: “You will taste the love poured into every glass. And that’s really all you need to know about the wines at Bells Up.”
Photo: Meemaw Eats
A Decade of Friendship
Meemaw isn’t just a visitor. A few years ago she made lunch for our harvest crew, which none of us have forgotten. “Sara and David are the most down to earth folks you’ll ever meet!” she wrote. “Yes… Bells Up holds a special place in our hearts.”
You hold a special place in ours too, Meemaw.
Still on the wall: the July 2015 Oregon Wine Press story from our first year. Photo: Meemaw Eats
“Is This Heaven?”
She ended her post with a line we’ll be smiling about for a long time: “Is this Heaven? No… It’s Bells Up Winery! (But it sure feels like Heaven while you’re there!)”
Thank you, Meemaw, for a decade of friendship and for sharing your visit with your followers. We can’t wait to see you next time.
See the original post from Meemaw Eats on Facebook.
Take Meemaw’s Advice and Come for a Visit
If you’d like a Wine Wednesday (or any other day of the week) tasting experience of your own, reach out to book your visit. We’ll have the view ready. Call 503.537.1328 to schedule your tasting.
