Top 6 Boutique Oregon Wineries Worth Exploring

The Willamette Valley, once, the mother ship of Oregon Wine Country, now just leads the pack of 18 American Viticultural Areas across the state. In 2015, the WV AVA was joined by the Rocks District and Elton. There is no doubt that wine is expanding and growing in the Pacific Northwest, both literally on the vines and worldwide as a stand-out location for excellent wine . You may think that breadth of the PNW wine is actually quite narrow; Pinot Noir and Chardonnay… but in fact, as the climate warms and winemakers become eager to “try something new,” branching out from Oregon’s staples has become the new norm.

When travelling to Oregon, many are directed towards large establishments; Argyle, Willamette Valley Vineyards, Domaine Serene (all great wineries, I might add); but even these big dogs had to start somewhere.

There is an uprise of unique, small batch wineries that are pulling the hearts of locals and travellers alike. Smaller businesses with winemakers who care about craft, intention, and quality.

There are wineries that care about serving a small community who cares about the intricacies of fermenting grapes and making something magical. There is more to wine than fun photos with vineyards, screaming deals, and mass production.

These boutique wines bring a softness, a sweetness, an elegance-- back to the Oregon wine game. Before commercialization, each large winery was once a small, little spark; an idea worth expanding on. The ability to converse with great winemakers, learn the history of the brand, and try uniquely loved bottles is something we all should cherish in our wine excursions. Some of these boutique wineries do not have a tasting room, but there is still room to taste. Let’s explore some of Oregon’s Top Boutique Wineries:

00 Wines

00 Wines is an internationally recognized, luxury brand that is making waves in the boutique wine world. Hosting small (socially distanced) tastings in the comfort of their backyard has been their well kept secret (well, until now!). From what started as a pioneering project with 5 barrels of pinot noir in their backyard, 00 Wines produced their first Oregon vintage in 2013.

Fast forward 7 years and 00 Wines exploded onto the wine scene making an impactful debut on the 2019 James Suckling Top 100 Wines of USA List at number 35, and as the only featured Oregon chardonnay. Today, 00 Wines is a global luxury wine brand making distinctive wines that push the potential of chardonnay and pinot noir forward with projects in the Willamette Valley, Burgundy, and Champagne.

00 Wines practice a Black Chardonnay method, a technique used 60-80 years ago in Burgundy that results in a savory chardonnay with maximum tannins extracted from the grape skins.

Once the grapes are pressed, they allow the particles that drop out to the bottom of the barrels into the lees to settle, turning it a cloudy color that scares most vintners as it seems the wine is ruined. In reality, the juice is what oxidizes before it ferments and turns into wine, rather than the wine itself oxidizing.

2017 VGW Chardonnay

"Black Chardonnay" method - pre-press crush with 12 hour skin contact, heavy long pressing with no sulfites added to the juice, short settling before going into barrel, ambient yeast fermentation, minimal intervention, no bâtonnage, minimal pre-bottling sulfites, minimal filtering / fining.

Villa Catalana Cellars

There are only a few wineries located so close to the heart of Portland. Villa Catalana Cellars sits on a slope amidst Oregon City, but you don’t need a covered wagon to get there. The gorgeous chateau with an “Tuscan Castle” vibe has a plethora of ponds, shrubs, flowers, and seating areas for outdoor enjoyment. Villa Catalana features the classic Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Pinot Gris, a dessert wine and a gorgeous red blend.

Bells Up Winery

From the basement hobby to being featured at The Wine Shutter’s PNW Exploration Winter Gala; Newberg’s Bells’ Up Winery handcrafts Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, and Seyval Blanc. Established in 2013 in the Chehalem Mountains AVA, the dream of Bells Up Winery took root among the hills. This micro-boutique, un-domaine is always open by reservation to share their classically-styled Oregon Pinot Noir with grapes sourced primarily from micro-growers located on the northern side of the Willamette Valley.

2017 ‘Titan’ Pinot Noir

Named for Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D Major “Titan,” the 2017 vintage of Bells Up’s flagship Willamette Valley Pinot. Aged 12 months in French oak (32% new), this Pinot possesses the classic elegance and delicacy of cooler year Oregon Pinot noir. Cherry, plum, floral notes and a dusting of herbs interlace with a hint of licorice and sandalwood spice. Decant if imbibing now or hold for future enjoyment.

Communiqué Wines

Communiqué Wines is located in McMinnville, Oregon in the Eola-Amity AVA. Growing up in New York, owner & founder Ryan Sherman was often granted meals at the city’s top dining destinations for jobs well done. This early exposure to the world of fine dining sparked a curiosity in him which eventually grew to a full blown obsession. Ryan, heralded as a chef and restauranteur, a certified sommelier turned a new leaf and brought his talent for “creating things that pleased the palate,” and decided to start a winery!

2018 White Pinot Noir

Communiqué’s 2018 White Pinot redefines all that Pinot Noir can be. Careful harvest decisions, light-handed winemaking, and the gentle squeeze of a bladder press yield white juice from a classic red grape. The result is a white wine of complexity and character. Alive with aromas of tropical fruit and cotton candy this wine hits the palate with rhubarb and toffee while supple tannins add texture and length.

William Marie Wines

William Marie Wines is a collaboration between Monique Marie and Edward William Lefferts (husband and wife!). Ed and Mo met while working together at T Cooks restaurant in 2008 in Phoenix, Arizona. The WMW 2020 vintage features grapes from the Dijon Vineyard in the Laurelwood District AVA, French Creek Vineyard, Weinbau Vineyard, French Creek Vineyard, and Upland Vineyard in the Yakima Valley.

2018 ‘3 Vineyards’ Cabernet Sauvignon

The WMW “3 Vineyards” Cabernet Sauvignon is a 7 barrel blend of 100% Cabernet. The Blend is made from 3 barrels of Weinbau Vineyard, 2 barrels from Two Blondes Vineyard, and 2 barrels from Carousel Vineyard. Each wine delivered great individual components to the blend. It’s a complex balance of red, blue, and black fruits, with mouth puckering acid, and just right amount of new French oak (28%) to elevate the richness while finishing silky smooth.

Rue Cler

Aaron + Angela, a stellar *husband and wife team,* started the lovely boutique winery, Rue Cler by basement bootstrapping. Now, they produce hand crafted, micro-boutique wines from around the Pacific Northwest. It all started as a simple hobby and quickly became quite the adventure. Stepping out in faith, they are now chasing the dream and making wine under their very own label.

2017 GSM

A silky, Rhône inspired blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre all sourced from Columbia Valley. Experience aromas of warm spices, pipe tobacco, dill and blackberry fruit leather. It's earthy, medium bodied and slightly acidic. Softened by warmed preserves and a smooth butterscotch finish.

Overall, there are great wines from wineries both big and small, but in a time where it is especially important to support small businesses, these are some great ones to start with!

Visit https://octwine.com/ to order any of the above wines!

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Chelsea