We popped into the Chehalem's tasting room for a little SEXT on our wedding anniversary earlier this month. SEXT is Chehalem's remarkably good, barely spritzy, bright Riesling that can make any celebration more festive. We've enjoyed every release year of this beautifully acid balanced wine with just a lilt of sweetness (think Moscato d'Asti styled with Riesling grapes). This vintage was no exception.
Wait! What did you think I meant?
As we sipped the SEXT, my hubby and I reflected on the fun and work, of the agreements and disagreements across multiple decades of married life. And we agreed that heaven forbid we had to jointly choose only one Oregon winery to purchase from for of the rest of our lives there would be no basis for marital discord. Because we would both make exactly the same choice. Chehalem.
Why would our fav be Chehalem? There are several reasons.
1. HISTORY OF FINE WINE MAKING: We think Chehalem has for a long time made some of the finest wines in the Willamette Valley. We reflected again on what a good choice Chehalem as "only" would be as we enjoyed a bottle of 2006 Chehalem Ridgecrest Pinot Noir with friends over dinner last week.
2. GOOD RANGE OF VARIETAL OPTIONS: As a winery Chehalem offers so many great varietal options. When many other vintners in the Valley focus on a couple of varietals, most often Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, Chehalem has evolved with many options all of superb quality. Several Pinot Noir, of course, and Pinot Gris too (produced in two styles, tank and barrel fermented). But also Chardonnay (also two, barrel aged and all stainless ), Gamay Noir, Riesling (dry and off dry), Pinot Blanc and Gruner Veltliner.
3. LONG TIME CUSTOMERS: Our Chealem preference may be partly borne of the affection of long relationship as Chehalem was the first Oregon winery we discovered in the late 90's when relocating north as retirees (or maybe refugees) from Northern California. We joined the wine club at Chehalem then and remained members for several years. We enjoyed not only drinking and collecting the wines and attending the wine events, but getting to meet the owner and wine maker, Harry Peterson-Nedry, who has to be one of the all time class acts in wine making.
4. THE PEOPLE: Wine maker and co-owner Harry Peterson-Nedry was responsible for Chehalem helping to break new ground in Willamette Valley wine making, as in planting and bottling Riesling, as in making stainless fermented Chardonnay (INOX). He has also overseen vintage after vintage of remarkably good Pinot Noir With experience in the valley dating back to the early 1980s, he has also been a tireless advocate for responsible stewardship of wine country resources.
If leadership sets the tone, all of the staff at Chehalem are singing from the same sheet of music. As a customer and wine drinker, this is simply a delightful place to do business. (And in water seeking it's own level, we'd point out the Chehalem and Stoller partnership is a darned delightful thing for the Stoller winery's focus is the same.)
5. THE TASTING ROOM: The new-ish tasting room (opened 2009?) on the edge of downtown Newberg is a charming place to be, no matter the weather or time of year to taste and buy wine. Bright, welcoming, unpretentious, well run by staff that knows their stuff, with tables to sit and sip. Associated paved lot makes parking convenient. Tasting room is level in and all on one level for easy accessibility for wine drinkers who roll as well as those who walk.
THIS N THAT
a) Tasting fee is $15 and refunded with $50 purchase.
b) Consider joining Chehalem's wine club for the many advantages it provides, not the least of which is they put on some of the most interesting and fun club member events of any winery anywhere. You may find some wineries that work as hard to make the wine club membership meaningful but you won't find a winery that works harder to get it right for their members.
c) Sign up at the web site to get Chehalem's newsletter. Some of the most informative reading about wine making and wine. A gem. read more