Bells Up Winery
Nine acres of Jory soil in the Chehalem Mountains, run by Dave and Sara Specter since 2013. Tastings are private — one group at a time — and the only way to book is to pick up the phone.
You cannot book online. Call 503.537.1328. A $65 per-person deposit is taken in advance and it is non-refundable, so settle your plans before you ring.
Bells Up is named for the moment in a score where the horn player is told to lift the bell of the instrument and let the sound carry. Dave Specter played the French horn before he made wine, and once you know that, the whole place makes sense.
The wine
Ask for Firebird, the Syrah — the 2022 is $54, from Summit View Vineyard. Worth knowing: that fruit comes from the Walla Walla Valley, not from here. It is not an estate wine, and it is the better for being honest about that.
The estate wines carry the same naming habit: Jupiter and Titan for the Pinot Noir, Helios for the Seyval Blanc, Prelude for the rosé, Joy for the sparkling. The plantings are the surprise — alongside Pinot there is Seyval Blanc, Schioppettino and Zweigelt, which almost nobody else in Oregon is growing.
Who it is for
Micro-boutique, and classic in what it makes while leaving room for people who want to seize the moment. The owners’ origins are immediately apparent when you walk in, and that zest carries through the whole visit.
Who would find it wrong: anyone who needs a deep, serious wine story to enjoy themselves. This is a small place that is enjoying itself, and the private format means there is no hiding at the back of a group.
What to expect
Three sessions a day — 11, 1 and 3 — seven days a week, and yours alone. The room holds six comfortably; more by arrangement. The $65 is waived if each person buys three bottles, and sharing a tasting between two people is not permitted.
A classic, beautiful winery with a zest for life that is immediate.
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