The story of Chehalem is rooted in a deep and abiding reverence for the land. From the vineyards we nurture and harvest to the wine we blend and age – we handle every step with respect to our fruit and an unwavering standard of sustainable practices. We consider ourselves a vineyard winery. We aim to reflect what the vineyard has produced, purely, with minimal processing and without compromising great fruit.
From the conscientious vineyard farming to the materials used in our wine shippers, sustainability is at the core of our business practices. We are, first and foremost, stewards of the land and consider the impact of every layer of the winemaking process. We invite you to learn more about our sustainability practices and values.
First Vineyard
Planted 1980
Winery Founded
1990
First Release
1990 Ridgecrest Vineyards Pinot Noir
Owners
Bill Stoller
Winemakers
Katie Santora (Head Winemaker)
Estate Vineyards
Ridgecrest, Corral Creek, Stoller
Locations
Winery – East of Downtown Newberg | Tasting Room – Downtown Newberg
Production in 2017
20,487 Cases
Founder, Harry Peterson-Nedry, pioneered grape growing in the prestigious soils of Ribbon Ridge in the early 1980s when he purchased land and planted Ridgecrest Vineyards.
In 1990, Chehalem Winery was founded and released its first bottle of wine, Ridgecrest Pinot Noir.
Bill Stoller joined Harry in the winery operation in 1993 and subsequently planted a vineyard on his family farmlands at the southern tip of the Dundee Hills.
Chehalem purchased Corral Creek, the vineyard surrounding the winery, in 1995. It became the third estate vineyard sourced for Chehalem wines.
In early 2018, Bill Stoller purchased Harry’s share of equity in the business. In July, Chehalem became the sixth Oregon winery to achieve B Corp status- which assesses companies to ensure they meet the highest standard of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability.
Chehalem boasts a rich history of innovation, sustainability, and exceptional quality. Known for our single-vineyard Pinot Noirs and a progressive approach to white wines, we firmly believe that outstanding wine should accompany every course of a meal.
Our wine quality is determined by the cool macro-climate of the Willamette Valley, vintage, soil profiles, vineyard micro-climates, and winemaking style. Our job is to let the terroir speak and to make the winemaker imprint as transparent as possible.
Our climate and winemaking style reveal wines that emphasize balance, elegance and texture. This openness allows the vintage and three terroirs on which we farm to express themselves as wines of startling distinction.
Call us crazy, but our objective is to blaze a trail towards a future that is stimulating, exciting and beautiful—such as it must have been generations ago for the Calapooia, overlooking our “valley of flowers.”
Ridgecrest, Corral Creek, and Stoller vineyards are Low Input Viticulture and Enology (LIVE) and Salmon Safe certified. We do not use herbicides; weeds are controlled by hand and mechanization. We dry farm whenever possible to reduce the stress on ground water sources.
Soil stability, soil structural health, and bio-diversity within the vineyard are prioritized by sowing diverse cover crops every fall and encouraging diverse native plants. A large percentage of our vineyard properties are reserved as an eco-zone to provide habitat for native plants and animals and minimize the effects of vineyard encroachment.
We believe every business has a responsibility to its employees, the local community and its products. Since inception, Chehalem Winery emphasized being a leader in its community. Chehalem pays a living wage and provides a comprehensive compensation package to all full-time staff. Leadership is spread equally among men and women across every department, and all employees are encouraged to take advantage of continuing education opportunities. These efforts culminated in July 2018 when we became the sixth Oregon winery to achieve B Corp certification, which assesses companies to ensure they meet the highest standard of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability.
“What I appreciate about B Corp certification is that it reinforces our practices and serves as a North Star for our business to advance our goals.” – Bill Stoller
More than 30 percent of spending is with local vendors within 50 miles of the winery. Chehalem is also a proud supporter of ¡SALUD!, a Pinot Noir auction supporting a unique non-profit collaboration between wineries and healthcare professionals that raises money to provide access to healthcare services for Oregon’s seasonal vineyard workers and their families.