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A Love Letter To The Vineyard

Chehalem is a pioneering, family-owned producer of premium Pinot Noir and dry white wines with deep roots in the Willamette Valley. Founded more than 30 years ago, Chehalem farms four estate vineyards in three distinct American Viticultural Areas: the Dundee Hills, and the Laurelwood District and Ribbon Ridge, both of which are in the greater Chehalem Mountains AVA.

Chehalem traces its history back to the Ridgecrest Vineyard operations, started by our original founder, Harry Peterson-Nedry, in 1980, which was the first vineyard planted on what would one day become the Ribbon Ridge AVA, northwest of Newberg, Oregon. In 1988, Bill Stoller invested in Ridgecrest, setting a course for his entry into the Oregon wine industry. But our story really begins in 1990 with the inaugural Pinot Noir harvest at Ridgecrest Vineyard. As those wines were releasing in 1993, Bill Stoller joined our operation as co-owner. He subsequently purchased his family farmlands at the southern tip of the Dundee Hills with the vision of planting it as our second estate vineyard.

In 2018, our longtime co-owner, Bill Stoller, became our sole proprietor, and we joined his family of brands within the Stoller Wine Group portfolio. That same year, we became the sixth Oregon winery to achieve B Corp status, a rigorous certification that assesses companies to ensure they meet the highest standard of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability. We pride ourselves in producing consistently outstanding wines reflected through our terroir and hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoy sharing them with you.

We are proud to have an all-female driven winemaking team under the leadership of Katie Santora, who has climbed the Chehalem cellar ranks since joining the team in 2012. She was appointed to head winemaker in 2018.

Our Vineyards

Our winemaking process begins with a deep respect for our vineyards. They are the essence of our wines and carry their story to the glass.

Owner Bill Stoller was born into a farming family and spent his early years becoming attuned to the seasons and cycles of nature, and the considerations imposed on the crops. Calibrated to these cycles over a lifetime, and now as a winery owner, he naturally connects to the land and to its cyclical nature and subtle nuances.

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

Ridgecrest Vineyard was the first vineyard planted in what’s now the Ribbon Ridge AVA within the greater Chehalem Mountains AVA. Today, it’s divided across three distinct parcels.

CORRAL CREEK

Corral Creek is the only estate vineyard we didn’t plant ourselves. Formerly known as Veritas Vineyard Winery, we purchased it from the Howieson family in 1995 so we could expand our winery operations. It is also the location of our winery and the inspiration for the vineyard graphic on our labels.

STOLLER

Stoller Family Estate is a 400-acre parcel that has been in the Stoller family since 1943. It was planted in 1995 and has slowly grown to 225-acre planted to vine, making it the largest contiguous vineyard in Willamette Valley’s Dundee Hills.

CHEHALEM
Chehalem Estate is our newest vineyard and future home of Chehalem. It’s located in the new Laurelwood District of the greater Chehalem Mountains AVA. The land was first purchased in 2018 with an additional parcel added in 2020, including an established vineyard. Our goal is to have this extraordinary estate vineyard property completely planted by 2024 and fully producing grapes by 2027.

Sustainability

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 unwavering respect for sustainable practices. Whether conscientious vineyard farming practices or 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.

IN THE VINEYARD

Ridgecrest, Corral Creek, Stoller and Chehalem Estate vineyards are LIVE and Salmon Safe certified. LIVE is a non-profit organization providing education and independent 3rd-party certification for vineyards and wineries. Using international standards that are recognized with the International Organization for Biological Control, LIVE is the Northwest’s leading sustainability certification. LIVE certification also encompasses Salmon Safe certification, which ensures the prevention of erosion and runoff that in turn affect water quality. Other aspects of our LIVE Certification include:

• We don’t use herbicides; weeds are controlled by hand and mechanization.
• We dry farm whenever possible to reduce the stress on groundwater sources. Our goal is for Mother Nature to determine how hydroponic a vintage will be because vintage differences enhance appreciation of wine for many, so long as the quality level is high. That said, we have drip irrigation installed at most vineyard sites to help only when extremely necessary and only specifically where it’s needed.
• Biodiversity, soil stability, and structural health within the vineyard are prioritized by sowing diverse cover crops every fall and encouraging a multitude of 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.

IN THE COMMUNITY

We believe every business has a responsibility to its employees, the local community, and its products. Since inception, Chehalem has emphasized being a leader in our community, which is why we became B Corp certified in 2018. B Corp is to business what Fair Trade is to coffee or Organic is to milk. We were the sixth Oregon winery to achieve this rigorous certification that assesses companies to ensure meet the highest standard of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability. B Corp incorporates what we’re doing for our LIVE certification and pushes it by measuring our social impact. These efforts include:

• More than 30 percent of spending is with local vendors within 50 miles of the winery.
• We pay a living wage and provide 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.
• 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.

Estate Wine List & Tiers

OUR WINES

Known for our single-vineyard Pinot Noirs and a progressive approach to dry white wines, we firmly believe that outstanding wine should accompany every course of a meal. This is why our white wine program is as extensive as our pinot program.

CURRENT WINES PRODUCED

• Pinot Noir
• Chardonnay
• Rosé of Pinot Noir
• Pinot Gris
• Grüner Veltliner
• Gamay Noir
• Riesling
• Pinot Blanc

WINES PREVIOUSLY PRODUCED

• Chenin Blanc
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Mondeuse Noir
• Trousseau Noir
• Cerise (1996-2009: blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay)

WINES IN THE MAKING

• Sparkling program! Méthode champenoise (traditional method) Brut Rosé of Pinot Noir

Winery Management

Bill Stoller | Owner & Founder

Bill was born here on the property and raised on the family farm outside of Dayton, Oregon. He received a degree in business and economics from Pacific University, as well as an MBA from Portland State University. In 1983, Bill co-founded Express Employment Professionals, currently the largest privately-held staffing company in the world, with over 600 offices in four countries. Additionally, in 2001, he founded Xenium, a human resources outsource company. This business success has enabled Bill to pursue his passion of wine and to contribute to his community. True to his Oregon upbringing, Bill sees himself as a custodian of the land he loves, and cares deeply about sustainability and environmental protection.

Gary Mortensen | President

As president of the Stoller Wine Group, Gary brings 20 years of senior leadership in the Oregon wine industry. In six short years with the company, he has grown production from 20,000 cases to more than 160,000 across four brands.

Gary loves disruption, innovation and pushing boundaries regardless of the industry or application: from taking a fresh look at a mature industry (wine) to being involved in bleeding-edge technology that changes how we do things. Through these lenses, Gary is the driving force realizing Bill Stoller’s vision of refining and protecting our legacy, so that it can thrive for generations to come.

Katie Santora | Winemaker

Katie Santora joined Chehalem in 2012 as assistant winemaker. In her nine-year tenure, Katie has facilitated every aspect of the winemaking process. Her expert knowledge of our vineyard sites and house style made her the perfect candidate to assume the role of winemaker in 2018.

In her current position, Katie considers herself a conductor as she empowers her team, ensuring everyone feels happy and productive. Winemaking allows Katie to be in tune with the grapes as they progress through the season, allowing her to have a deeper understanding of the vintage, and the world at large. Originally from Utah, Katie became interested in wine while attending UC Davis where she graduated with a degree in enology and viticulture.

Jason Tosch | VP of Vineyard Operations

A native of Oregon’s Tualatin Valley, Jason Tosch has made his career farming premium wine grapes. An Oregon State University graduate with a degree in horticulture, focusing on small fruits and berries, Jason has served in leadership roles for the Oregon wine industry’s wine research and sustainability-focused communities.

In his role, Jason oversees 585-acres across four estate properties, while cultivating relationships with high-end growers throughout the state. With his vineyard team, Jason grows high quality wines that reflect the vintage. His love of Oregon drives his holistic approach to viticulture and the connectivity to the surrounding forests and biodiversity-rich areas. The growth of the Stoller Wine Group suits Jason’s skillset. His shared core vision will allow the Stoller Wine Group to carefully scale while increasing wine quality and farm-land stewardship.

Patrick Hiley | Vice President of National Sales

Patrick Hiley has 30 years of experience in the wine industry. He caught the wine bug after many years working in fine dining restaurants in New Orleans, served as a buyer at a high-end grocery store, worked for a large wine supplier covering the Southeast, and eventually as a distributor holding multiple senior positions. When the opportunity to join a family of quality-driven wineries presented itself, Pat jumped at the chance to work for the Stoller Wine Group. He lives in Atlanta with his wife, Gretchen, and their three college age children. Pat enjoys traveling with Gretchen, listening to vinyl, and spending time with friends and family. He holds Certified Wine Specialist accreditation from the Society of Wine Educators as well as Certified Sommelier credentials from the Guild of Master Sommeliers.