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    Urban Bliss Life » Travel » Wine Country » Stoller Winery Celebrates 20 Years

    Published: August 26, 2015 / Updated: March 11, 2020 by Marlynn Jayme Schotland · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Stoller Winery Celebrates 20 Years

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    I remember the first time I visited the Stoller Winery. It was a few years ago, with a group of girlfriends, and I instantly fell in love . . . first with the beautiful old oak tree standing proudly as the guardian of the vineyards.

    Stoller Family Estate Vineyard & Winery on UrbanBlissLife.com

    I then fell in love with their 2011 Reserve Pinot Noir.

    Stoller Winery 2011 pinot noir

    And then, all of their Pinot Noir wines. Soon, I discovered their Chardonnay.

    Most recently, I grew an affection for the people behind the land, the wine, the experience that Stoller Family Estate Vineyard and Winery offers. As Stoller celebrates its 20th anniversary, I am honored to share the Stoller family story with you.

    Stoller Winery

    During a recent 20th anniversary celebration lunch with media, I was given an inside glimpse of the Stoller Winery property and its legacy. The Stoller family purchased the property in Oregon's Dundee Hills in 1943. For 50 years, Bill Stoller's father and uncle raised turkeys on the property and eventually grew the small family farm to one of the largest in Oregon. When Stoller shares stories of his childhood working on the farm, you can almost picture him as a young boy, windrowing rye grass for seed; as he points and describes the land, you can imagine how vast and open the fields were before the vines were planted. Like many Oregonians, Stoller has a clear love of the land on which he grew up and which he now oversees as Owner of Stoller Family Estate Vineyard and Winery.

    Bill Stoller, Stoller Family Estate Vineyard & Winery, on UrbanBlissLife.com

    The family farm eventually closed in 1993, and that's when Bill purchased the 373-acre property and turn it into a vineyard. The first grapes were planted in 1995 (hence, the 20th anniversary celebration this year): 10 acres each of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

    In 2001, the first Chardonnay was bottled, and I had the absolute honor of tasting the very first Stoller vintage recently.

    Stoller Winery Chardonnay

    The crisp Stoller inaugural Chardonnay vintage paired well with the smoked trout appetizers we were served at the 20th anniversary celebration lunch and tour.

    Stoller Family Estate Vineyard & Winery on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Winemaker Melissa Burr has been with Stoller for 12 years. Working with Vineyard Manager Rob Schultz, the two continue to bring creativity and refinement to Stoller wines. One thing was abundantly clear during the 20th anniversary celebration media lunch event: Stoller Family Estate is fueled by individuals who are not only passionate about growing and making incredible wine, but who have great respect and compassion for both the land and all of their fellow Stoller family members who make the land come to life.

    Stoller Family Estate Vineyard & Winery on UrbanBlissLife.com

    After learning about the Stoller Family Estate legacy and visiting the property's oldest vines, we were then treated to some of the Stoller Legacy wines, all named after women in the Stoller family.

    Stoller red wine

    20th anniversary lunch

    Then, we headed into the original tasting room which is now event space, and enjoyed even more wine and a delightful vineyard lunch prepared by Owner/Chef Nick Ferguson of McMinnville, Oregon's Nick's Italian Cafe.

    Stoller Family Estate Vineyard & Winery on UrbanBlissLife.com
    Stoller red wine
    Stoller Family Estate Vineyard & Winery on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Bill Stoller also generously shared some wines from his own personal cellar. My favorite was a 1985 RexHill Pinot Noir.

    Stoller Family Estate Vineyard & Winery on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Stoller Family Estate is the first LEED® Gold certified winery in the world, and operations continue to expand to meet the vineyard's growth. After our delicious lunch, we were invited to tour the brand new, massive winery building which houses a barrel room, tanks, and lab space.

    Stoller Family Estate Vineyard wine on UrbanBlissLife.com

    The new building opened up just in time . . . as you can tell by these grapes photographed two weeks ago, harvest is happening much earlier this year than in previous years. It's predicted that 2015, barring any unexpected drastic weather disasters, is going to be an excellent year for Oregon wines.

    wine grapes

    Stoller wines

    I mentioned earlier how I've fallen in love with Stoller wines, and unlike other wineries, I have to say that it's an adoration that has grown even more with each vintage. The 2014 Dundee Hills Chardonnay ($25) currently is my favorite Oregon Chardonnay. It is made 100% in stainless steel tanks, so you just get the pure, clean, fruit forward freshness in this Chardonnay. If you're not a fan of big oaky Chardonnays (as I am not), I think you will enjoy this one.

    As for their Pinot Noir wines, it may sound non-committal, but it's hard to go wrong with any of them, whether they are a Dundee Hills Pinot Noir, Reserve Pinot Noir, or one of the Legacy Pinot Noir wines. That said, the 2011 Reserve Pinot Noir ($45) is my personal favorite, and 92 points from The Wine Advocate backs up my vote. It's barrel-aged in French Oak for 10 months prior to bottling, and is a sensuous red wine, bursting with dark fruit notes and a smooth finish.

    Stoller Family Estate Vineyard & Winery on UrbanBlissLife.com

    If you're ever in the Dundee Hills of Oregon, I highly recommend putting Stoller Family Estate at the top of your wine tasting itinerary. The tasting room staff are some of the friendliest, most helpful, most knowledgeable tasting room staff I have ever met, and they will take great care of you and your friends. It's perhaps the aspect about Oregon wineries that I love the most and think our great state holds above all other wine growing regions: here, when you visit a winery, you are more likely than not visiting part of someone's home property, and they are delighted to ensure you feel right at home, too.

    Stoller family winery

    16161 NE McDougall Rd, Dayton, OR 97114
    (503) 864-3404
    TASTING ROOM HOURS:
    Daily, 11am - 5pm
    My Stoller tasting room visit hours: once every month, 12 - 2pm. I am only partially kidding. I'm actually headed back out there in a few days . . . see you there? ;)

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    • Hazelfern Cellars is a new, family-owned winery with amazing Syrah, Pinot Noir, and Rosé in Oregon Wine Country - details on UrbanBlissLife.com Hazelfern Cellars
    • Raptor Ridge Winery - Oregon Wine Country - UrbanBlissLife.com Raptor Ridge Winery
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      Comments

      1. Renée ♥ The Good Hearted Woman says

        August 27, 2015 at 10:56 am

        Knowing the story and the people behind a label always seems to make anything taste just a little better, I think. Thank you for sharing your Stoller experience, and Beautiful photos, Marlynn!

        Reply
        • Marlynn Jayme Schotland says

          August 27, 2015 at 10:53 pm

          Knowing the people behind the food & wine really does make everything taste just all that much better ;)

      2. Kelley says

        August 27, 2015 at 9:53 am

        Visiting once a month sounds pretty good to me. I'll have to put this on the list to visit this fall.

        Reply
      3. Pech says

        August 27, 2015 at 8:43 am

        Great profile of the story behind the winery and highlights of the wine (and beautifully composed shots of wine!)

        Reply

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      Marlynn Jayme Schotland 2021 profile pic

      Hi! Thanks for stopping by! I'm Marlynn - a cookbook author, writer, photographer, and mom of two teenagers + a lovable lab retriever. Here you'll find my fast, easy, and delicious recipes, wine pairings, and travel guides. I hold a WSET 2 with Distinction in wine, and am a member of Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA).

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