A must visit! The wines are so wonderful, David/Sara are top notch winemakers, and an intimate tasting experience that is so special. I love their story and love their wines even more. Can't wait to visit in the future!
Dianne G.
Can't say enough nice things about Dave and Sara! Wonderful wine and such a beautiful vineyard. Had family in town during the summer and scheduled a tasting. It was a stunning view while enjoying outstanding wine.
izzy sigrist
Absolutely a must-visit winery. The tastes they've accomplished with the same varietals being sold everywhere are extraordinary. Both the owners are fun, down-to-earth, and such a joy to talk to. The property is beautiful (even after an ice storm!). If you are visiting from out of town and are looking for a high quality winery, or if you are local and haven't tried this place yet, I cannot recommend it enough. We had a total blast and are already planning our return trip.
Chris Yates
I’ve been to a lot of wineries in Oregon and California, and this is truly a throwback one of a kind experience to taste with the owner and winemaker. I will be back and I highly recommend it! (Notably the wine is also very good)
allen moore
We did a couples wine trip to Oregon in February of 2023 and Bells Up was clearly one of the highlights. Our tasting with Dave & Sara was truly enlightening and there were no questions that we could ask that did not include an insightful answer. The wines we tasted were awesome and are now a favorite part of our wine cellar stock. ( We love the musical theme to the wine names) We will go see these great people every time we go out to Willamette Valley wine country!
Francis Roman
Dave is very friendly and knowledgeable. It’s nice to see people can follow their dreams. The tasting area is new, clean and nice. The wine is very unique and not your typical selection which is interesting. The tasting fee for the selection and pours is quite expensive comparatively. They were also sold out of many options which limited the tasting.They have very high potential and I am excited to follow their journey. I would go back in a few years
Wayne Carmello-Harper
My wife and I were making a trip to the Willamette Valley and saw the logo of the French Horn. We have a dear friend who plays the French Horn in our local symphony and our son learned to play from him. Thus, the name drew us in but then we scheduled a tasting with Sara and met Dave for a wonderful 90 minute discovery of their philosophy, passion and adventure into wine growing and wine production. It was most enjoyable as we sipped outstanding wines and entered into their love of the land, the challenges of nature and the day-to-day demands that make such remarkable wines. If you want a very inspiring visit to Willamette, a beautiful vista over the valley and an experience of "thumbs up" fabulous white, red, sparkling, and rosé wines, then plan to visit Bells Up. It is now late October and our case of wine has arrived for the holidays–not sure it will last that long!
Missy Armstrong
Dave was an exceptional host! The wines are incredible and the one-on-one tasting felt more like a time spent with a friend. We purchased several bottles and enjoyed all of them.
Ron R.
This was the most interesting tasting we have ever had. My wife and I sat across the table with Dave, the owner of the winery and wine maker; Just the three of us. Dave spent 2 hours explaining how each wine we tasted was made, from the ground up. He told us how he bought the land over 10 years ago and had to remove the existing neglected plants that were not doing well such as blackberries. Then he planted the root stocks specially selected for the soil. Then he told us how he chose the grape vines to be grafted. One such grape was very unique to Willamette valley and also California. Dave said he chose to graph it because of it was unique, and also because it does well in the climate and soils Willamette Valley. It was the Helios 2021 Seyval Blanc. The taste was creamy with a mineral of lemon grass and notes of lemon, pineapple, and ginger finish. I think it would pair well with seafood. We plan to try it with sushi because of the slight ginger notes. Then we tasted the Prelude 2022 Rose, which was also excellent, with notes of strawberry, cherry and boysenberry. He made it from 2 of his Pinot Noir clones he planted in 2013. Then we tasted the Titan 2020 Pinot Noir. It had notes of cranberry, cherry, toasted marshmallow and some smoke. Then we tasted the Candide 2020 pinot noir reserve. The notes were similar to the Titan but with more concentration. Dave also sources grapes from other vineyards. One such grape was a Syrah from Walla Walla Valley, Columbia Valley, Washington State that he let us taste. It was very good and different than any Syrah I had before. It was the Firebird 2020 Syrah. Not only did Dave tell us how he makes each wine we tasted, he also answered every question we had, including about his personal life. Before he purchased his winery, Dave had a very successful professional career that he gave up to follow his dream of owning a winery and making wine. Dave is very interesting to talk to, very intelligent and seems capable of doing pretty much anything. We are fortunate that he decided to choose winemaking as a career so we can all enjoy his excellent wines. We purchased all 5 of the different wines that we tasted because they were not only good but unique compared to other wines we tasted at other wineries. If you are in the Willamette Valley, we highly recommend scheduling a wine taste at Bells Up winery.
Beth C.
The experience from the start was great, as Sara was helpful in making recommendations to restaurants or helping me decide which place to go to when I was between a few. As we pulled up, the view was stunning and we were met by the winemaker! The tasting was great because it is just you and the winemaker. All of the wines were unique and we enjoyed them so much we became members. I would recommend stopping here for the views, wine, tasting experience, and the people.
Absolutely delicious tasting wine at a very small winery of only 10 acres. The owner and his wife are the only two employees and do everything from planting vines to fermenting the wine. We very much appreciated this as it added a very personalized contribution to the creation of the wines Bells Up Winery sells. The owner creates a very welcoming atmosphere for the wine tasting and is extremely happy to answer any questions about the wine, Bells Up’s history, or even about his personal life. I highly recommend visiting for a tasting or even just ordering a bottle of my favorite, the Firebird, to try for yourself.
Britta Roach
5 STARS! “Bells Up” is such an intimate and rare experience. The wine, views, and ambiance are perfect. David was so kind and such an excellent host. Feels like drinking wine on the back porch with a friend. Thanks for letting our dogs be part of the experience.
K K.
You do meet with and taste with the owner/winemaker. The views are nice. He was informative. This tasting was very minimalist for the price. The pours were small as well. The wines were not great for our palate. Three were off-putting on the nose. And when it became obvious we were not interested in purchasing any wine my wife noticed a shift in demeanor from him. Not for us.
Julie Diebolt Price
Schedule a private tasting at Bells Up Winery and you won't be disappointed. The Specters provide a unique experience that builds a long-term relationship with wine and with them.I learned how to describe wine in a new way that made sense to me. This was a memorable event.
Noel McKeehan
Everything about this place is the best. Dave and Sarah, the proprietors love what they do and that makes a visit and tasting a best of breed experience.Everyone should taste Prelude, Dave's hand crafted, magical tasting rosé. There are a lot of not very good rosés in the world. This is one of the other kind: it's great. I think it is as close to clairet as it's possible to get (not claret - that's a nearly archaic British term for Bordeaux blends) the almost red rosé they make in Bordeaux.It's so good it's scary.Dave makes an equally good pinot blanc.The pinot noirs are really good too.But I guess I am more impressed by a rosé or a white; they are the ones that frequently get lost in the shuffle. Bells Up puts them on top.
A must visit! The wines are so wonderful, David/Sara are top notch winemakers, and an intimate tasting experience that is so special. I love their story and love their wines even more. Can't wait to visit in the future!
Can't say enough nice things about Dave and Sara! Wonderful wine and such a beautiful vineyard. Had family in town during the summer and scheduled a tasting. It was a stunning view while enjoying outstanding wine.
Absolutely a must-visit winery. The tastes they've accomplished with the same varietals being sold everywhere are extraordinary. Both the owners are fun, down-to-earth, and such a joy to talk to. The property is beautiful (even after an ice storm!). If you are visiting from out of town and are looking for a high quality winery, or if you are local and haven't tried this place yet, I cannot recommend it enough. We had a total blast and are already planning our return trip.
I’ve been to a lot of wineries in Oregon and California, and this is truly a throwback one of a kind experience to taste with the owner and winemaker. I will be back and I highly recommend it! (Notably the wine is also very good)
We did a couples wine trip to Oregon in February of 2023 and Bells Up was clearly one of the highlights. Our tasting with Dave & Sara was truly enlightening and there were no questions that we could ask that did not include an insightful answer. The wines we tasted were awesome and are now a favorite part of our wine cellar stock. ( We love the musical theme to the wine names) We will go see these great people every time we go out to Willamette Valley wine country!
Dave is very friendly and knowledgeable. It’s nice to see people can follow their dreams. The tasting area is new, clean and nice. The wine is very unique and not your typical selection which is interesting. The tasting fee for the selection and pours is quite expensive comparatively. They were also sold out of many options which limited the tasting.They have very high potential and I am excited to follow their journey. I would go back in a few years
My wife and I were making a trip to the Willamette Valley and saw the logo of the French Horn. We have a dear friend who plays the French Horn in our local symphony and our son learned to play from him. Thus, the name drew us in but then we scheduled a tasting with Sara and met Dave for a wonderful 90 minute discovery of their philosophy, passion and adventure into wine growing and wine production. It was most enjoyable as we sipped outstanding wines and entered into their love of the land, the challenges of nature and the day-to-day demands that make such remarkable wines. If you want a very inspiring visit to Willamette, a beautiful vista over the valley and an experience of "thumbs up" fabulous white, red, sparkling, and rosé wines, then plan to visit Bells Up. It is now late October and our case of wine has arrived for the holidays–not sure it will last that long!
Dave was an exceptional host! The wines are incredible and the one-on-one tasting felt more like a time spent with a friend. We purchased several bottles and enjoyed all of them.
This was the most interesting tasting we have ever had. My wife and I sat across the table with Dave, the owner of the winery and wine maker; Just the three of us. Dave spent 2 hours explaining how each wine we tasted was made, from the ground up. He told us how he bought the land over 10 years ago and had to remove the existing neglected plants that were not doing well such as blackberries. Then he planted the root stocks specially selected for the soil. Then he told us how he chose the grape vines to be grafted. One such grape was very unique to Willamette valley and also California. Dave said he chose to graph it because of it was unique, and also because it does well in the climate and soils Willamette Valley. It was the Helios 2021 Seyval Blanc. The taste was creamy with a mineral of lemon grass and notes of lemon, pineapple, and ginger finish. I think it would pair well with seafood. We plan to try it with sushi because of the slight ginger notes. Then we tasted the Prelude 2022 Rose, which was also excellent, with notes of strawberry, cherry and boysenberry. He made it from 2 of his Pinot Noir clones he planted in 2013. Then we tasted the Titan 2020 Pinot Noir. It had notes of cranberry, cherry, toasted marshmallow and some smoke. Then we tasted the Candide 2020 pinot noir reserve. The notes were similar to the Titan but with more concentration. Dave also sources grapes from other vineyards. One such grape was a Syrah from Walla Walla Valley, Columbia Valley, Washington State that he let us taste. It was very good and different than any Syrah I had before. It was the Firebird 2020 Syrah. Not only did Dave tell us how he makes each wine we tasted, he also answered every question we had, including about his personal life. Before he purchased his winery, Dave had a very successful professional career that he gave up to follow his dream of owning a winery and making wine. Dave is very interesting to talk to, very intelligent and seems capable of doing pretty much anything. We are fortunate that he decided to choose winemaking as a career so we can all enjoy his excellent wines. We purchased all 5 of the different wines that we tasted because they were not only good but unique compared to other wines we tasted at other wineries. If you are in the Willamette Valley, we highly recommend scheduling a wine taste at Bells Up winery.
The experience from the start was great, as Sara was helpful in making recommendations to restaurants or helping me decide which place to go to when I was between a few. As we pulled up, the view was stunning and we were met by the winemaker! The tasting was great because it is just you and the winemaker. All of the wines were unique and we enjoyed them so much we became members. I would recommend stopping here for the views, wine, tasting experience, and the people.
Restaurantji Recommends
Absolutely delicious tasting wine at a very small winery of only 10 acres. The owner and his wife are the only two employees and do everything from planting vines to fermenting the wine. We very much appreciated this as it added a very personalized contribution to the creation of the wines Bells Up Winery sells. The owner creates a very welcoming atmosphere for the wine tasting and is extremely happy to answer any questions about the wine, Bells Up’s history, or even about his personal life. I highly recommend visiting for a tasting or even just ordering a bottle of my favorite, the Firebird, to try for yourself.
5 STARS! “Bells Up” is such an intimate and rare experience. The wine, views, and ambiance are perfect. David was so kind and such an excellent host. Feels like drinking wine on the back porch with a friend. Thanks for letting our dogs be part of the experience.
You do meet with and taste with the owner/winemaker. The views are nice. He was informative. This tasting was very minimalist for the price. The pours were small as well. The wines were not great for our palate. Three were off-putting on the nose. And when it became obvious we were not interested in purchasing any wine my wife noticed a shift in demeanor from him. Not for us.
Schedule a private tasting at Bells Up Winery and you won't be disappointed. The Specters provide a unique experience that builds a long-term relationship with wine and with them.I learned how to describe wine in a new way that made sense to me. This was a memorable event.
Everything about this place is the best. Dave and Sarah, the proprietors love what they do and that makes a visit and tasting a best of breed experience.Everyone should taste Prelude, Dave's hand crafted, magical tasting rosé. There are a lot of not very good rosés in the world. This is one of the other kind: it's great. I think it is as close to clairet as it's possible to get (not claret - that's a nearly archaic British term for Bordeaux blends) the almost red rosé they make in Bordeaux.It's so good it's scary.Dave makes an equally good pinot blanc.The pinot noirs are really good too.But I guess I am more impressed by a rosé or a white; they are the ones that frequently get lost in the shuffle. Bells Up puts them on top.