Photo Credit: Merlin Varaday
Hazelfern Cellars, a fantastic new family-owned winery, has opened in the Chehalem Mountains outside of Newberg, Oregon, just up the road from The Allison Inn & Spa. Owners Bryan and Laura Laing say that wine is their love language. The couple opened the Willamette Valley winery this year after family events led to discussions about what they would both like to accomplish in their lives. They agreed that owning a winery was their joint dream. Now the gorgeous winery has become a reality.
Photo Credit: Merlin Varaday
The couple began their craft winemaking adventure in 2006 in the basement of their Laurelhurst home, which is the former site of Hazel Fern Farms (circa 1895). They tied in the Portland history when they moved to their current site with their two daughters. What started as five gallons of Pinot Noir has become over 500 cases of wine! The lovely property includes a high-ceiling tasting room that was originally built to be a horse stable, although it has never been used for that purpose. It’s extremely enjoyable to explore, though, and the outside seating area is landscaped with filbert shells, a fun tie-in to the name.
Photo: Hazelfern Cellars Facebook
And the wines? Hazelfern Cellars’ 2014 Pinot Noir has aromas of strawberry, cherry, and fresh eucalyptus with accents of pepper, vanilla cola, earthy flora, rose, and cocoa powder. It pairs well with poultry, mushrooms and grilled wild salmon. The juicy and refreshing 2015 Rosé of Pinot Noir (shown in the image) has hints of strawberry, old-fashioned hard candy, spiced rose petal and grapefruit lime zest. This would be a fantastic wine to enjoy chilled or on the rocks with grilled chicken, pasta or spicy dishes.
You can check out Hazelfern Cellars’ web site for recipes featuring wonderful Pacific Northwest flora and fauna to pair with the wines, including Grilled Wild Salmon with Asparagus and Roasted Potatoes, Green Chile Cheeseburgers and Date Night Farm-Fresh Tomato and Basil Pasta.
Hazelfern Cellars is open by appointment Friday – Sunday. You can purchase bottles of wine directly from their website.
By Merlin Varaday @MerlinVaraday
