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| The Winery |
After hearing that the owner of
Soter Vineyards (Tony Soter) was the founder of one of my favorite Napa wineries,
Etude, it automatically rose to number one on my list of places to visit during our Willamette Valley trip. They have limited group appointments to keep their tastings intimate, but
(after a little begging) we were able to join their wine club member tasting on an afternoon during our trip. We arrived at the tasting room and were immediately greeted with a delicious taste of rose and a friendly smile from Mari, our tasting hostess. As soon as I walked into the winery, I immediately noticed the similarities in architecture with
Ram's Gate and
Kenzo Estate wineries, low and behold, it was the same builder. The inviting structure and assimilation to something familiar in my home (Napa), made me feel immediately relaxed and excited for the afternoon to come.
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| Tasting with the Wine Club |
We sat down at a long community table and began meeting with all of the awesome wine club members. Some of which were originally from the Bay Area. After tasting several of the wines, I could easily tell how Bay Area transplants to Oregon would find themselves at Soter Vineyards. The taste and quality were exactly what you would expect from an amazing winemaker who has made some of the best pinots I have ever tasted. I was in search for my
2007 Etude Heirloom Pinot comparison, and Soter's
2009 Mineral Springs White Label Pinot was its match.
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| Soter's Current Releases |
The relaxing atmosphere, amazing people, and delicious wines made for a great wine tasting experience. Every wine was incredible, and each was one that I would be happy to buy for myself and/or share with others. The winery featured bottles at every price point from $20 to $100+, which made it very approachable to wine lovers at every budget. I loved everything so much that Alex convinced me to join the wine club (just so we wouldn't end up buying all of the wines in one shot). One wine that I couldn't leave behind was the 2009 Brut Rose, Mari offered me a taste and I was hooked! It was by far the best sparkling that I had tasted in Oregon, and definitely one that I needed for a special occasion with my girl friends. We connected with Rob Ortiz, the Trade and Hospitality Specialist, and became fast friends with this fun and extremely welcoming team. We left the winery that evening with new friends, great memories, and a delicious bottle of bubbly! Also, a date for another amazing experience with Associate Winemaker
Bryan Weil at
Alexana Winery the following day, which will be featured in my next post. I highly recommend planning a reservation at
Soter Vineyards during your next Willamette Valley trip. The wines and the experience were equally outstanding, and any wine lover will enjoy their experience here. I can't wait to come back to visit this special place.
Tips - Soter Vineyards:
- The winery offers three tasting experience daily at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm for $20/person by reservation only, call the winery at 503-662-5600 during the week to book your appointment.
- Your tasting fee will be waived if you purchase a bottle of wine.
- Finding Soter can be difficult, it is unmarked, so definitely use the winery's directions.
- Expect to spend approximately 1.5 hours at the winery for your tasting.
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