Tiffany Owens – Clips & Samples

Anthony Dell Cellars: “101 Sunsets in Every Bottle”

Publication:  Portland Lunch Times

Date Published: 6/27/2005

Photographs: No

Content

Anthony Dell Cellars: “101 Sunsets in Every Bottle”

By Tiffany Owens

What wine lover hasn’t daydreamed about opening their own winery at one time or another? When Douglas Anthony Drawbond and Joy Dell Means first bought their property and built a house in the Eola Hills area next to Bethel Heights Vineyards in 1993, they had not intended to get into the wine business. After all, they already owned the thriving “Bead Trunk” store in Salem. But after befriending nearby winemakers, then later experimenting with small crops of grapes and creating wine in their barn for a few years, these entrepreneurs decided to follow their hearts – and their love of “big, red wines.”

In 1997, they planted their first crop of 3,000 Pinot Noir vines and initially dubbed the 69-terrace vineyard “Sunset Ridge.” The resulting virgin crush in 1999 was not as great as they had hoped, but the pair remained intent on honing their craft. They continued to make wine privately in 2000 and 2001 and, when the opportunity arose to buy fruit from Del Rio Vineyards, they began to expand their offerings.

“The Del Rio fruit is much softer than in the Willamette Valley,” Drawbond explains. “There’s not as much acid in the Rogue Valley, which means a less intense fruit. The resulting wine has a much subtler bouquet and taste.” And, new grapes meant the ability to produce new wines.

So, in 2002, after a decision to start increasing production onto a commercial level, Drawbond and Means changed their name to “Anthony Dell Cellars” and moved into their new facility at 845 5th Street, Suite 300, in McMinnville’s “Wine Quarters.” Their first production in 2002 yielded 250 cases of Pinot Noir. Currently, Anthony Dell produces 100-case lots of seven different varietals: Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and “Rio Red,” a Bordeaux-style blend of the latter three.

In addition to appearing in several select wine festivals in the area, Anthony Dell’s tasting room will be open to the public on Memorial Day weekend, as well as every first and second Saturdays through the summer months from 11-4. Tasters that arrive by noon will also get to partake in their free outdoor-style cooking classes that utilize a Dutch oven to create such delectable dishes as Wine-Licked Chicken, Smoked Salmon, Pulled Pork Sandwiches or Deep-fried Turkey to be enjoyed alongside their lovely wines.

Because their vineyard is situated on the mouth of the Van Duzer Corridor, it receives good afternoon sun and cooling – ideal weather for their delicate Pinot grapes. “We have 101 sunsets that go into every bottle of wine we produce,” Means explains. Indeed, the extra care, attention – and sunshine – are evident in every hand-crafted bottle that Anthony Dell Cellars produces.

For more information on Anthony Dell Cellars’ wines and tasting room events, contact the winery directly at 503-910-8874 or anthonydell@direcway.com.

WINE SPOTLIGHT:

2003 Syrah
Anthony Dell Cellars

The 2003 Syrah was the first Anthony Dell Cellars wine to be juried this year at the Portland Wine Show. Contains a lush bouquet of blackberries and vanilla, followed by smooth, juicy flavors of dark berries and plums. Hints of chocolate and licorice linger on the finish. Highly drinkable now for such a young wine, the 2003 Syrah would also make a nice cellar option – the flavors richening and the tannins mellowing as it ages over the next three to five years.