Our winery tour with Mayor Olson and First Lady Candy continued with a scenic drive to Cherry Hill Winery.
This winery sits smack dab on the 45th parallel…exactly half way between the equator and the North Pole. And what makes that parallel so special is that the wonderful wine region of Burgundy, France is also on the 45th parallel. Therefore it comes as no surprise that grapevines also flourish in Mother Nature’s Willamette Valley Oregon wine region…just like the vines in France!
We were lucky to arrive only weeks before harvest, and the glorious clusters of grapes were a color only Mother Nature could create…
The location of Cherry Hills Winery is simply stunning.
This vineyard, owned by Mike and Jan Sweeney, produces about 2,000 cases of estate grown Pinot Noir each year. The vineyard is planted on land that used to grow cherries…and prunes!
The winery building itself is both welcoming and eclectic.
And the tasting room is filled with lighthearted wine related memorabilia.
This clock told me all I needed to know about the time zone we were in!
The casual atmosphere was perfect for a wine novice like me to feel free to ask any wine related questions I could think of…and I asked many! And Ken (the winemaker himself) was on hand to answer all of them for me.
Rick and I each ordered a glass of Cherry Hill Winery 2014 Estate Pinot Noir wine…
While Peepaw and Candy read about some of the many awards Cherry Hill Winery has received.
The wine we sampled was as outstanding as the location where those estate grapes are grown…
Ken even offered to take this novice wine loving Meemaw behind the scenes and into the actual wine making area to show me where the magic happens! I wish I could describe the entire process to you, but it would take a much longer tour and much study for me to fully understand the complexities of producing award winning wines. As I’ve said before…I just know what I like…but I certainly appreciated the experience!
What an amazing process. From the hand picked grapes, to the washing and stemming…
And into the fermentation tanks…
And then to the oak barrels where the wine is aged.
What a labor of love.
Amazing.
When we returned to the tasting room I was greeted by none other than the owner of Cherry Hills Winery…Mr. Mike Sweeney himself! He told me about Papillon, the dear little dog who became the unofficial mascot of the winery. When I saw the shape of a wine glass on the dog’s face it became clear why Mike and his wife Jan fell in love with that little pup in the first place. And even though Papillon has recently passed away, he lives on in the name of one of the Cherry Hill Winery wines…
While Rick and Peepaw took a quick look at the map to plan our next stop…
I purchased a box of delicious chocolate covered cherries…made with fruit from some of the remaining cherry trees still on the property. What a delicious way to honor the history of the land!
Cherry Hill Winery provides a special “perk” for their wine club members, and we were fortunate to get a peek inside that perk before we left the property. The winery has a cluster of beautiful cabins near the winery. Cabins that can’t be rented by the public…
Only the Friends of Cherry Hill Winery Case Club members are invited to spend the night. And, trust me, those cabins are absolutely gorgeous, both inside and out!
Yes…Cherry Hill Winery is making great wine in a beautiful setting. And our short visit left us wanting even more.
Maybe…next time?
as usual fascinating!!-&gorgeous!!
Thanks Linda!
What a wonderful experience to share with us. I’m going to look for the brand. Do you know if anyone in this area distributes Cherry Hill Winery pinot noir?
Hope to see you before you leave again!!!!
Thanks for your comments Jan. And to answer your question…Cherry Hill ships to some states…but Iowa is not listed as one of them.
Being a OLD travel agent I think you should set up a Oregon Wine Country tour!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks Jan…you’ve read my mind! I am in the process of beginning to plan a Willamette Valley Wine Tour for NEXT SUMMER! Details soon…stay tuned! 🙂
Awww. We visited their papillon in 2008 when we vacationed here; we had two papillons at the time and were missing ours terribly. The wine was a bonus. 🙂 I’m sorry to hear their little girl passed away. I can’t remember her name, but she was tiny and adorable–and had a wineglass shape on her forehead blaze. I’m glad you made it out to see them. And thank you for the bonus coverage of Bells Up and the grape pie!
Yes, Sara, the shape of that wineglass blaze on their pup’s face was amazing. No wonder she was the perfect mascot for their wonderful winery! And about your grape pie…Oh MY! It deserved an honorable mention, for sure! Thank you again, and we hope to come back next summer…and we’ll sit on your gorgeous new deck to sip some luscious Bells Up wine and admire your incredible view. A perfect combination!