But Bill was smart and understood that the site’s elevation, well-drained soil and south-facing slope were all great news for something even better: making wine.
Now, the 400-acre property has over 220 acres under vine (mostly pinot noir and chardonnay) and the surrounding mountain ranges work to buffer the vineyard, creating a warmer microclimate that ensures consistent ripening. Stoller produces award-winning wines – including pinot noir, chardonnay, pinot noir rosé and a brut rosé – that are balanced, complex and consistently exceptional.
In the Willamette Valley, women are said to make up over 30 per cent of winemakers – and Stoller is no exception. Head winemaker, Melissa Burr has been at the helm since 2003 and is joined by assistant winemaker Kate Payne-Brown, who manages Stoller’s Reserve winery. Both women juggle driving forklifts with motherhood and making excellent wines with the kind of sensibility more common to a small-scale operation.
Along with winning national awards for its well-designed tasting room and beautiful grounds (those views!) the winery is a leader in sustainability, too. Stoller is a solar-powered, B Corp and LIVE certified, and was the first in the world to earn LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification for sustainable building design.
