Silver Linings
Natalie's Estate Winery celebrates 25 year anniversary
By Annelise Kelly
Let’s raise a glass to Natalie’s Estate, a venerable winery in the Chehalem Mountain American Viticultural Area celebrating 25 years in business. Their newest launch, a bright Sauvignon Blanc, joins a roster dominated by big, bold reds and refined whites crafted in homage to old world styles. The winery grows four acres of Pinot Noir grapes and sources a variety of fruit from the Columbia Valley in both Oregon and Washington.
Winemaker Boyd and wife Cassandra Teegarden founded Natalie’s Estate Winery in 1999, when their daughter Natalie was one. Between his career in sales for E & J Gallo Winery and her international business master’s degree and experience, they make a formidable team. Together, they harnessed their passion, talents and experience to create an enduring winemaking enterprise.
Boyd never expected a return to his farming roots or pursue winemaking. “When I started with Gallo, I wanted to escape farming. My family came from the agricultural side. I worked at that kind of thing as a kid growing up, so consequently I wanted to get away from it. My goal when I started at Gallo was to work in consumable sales for a large company and rise to become VP of sales.”
Gallo sent him to Miami, where “I spent a lot of time with winemakers and proprietors from California and Europe. That was where the wine bug really bit… and doors began opening. I'd spend days with these people selling wine and stories, eventually traveling to see these places. The Gallo training really helped me understand the production side. A corporate move led us to Oregon, where I met David O'Reilly, who, with Peter Rosback, was launching Sineann Winery. They asked me to join because they needed production hands. I began thinking, okay, this could work.”
Boyd values the training from Gallo, “but like anything, you don't really understand it until you start. You learn it by putting your hands in the soil, in the fermenter.”
Cassandra says “getting to know Boyd was my entrance into the wine world.” Her role as president of Natalie’s Estate focuses on operations, finance and marketing, drawing on her extensive experience in international business.
LAUNCHING THE WINERY
Did they think twice about leaving their secure corporate jobs to start a winery with one-year-old Natalie in the picture? “We discussed that a lot,” admits Boyd, but they concluded “if we don't go for it now, we'll get caught up in life and won't go for it. So, dive in now because we're young enough to return to our careers if it doesn't work.”
“It was a gamble then,” adds Cassandra, “the whole idea of the region being not very well developed.”
“Oregon wine was starting to gain some recognition,” says Boyd. “Some of the publications were publishing more in-depth articles. The general public was learning about what was going on here. Land prices were low so we could buy without needing an angel investor.”
He adds “1999, when we started, was a big year for the Valley. Penner-Ash Wine Cellars began the previous year; Bergström Wines and Owen Roe opened when we did and Patricia Green Cellars launched the year after. A lot of us in our thirties were jumping in and going for it. It was kind of fun,” recalls Boyd.
Both cherished the opportunity to watch the region develop and grow first-hand. Boyd reminisces how “the tight knit community back then was amazing. Everybody knew everybody. Everybody helped everybody. I only see that continuing to grow.”
THE TASTING ROOM EXPERIENCE
They earn customer loyalty and media accolades by creating an engaging tasting room atmosphere. Cassandra points out guests enjoy a personal experience “because normally Jeff [Granger] or Boyd are in the tasting room, so they get a comprehensive education.” Assistant winemaker Jeff Granger is working on his fifth vintage with Natalie’s Estate.
Boyd cites the diversity of their wines as an attraction for visitors. “Customers know whether they visit in June, October or December, the line-up will be different. For the person into food and wine, that exploration is amazing.”
Natalie’s Estate’s tasting room, with a welcoming, casual vibe, is tucked among oak trees on a hillside overlooking the vineyard. The pandemic compelled them to divide the space into several cozy quasi-rooms, so visitors can enjoy an intimate experience in a quiet atmosphere.
If old Hollywood intrigues you, be sure to visit the back room, with a gallery of vintage images from Cassandra’s family collection. Her grandmother was silent film star Eileen Sedgwick and her great-uncle was Edward Sedgwick, the first director acknowledged on the Walk of Fame– he discovered Lucille Ball. Black-and-white images include family members with luminaries such as Gary Cooper, John Wayne and Buster Keaton. Guests can gather around an engraved mirror-top bar, a family heirloom where such celebrities once stood. This popular artifact is a back-lit delight depicting sexy showgirls, tuxedoed gents and even the classic lady-bathing-in-a-champagne-coupe.
CULTIVATING COMMUNITY
The Teegardens cultivate community and loyalty among their clientele with their wine club and the special events, in order to be educational, entertaining, as well as delicious. Regular tastings, by appointment, include a charcuterie tray and conversation with Boyd or Granger. Special comparative tastings, such as samples of four Italian varietals produced by Natalie’s Estate, compared with their Italian versions, are also available.
Boyd believes it’s not about which is better, but rather an opportunity for guests to compare wines crafted in similar styles from the same grapes, but with varying soil and terroir. “We talk about it, pull out maps and really use it as an informative approach. A lot of people may not feel as comfortable with international wines, so it's nice to offer that education without them having to travel with us.”
EUROPEAN WINE TOURS
Travel with them? Wait, what??
Yes, they host tours to Europe for wine club members. Once a year they escort a group of two dozen (or fewer) to visit wine regions and old world small producers. “There's quite a high demand,” says Cassandra. “We have people who want to go absolutely every year. We've visited almost all of Western Europe.”
“Our main focus is Italy,” offers Boyd. “That's our favorite area to tour. We really enjoy the diversity– people, food and the wines.”
Cassandra adds, “I also think it allows us to come up with new ideas and ways of making wine.”
Boyd particularly values “the educational component of it. Whether it be food and wine pairings, cooking methods, winemaking techniques, blends, different varietals– especially all the indigenous ones in Italy– the education is very unique.”
“The goal is to visit small boutique wineries,” adds Cassandra, “so our guests get a comparison from here to there.”
WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY
Boyd’s winemaking style is primarily influenced by Italy for whites and old world for reds. They introduced Sauvignon Blanc this year at Cassandra’s urging. Boyd notes that “doning my business hat, Nielsen scan data counts it as the number-one selling white variety right now as far as growth. It confirms the market is definitely seeking this style of wine. I think our style is very reminiscent of Northern Italian-style white wine– dry, bright, crisp, fresh, good acid. So, it matches well with cream sauces and cheese.”
In addition to the estate Pinot Noir planting, they source fruit from The Pines Vineyard in Columbia Valley, where some of the oldest vines in the state reside, as well as from Hillside Vineyard (Columbia Valley), and Yakima Valley’s Elephant Mountain and Red Willow Vineyards.
All Natalie’s Estate red wines are completely unfiltered and unfined. “I would say there aren’t many of us here in the Valley or domestically producing red wines this way. The Europeans say filtering strips the soul from the wine, and I think that it does strip some of the flavor and surely the mouthfeel.” He brings the point back to education. “As a small producer, we actively share this story so people understand if there is sediment, this is why. It's perfectly natural.”
The Teegardens are currently shifting their own production to regenerative, no-till farming and their suppliers all farm sustainably as well.
REFLECTING ON 25 YEARS
“It's a lot of hard work, but also very rewarding. You must be passionate. You've got to understand this business is about the long haul,” muses Boyd. “We're blessed enough to sell the majority of our wine directly to our customers, allowing us to stay small.”
Natalie's Estate Winery
16825 N.E. Chehalem Dr.
Newberg, OR 97132
503-807-5008
nataliesestatewinery.com
After living in Denmark, the Netherlands, L.A. and the Bay Area, writer Annelise Kelly settled in Portland, where she delights in food carts, Douglas firs, dancing and getting crafty. Thanks to Annelise’s broad interests, her career path has weaved through cooking, events, technical writing, decorative painting and retail display.Wanderlust takes her across borders and oceans every chance she gets. Connect with Annelise at www.annelisekelly.com.
