Pour Favor
The Cellar Stars Awards recognize the best hospitality experiences in the Willamette Valley
By Greg Norton
Oregon wines consistently draw recognition for their high quality. You can compare the characteristics of numerous bottles by consulting reviews and ratings available on various websites and publications, including this one.
But if you want to know which Willamette Valley tasting room is family-friendly, you’re on your own.
For the second year, the Cellar Stars Awards aim to bridge this data gap. In April, more than 50 industry professionals and friends gathered at Abbey Road Farm for a happy-hour awards ceremony celebrating quality hospitality programs across the Valley. Nominated by industry peers last fall, three finalists were named in each of 20 categories. The public voted for the finalists in February.
As the winners were feted, attendees swirled Abbey Road’s wines alongside a generously loaded charcuterie table from Bellyful Catering Company.
“It was incredible to see our industry come together to celebrate the hospitality programs that make the Willamette Valley so special,” enthused Kristen Baxter, who chaired a committee of volunteers steering this year’s effort.
The organizers dream of expanding the awards through outreach and sponsorships. “As the program continues to grow,” Baxter noted, “our goal is to bring even more people across the Valley together to connect, celebrate and elevate the experiences that define our region.”
CELLAR STARS AWARDS
Best Customer Service Sidereus Vineyard & Winery
Best Food Program Brooks Wine
Best Sommelier/Staff Expertise Abbey Road Farm
Best Outdoor Tasting Area Stoller Family Estate
Best Indoor Tasting Area Alloro Vineyard
Best Special Events Abbey Road Farm
Most Family Friendly Stoller Family Estate
Most Dog Friendly Black Dog Vineyard
Best Sustainable Practices Willamette Valley Vineyard
Best Tasting Room for Groups Argyle Winery
Best Community Involvement Ken Wright Cellars
Most Creative Social Media CHO Wines
Most Creative Wine Club Sidereus Vineyard & Winery
Best Wine Tasting Tour Operator NW Wine Shuttle
Best Urban Tasting Room Amaterra Winery
Best North Willamette Valley Tasting Room (within 1 hour of Portland) Alloro Vineyard
Best Central Willamette Valley Tasting Room (Salem area) Brooks Wine
Best South Willamette Valley (Eugene Area) King Estate Winery
Best Overall Atmosphere/Ambiance Alloro Vineyard
Best Overall Tasting Experience Sidereus Vineyard & Winery
Best New Tasting Room Chehalem Estate
Greg Norton is a freelance writer with a broad background in nonprofit communications and the arts. He studied journalistic writing through the UCLA Extension and has traveled to wine regions around the world. Greg is a Certified Specialist of Wine and received the Level II award from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. When not writing about wine, he can be found pouring it in a tasting room or wine bar near West Linn, where he lives. Read more by Greg at onthevine.blog.
