The Bells Up Winery’s (Newberg, Oregon) Story…
“If you’re this successful in a career that makes you sick, stressed and miserable… how much more successful would you be doing something you love?”
“That’s the question Sara Specter asked husband, Dave 13 years ago, following his mental and physical breakdown from more than a decade as a successful corporate tax attorney. This, while watching Sara’s professional mentor battle pancreatic cancer at age 40.”
“The answer, for The Specters, was that life is too short to spend unhappy. So they turned the basement hobby that brought Dave joy — winemaking — into Bells Up Winery.”
“Dave left the legal field, dedicating himself full-time to learning the business of making wine as a professional at Henke Winery while the Family lived in Cincinnati, Ohio.”
“After Dave won two different amateur national winemaking competitions with two different wines, The Specters decided to relocate to Newberg, Oregon. In 2013, they established Bells Up Winery and their winemaking dreams took root.”
“Today — micro-boutique, un-domaine and open exclusively for one winemaker-hosted tasting experience at a time — Bells Up composes handcrafted, classically-styled Oregon Pinot Noir, Rosé, Pinot Blanc, Seyval Blanc, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon with grapes sourced from their estate vineyard and from micro-sites in the Willamette Valley and Eastern Oregon.”
“The name “Bells Up” refers to a dramatic moment in classical music where the composer instructs French horn players to lift the bells of their instruments up and project sound with maximum intensity. Dave, a French horn player who performed throughout high school and college, says the winery is his “Bells Up” moment.”
Winemaker Dave Specter is our guest pulling the cork on all that is Bells Up Winery.
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