August Cellars

Your trek along the Newberg WineTrail begins with a visit to August Cellars (assuming you’re heading from the Portland area). Given that August Cellars actually houses multiple wineries under one roof, your wine-touring field trip might begin and end at August Cellars! Here you will find a variety of wines to sample — from light to full-bodied — from about a half-dozen wineries. This could mean some serious swirling.

Although the line-up of participating wineries changes over time, during my visit, the wineries included Et Fille, Toluca Lane, WildAire, Crowley Wines, Artisanal Wine Cellars, Laura Volkman Cellars, and, of course, August Cellars. Given the high start-up cost associated with launching a winery, the idea of being a tenant winemaker makes buku sense. August Cellars is a cooperative of sorts with participating wineries sharing equipment, a tasting room, cellar storage and the winery dog (just kidding). The contemporary building has a definite Northwest style and feel, with a generous use of glass and wood, and a landscape to match. One-third of the building houses August Cellars with the other two-thirds reserved for tenant wineries. Tasting-room offerings are rotated among the wineries, so it is a bit of a crapshoot as to which wines will be available during your visit. Don’t come expecting to sample everyone’s wines, but do expect to experience a nice variety, including gewürztraminer, riesling, rosé, pinot noir, Maréchal Foch, and port.

August Cellars is a family-owned winery created in 2002 by the Clarence Schaad family. Located on Chehalem Mountain, the winery is named in honor of the Schaads’ ancestor August Schaad, who immigrated to Oregon in the 1890s. The Schaads’ unabashed goals are twofold: First, to produce affordable table wines, and second, to keep their family farm operating. The farm is quintessential Willamette Valley, populated by prunes, walnuts, and pinot noir. Today, brothers Jim and Tom Schaad oversee August Cellars. Jim is the winemaker and head of the company, and Tom is the facility manager coordinating all of the daily activities at the winery.

Whatever the month, be sure to plan an August visit.