Panther Creek Cellars

The Lab’s name is Zooey, and if there were a “mellowest wine dog” award, Zooey would be the recipient. Zooey is not a yappy dog; she doesn’t feel the need to announce his presence nor does she seek your hand for petting. In this sense, Zooey symbolizes the Panther Creek Cellars’ confident manner, secure in the knowledge that it consistently produces some of Oregon’s best pinot noirs.

Located in McMinnville’s 1923 former power plant, Panther Creek Cellars excels in producing single-vineyard pinot noirs year after year. Winemaking falls under the watchful eye of Michael Stevenson, whose straightforward goal is to produce ultrapremium pinot noir that evokes the vineyard where the grapes are grown. Moderately priced, these wines are ready to take home and open the evening it’s purchased, or conversely, cellared for many years.

Liz Chambers, the current owner of Panther Creek Cellars, purchased the winery from Ron and Linda Kaplan, who had purchased the winery from Ken Wright. If the name Linda Kaplan rings a bell, it’s for good reason. She is the author of the critically acclaimed My First Crush: Misadventures in Wine Country. A fun and informative account of her experience on the front lines of Oregon winemaking, the book is sold at Panther Creek Cellars’ tasting room (if still in stock). For folks with a modicum of interest in Northwest wines, this is the book for you. Linda’s engaging writing style is chockfull of information about soil, climate, and vine trivia, but is also infused with humor and stories of real people doing real work.

Panther Creek’s handsome red brick facility is both a tasting room and working winery. Here, WineTrail trekkers can swirl and taste the terroir associated with such notable vineyards as Temperance Hill, Freedom Hill, and Shea Vineyard. Can’t make up your mind which vineyard-designated label you prefer? No worries, there’s a pinot cuvée priced at around $30. And, lest you think that Panther Creek Cellars is all about pinot noir, it also offers pinot gris, chardonnay, and the rare melón from De Ponte Vineyard. Still, these whites account for only 10 percent of the 7,500 cases produced by Panther Creek Cellars annually.

WineTrail warning: As you depart the tasting room with your newly acquired bottles of wine, be careful not to trip over Zooey. She’s likely to be sleeping or engaging in doggy yoga (the “downward-facing dog” pose, natch) and not notice you.

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  Order the book!

  Panther Creek Cellars was featured in WineTrails of Oregon as part of the McMinnville WineTrail on page !