Drink the Bottles

  An Evening with Dave Specter and the Story Behind One of Oregon's Most Personal Winery Experiences One of the best parts of what we do at Drink The Bottles is connecting with the people behind the wines. While nothing quite replaces standing in a vineyard with a glass in hand, virtual tastings have become one of our favorite ways to discover exceptional wineries from across the country. What began as a necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved into something much more. Today, virtual tastings allow wine lovers to connect directly with winery owners and winemakers from the comfort of their own homes, often creating conversations that are every bit as personal as an in-person visit. There is something special about gathering friends around the table, opening the same bottles, and sharing an evening with the person who crafted them. That was exactly our experience during a recent one-hour virtual tasting with Bells Up Winery co-owner and winemaker Dave Specter. By the time...

  If you've visited our website before, you already know that we are big fans of Bells Up Winery of Newberg, Oregon.  Our "wino" crew recently sat down virtually with owner and winemaker Dave Specter to taste through six of his micro-boutique, unique and delicious wines.  The other half of the winery and Dave's boss (and wife) Sara Specter made the arrangements and we were off to a beautiful evening! Like every winery, there is a good story behind this one.  We guess "good" may not be the best way to describe how the winery came to fruition, but it does  have a happy ending.  Dave and Sara began making wine in their basement in 2006.  Dave was a corporate tax attorney who was not enjoying (to put it lightly) his profession and wanted to pursue a passion of not only becoming a winemaker but eventually owning and operating his own winery with Sara.  While visiting the Willamette Valley in 2008 on vacation, they both fell in love with the area and t...