Pudding River Wine Cellars

When I go wine tasting, it’s not just about the wine. It’s also about atmosphere and the graciousness of the host. My recent outing at Pudding River Wine Cellars was exactly what I needed on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Set in the countryside, the tasting room is in a red barn. You even get to sit in «bunhugger» bar stools. How quaint!
I had never been there before, but I’m glad I sought them out. They’re a bit off the beaten path… most wineries are, though. John, the vintner’s father-​in-​law was a great conversationalist and all of the wine was consistently good. One stand out for me was the 2012 Chardonnay (that’s the middle one if you try all three together as John suggests). It was buttery with the right amount of oakiness, just how I like a good chard. The 2011 Syrah was exceptional – so much so that I bought a bottle.
Speaking of Syrah, here’s a little tidbit that I’ll bet a few of you didn’t know – wineries can legally add up to 10% Syrah in Pinot Noirs (here in Oregon anyway) and not disclose that. The Syrah gives the wine a little more body and obviously more color. Pudding River does not embellish their Pinots – you buy Pinot Noir, you get all Pinot Noir. I like honest wine-​making. So, as Arnold would say, «Oll be bock».

We frequently plan short trips in the Willamette Valley and find great places to visit. Many live up to our expectations but few so exceed them as did our wine tasting visit to Pudding River Wine Cellars. Absidarntively Delightful!
We are big fans all around and happily recommend wine tasting at Pudding River. We think others will leave as fans too for the combination of lovely setting, fun and rustic tasting room, gracious warm hospitality and interesting wines.
That’s the bottom line and before I add to it with details, I need to give a shout out to my Unilocal friend Wendy B. whose review encouraged me to seek out Pudding River Wine Cellars.
TASTING ROOM
As of Memorial Day weekend this year, the tasting room was relocated from the upper floor of the old farm building to the lower level. A paved lot makes the drive in and level in access from parking to the tasting room easy. The upgrades to the tasting room are still a work in progress (and there is no bathroom on that floor for now) but the overall vibe is warm and friendly and makes one want to linger and learn about and sip and buy the wines.
Also worth a mention was the mellow, just right for wine drinking tunes being played — think the classics from Rod Stewart’s songbook as example. In fact, here’s some of the same background music to listen to as you read for those so inclined. :-)
Pride of ownership showed everywhere here for the boutique style winery and the small lot wines being produced. Karen, one of the husband wife owner team at Pudding River, was the tasting room hostess on the day we visited. She could teach a master class on top notch tasting room hospitality.
This was the last winery stop for four of us on a couple of days recreation that included wine tasting in this part of the valley. For all of us, Pudding River was the highlight wine stop of the trip. That was in no small part because of the gracious welcome we received from Karen and the great job she did in talking about the wines and answering our questions.
TASTING SET UP
The tasting fee is only $ 5 and it is waived with purchase of only one bottle. The line up included nine or ten wines among several varietals including Riesling, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah poured free hand and using good quality glassware. Each couple was welcome to share a tasting flight.
WINES
Pudding River’s web site has tasting notes for most of their wines. For such a small winery, we were surprised to see they made such a large number of different wines. The winemaker, Sean, is an engineer by education who started out his career in fermented beverages by making beer. Developing an interest in wine, he read through the texts as used at UC Davis’ school of wine making studies and embarked on applying what he learned to create good wines.
To the winemaker’s notes on the web site, we can only add our own perspectives that the new 2011 Riesling was citrus bright and at only about 10% alcohol just right for well under 1% residual sugar for those who like Riesling finished very dry with high acid.
The 2011 Pinot Gris is tasty for a summer sipping wine and although perhaps not as complex as made by others further north in the valley, it is quite dry and will be a nice add to our other Pinot Gris drinking this summer.
Chardonnay is in three styles and we tasted them all. Starting with all stainless fermented (more crisp and fruit forward) to oak aged with partial malolactic fermentation (more soft and round) to neutral oak aged with partial malolactic fermentation (more buttery) reserve bottling. (Note to my Unilocal friend Sherry S… I think you’d have fun trying all three and like two of them!) We lean to stainless fermented Chardonnay and thought this was a good one for our palates, although we enjoyed the other two as well.
They were also pouring Viognier at the tasting room on the day of our visit, a couple of Pinot Noir and a Syrah. For those of us who get overdosed with Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley, it was fun to have a different red varietal. to taste. Syrah grapes for this release come from Walla Walla where very good Syrah grapes are grown.
Prices ranged from around $ 16 (Riesling) to around $ 40 (Reserve Pinot Noir). We purchased a 2011 Riesling, 2011 Pinot Gris and 2010 Syrah and our total was around $ 61. A decent price we thought for good wines and great hospitality in a fun setting.
We’ll be back to enjoy ourselves and buy more wine again. A good tasting experience is about more than just the wine. This one was Absidarntively Delightful all around.

I feel giddy everytime I get to write the first review for a business. In particular, one I like.
Pudding River Winery has had it’s doors open for about 5 years. It is a quaint, family owned winery east of Salem. It is well worth the trip. The drive is fascinating, and you can even kill two birds with one stone if you also make a stop at the Willamette Valley Fruit Co. for a slice of their famous pie. Not that you have to, but they are practically neighbors.
They open at 12. That being said, we showed up shortly after 11 am and they graciously welcomed us anyway.
So, this is a story of a corporate American turned winemaker. How many of us get to immerse ourselves in our real passion, and do a good job of it too? You will enjoy meeting Sean, his wife, Stacy, and their gleeful dog, Dakota, who just wants to play tug o’ war with you and her tennis ball.
A very charming setting, they live in the 1904 Victorian at the front of the property. But the real magic begins in a large white building behind a big red barn. And right now, you must be able to climb stairs to get up to the second floor of the barn which is their tasting room. Sean proudly announced this will soon change and they will be ADA compliant. A first floor tasting room is on its way to being completed.
Mr. B is the wine taster of our family. And picky (aren’t we all?). His pronouncement that these are «very good wines», and his subsequent purchases, were his way of saying, you really should try this. He ended up buying 3 bottles. An ’09 Reisling ($ 14) and two ’09 Walla Walla appellation Syrahs ($ 30 each) are coming home with us.
Thank you Sean for a great experience and the pleasant memories.