To survive in the wine business for 40 years, you have to be good, lucky and have a sense of humor. The folks at Cameron Winery have all of those attributes and then some.
If you have yet to enjoy a Cameron pinot noir, chardonnay, nebbiolo or any number of white wines inspired by northern Italy, where have you been hiding since 1984?
Cameron Winery is best known for: “We’re pretty eclectic, so this is a tough one to answer,” John Paul said. He finally settled on his work with the deep roots coalition (drc).
John Paul founded the drc along with the late Russ Rainey of Evesham Wood. The organization promotes the dry farming of established vineyards and educates consumers about the benefits of non-irrigated vineyards.
John Paul added that Cameron’s other calling card is the Clos Electrique Blanc. “Which is funny, because in the old days, people were always surprised to find out we even made chardonnay,” John Paul said.
“Must try” current release: 2021 Cameron Clos Electrique Blanc (SRP of $75 – 13.5% ABV).
The 2021 Clos Electrique Blanc positively vibrates with acidity. It is also packed with aromas and flavors of lime zest, chamomile, lemon gelato and a trace of fresh basil. If you have the patience, you could cellar this wine for another 15 years.
Innovation: Cameron just released a significant portion of their 2022 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir (SRP of $39) in refillable glass bottles. The bottles are produced by Revino, an Oregon-based company seeking to eliminate single-use packaging in the food and beverage industry. The Cameron wine is the first to fill a Revino bottle.
The Revino bottles filled with Cameron pinot noir are available at Basics Market, The Cellar Door, Vino Buys and the Palisades and Stumptown locations of New Seasons Market.
Once you empty your refillable bottle, take it to one of Revino’s drop locations. Revino will then process it at their state-of-the-art bottle washing facility before using it again. A map of drop locations will go live on Revino’s website on June 1.
In the meantime, consumers can take their empty Revino bottles during regular business hours to the Et Fille Wines tasting room in Newberg, Mt. Hood Winery, Hood River, Winter’s Hill Estate, Dayton, Quady North, Jacksonville, and eight different Willamette Valley Vineyards locations.
Revino CEO Keenan O’Hern predicts his company will fill 720,000 bottles of Oregon wine by the end of the August bottling season. According to a Revino press release, “reusing these 720,000 bottles just three times (they are rated for up to 50 reuses) will save almost two million pounds of carbon dioxide, equivalent to the carbon dioxide absorption of over 11,000 adult trees.”
History: Lured by the siren song of winemaking, John Paul ditched his PhD in marine biochemistry to ply his new craft in New Zealand, California, and Oregon.
After four years as an assistant winemaker at Carneros Creek Winery in Napa Valley, John Paul moved north to start Cameron Winery with his wife, Teri Wadsworth, and partners, Bill and Julia Wayne of Abbey Ridge Vineyard fame, Marc Dochez and Shawna Archibald. Their first vintage was 1984.
Team Cameron today includes winemaker Tom Sivilli, vineyard manager Phil London and the contributions of Tawny and Julian Paul, Teri Wadsworth and John Paul’s talented offspring.
What we don’t know: Cameron’s rampant lion logo was “borrowed” from a Belhaven Scottish Ale label. The only modification was replacing the rose in the lion’s paw with a wine glass. The label designer was Anne Thomas, the sister of John Thomas, yet another legendary Willamette Valley winemaker with two first names.
Hot tip: John Paul will be at Nostrana’s L’Orto kitchen garden 6-9 p.m. on May 24. The fee for tasting six Cameron wines is $25. L’Orto is located adjacent to Nostrana’s 1401 S.E. Morrison St. location.
Best Oregon wine story ever: “Screaming Ego.” John Paul and Bill Wayne made up a wine called “Screaming Ego” to mock a famous winery for charging $100 for one of their wines.
When John Paul joked in a newsletter that the fictional Screaming Ego cost $250, orders started rolling in. Now John Paul had to come up with a Screaming Ego, so he bottled his best barrel of 1999 Abbey Ridge pinot noir. The label features Icarus plunging into the sea.
Biggest inspiration: Dominique Lafon and François Jobard, two renowned white Burgundy producers.
Where to buy: The Broadway Wine Merchants in Eugene and Liner & Elsen and The Cellar Door in Portland.
To enjoy a Cameron wine with a meal, make a reservation at Coquine and Nostrana in Portland, or Canard in Oregon City.
Not open to the public, 8200 N.E. Worden Hill Road, Dundee, cameronwines.com or [email protected].
— Michael Alberty writes about wine for The Oregonian/OregonLive and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. He can be reached at [email protected]. To read more of his coverage, go to oregonlive.com/wine