The estate Seyval Blanc planting is one-of-a-kind in Willamette Valley, as is Dave (and wife Sara, the self-proclaimed “Money-Honey) Specter’s Bell’s Up Winery brand.
Seyval Blanc is a hybrid grape found in upstate New York and in the mid-west where Dave and Sara harken from. The Willamette Valley expression is a low-alcohol wine that opens up as it warms up (kinda like Sara 😉 and sports lemon-to-stone fruit with pleasant engaging acidity, and earthy floral notes. I love the creamy mouthfeel resultant from long lees stirring (not MLF) in the winery.
This is a very good wine and I highly recommend it as a slow sipper on a summer evening (or day if that’s your thing). We ordered a serious vegetarian pizza and it paired beautifully, but don’t stop there, the wine is very versatile and we’ll next try it with a yet-to-be-determined take-out of spicy Asian food. I’m confident the Seyval Blanc will hold its own. Please read Dave’s interview here.