Special THANK YOU to PDX Urban Wineries Association for featuring Caelestis Cellars in their most recent email blast.
Check out a copy of the post below. To learn more about our shared association and other cool urban wineries in Portland, visit their website.

Meet the Wineries!

In an effort to keep you up to date on wineries in Portland we will be featuring one winery a month in an email and on social media. The plan is to give you a couple of highlights in this email and then follow us on Facebook or Instagram to hear more about each winery. We hope you enjoy this snapshot into each of these unique small Urban Wineries.
 

Caelestis Cellars

When did your winery form and how did you get into the wine industry?

My love for wine stems from my love of coffee. I got started in coffee in 1994 in Seattle. The specialty coffee industry was just beginning to emerge. Starbucks was not yet a household brand and there was a definite buzz (pun intended) in the industry. I quickly fell in love with everything about coffee...the wonderful and distinct differences in varietals from all over the world; the interesting and creative ways to roast, brew and experience the beverage; the storytelling that could paint beautiful imagery of every aspect from the farm to the cup; and the way a cup of coffee could bring people together over conversation…all things that wine offers.

During my first trip to Napa, this coffee-lover unexpectedly fell in love with wine. The scent of the wine aging in barrels, the many different vines heavy with fruit, terroir inspiring different flavors, the science and art of caring for the plants, and the winemakers’ stories all working together to make a delicious elixir. So, in a very real way, my passion for coffee helped define and inspire my passion for wine.

For about ten years, I was simply exploring and experimenting with making wine. Upon completion of my enology and viticulture certificates from Washington State University in 2013, I made it my goal to one day operate my own winery making wines that can tell their own stories. Caelestis Cellars is this dream coming to life. In 2020, my wife Kim and I finally decided to take the plunge to become an official licensed winery to share our wine with others in our community.

Why did you decide to be an urban winery instead of in the valley?

Caelestis Cellars is proud to be an urban micro-winery. We have no aspirations to compete with the big wineries. Instead, our aim is to offer an intimate connection for our members that cannot be replicated on a large scale. We also aspire to build connections with our community by staying local and working together with like-minded small businesses to offer our community something special.

Kim and I share the fundamental value of community. To us, community means respectfully engaging with our neighbors and supporting other local businesses, including other local wineries. Community also means appreciating and honoring our natural environment and the people within it by using responsible manufacturing practices, sourcing grapes from growers who share these values, and eventually becoming a zero-landfill producer. Our commitment to our community guided us to becoming an urban winery, making and sharing wine where we live.


What are your future goals and plans?

Our first goal is to release our wines this September! We only have 150 cases available this year and are working to offer up to 250 cases next year. From there, we will slowly grow toward 500 cases a year and hold because we want to stay tightly connected to our members. We want to bring as many Pacific Northwest AVAs back to Portland over time as the opportunities arise.


Do you have a favorite non-profit or cause your winery supports?

Kim has worked professionally in nonprofits for 22 years and as a volunteer, since she was a child, so we have a close connection to the nonprofit sector in Oregon and support many. Our favorite nonprofit is Friends of Outdoor School. They advocate for, make connections for, and support Oregon’s famous Outdoor School, a field science experience for Oregon’s 5th or 6th graders.

Caelestis Cellars

Hours of operation: We offer tastings by appointment only and host tasting parties twice a year. Members receive first access to releases and enjoy free local delivery within 30 miles of Portland.

https://www.caelestiscellars.com/

To hear more about Caelistis Cellars be sure to check out our Social Media pages and you can find a link to them on our website.

Caelestis Cellars blog posts arrive every 2-4 weeks.
To learn more about Caelestis Cellars, visit our journal.