The best part about my job is introducing people to new wineries – and even new varietals – that they’ve never heard of. There are a lot of unusual wines being made all over Oregon that are extraordinary.

Mondeuse . Blaufränkisch. Chasselas Doré.  Kerner. They’re all being made in small batches here in Oregon by wonderfully obsessed winemakers dedicated to bringing unusual varietals to your table.

So to honor the back-to-school season, we’ve dedicated our September selections at Cellar 503 to learning about unusual varietals.
Our first red is a blend of Mondeuse and St. Laurent—two obscure French varietals grown in small quantities—known as the Helix wine from the talented ladies at Minimus Wines. Our second red is equally unique—Blaufränkisch is more commonly found in Central Europe and Welsh Family Wines is one of the only producers of this wine in Oregon.

Our first white is a Chasselas Doré, a traditionally Swiss and French grape planted back in the 1980’s from Laurel Ridge Winery. Our second white is a Kerner, a unique hybrid grape usually found in Germany, from Christopher Bridge Wines in Oregon City. I hope you enjoy these unusual varietals as much as I did in finding them!