Captivating wines from the effervescent crew at Cameron Winery!

By: Jillian Glazer

Inimitable. Unique. Effervescent. If we were asked to describe John Paul Cameron, those three words would pop up first. Describing Cameron wines, on the other hand, requires a little more depth to capture that special spark underlying each of John Paul’s tiny production selections. With fruit sourced from three beautiful vineyards (Clos Electrique, Gehrts, and Abbey Ridge), Cameron wines showcase the classic elegance of Dundee Hills Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

What makes these wines exceptional is the delicate and lovingly obsessive relationship between the winemaker, vineyard crew, and the ecosystem in which these vines flourish. Organically farmed, the vineyards are treated with natural solutions when the threat of pests emerges. These earth-friendly techniques include the use of elemental sulphur, leaf removal and beneficial insects that devour pesky mites and other harmful bugs. Add to that a commitment to non-irrigation, and you’ve got one happy Mother Earth!

John Paul came through the wine bar last week and treated us to a few splashes of Cameron’s current releases. We were truly amazed at the complexity and nuance present in each. Later in the week, Bill Wayne (owner and vineyard manager at Abbey Ridge), stopped in to buy a bottle of the Abbey Ridge Chardonnay—even he couldn’t seem to get through the always-closed gates at Cameron!—and regaled us with stories of “old school” Dundee, when what is now Tina’s restaurant was a dive café serving two-dollar bacon and eggs and “crappy coffee.”

We’re excited to have many of Cameron’s new releases available here in the Ponzi Wine Bar this holiday season. You can also purchase them through our website but beware, they are here one moment and gone the next.