Oregon winemaker makes a fiery exit from the wine industry

Nate Bentley of Outdated Salt Cellars in Salem is taking the phrase “placing out fires at work” to coronary heart. Bentley is quitting winemaking to combat precise fires.

In 2014, Bentley left a promotional profession at Tinderbox Music to work at Witness Tree Vineyard with winemaker Steven Westby. When Witness Tree was offered to a bunch of traders in 2016, Bentley moved on to different native wine jobs, together with a 3 classic stint as cellar grasp at Harper Voit Wines in McMinnville.

For six vintages from 2014 to 2019, Bentley made his Outdated Salt wines on his personal time. That streak got here to a dramatic halt early final fall.

Bentley was driving to work whereas September wildfires choked the Willamette Valley with dense smoke.

“It appeared like hell on the market. I actually requested myself, ‘Why am I making wine when the world is on fireplace?’” Bentley mentioned.

Oregon’s devastating 2020 wildfires satisfied Bentley it was time to commerce barrels and bottles for a hook-and-ladder.

“All the things I learn says these fires are going to worsen due to local weather change,” Bentley mentioned. “As a small producer with restricted assets, do I wish to slog it out fixing smoke-contaminated wines? I simply wish to develop a ability set for a harsher world.”

Bentley, an Oregon Metropolis resident, just lately accomplished the bodily talents check for firefighter candidates. He now faces an uphill wrestle to land a firefighting job.

“Municipal firefighting is a really aggressive market, so I’d be blissful to finish up with a paramedic place,” Bentley mentioned.

Don’t be too laborious on your self if you’re unfamiliar with the wines of Outdated Salt Cellars. Bentley didn’t make quite a lot of wine, and he at all times put his work for vineyard employers forward of self-promotion. Despite the fact that it’s my job to maintain up on wineries, I didn’t stumble throughout Outdated Salt till just lately.

The Outdated Salt identify was impressed by Bentley’s childhood obsession with pirate tales. That zeal could have one thing to do with the actual fact Bentley’s father was a deep-sea wreck diver. Bentley, a extremely profitable aggressive collegiate swimmer, mentioned water had at all times been a major a part of his household’s life.

The wine that led me to Bentley known as “The Shell,” named in honor of his spouse, Michelle. The entrance label has putting black, crimson and white pictures referring to Bentley’s life, whereas the again label encompasses a love poem to his spouse that may have made Blackbeard misty-eyed.

“The Shell,” which is the one Outdated Salt wine Bentley has left on the market, is an uncommon mix of pinot noir, dolcetto and gamay noir. The pinot noir and dolcetto grapes got here from Witness Tree Winery within the Eola Amity Hills. The gamay noir grapes have been picked at Chemeketa Group Faculty’s educational winery, which can be situated within the Eola-Amity Hills.

I by no means had the chance to attempt Bentley’s different wines. In the event that they have been all nearly as good as “The Shell,” the Oregon wine trade has misplaced a proficient winemaker.

This wine calls for your consideration, from its deep garnet shade to its successful mixture of full of life acidity and sufficient tannic construction to tough up the roof of your mouth. The candy and savory aromas of blackberries, thyme and seared pork fats command you to open a second bottle. Flavors of cassis and grape laborious sweet be part of forces with white peaches to shout you down for those who attempt to argue the purpose.

My recommendation: invite buddies over for those who plan to pry this “Shell” open. Then make a toast to Bentley and, hopefully, his new profession.

The 2016 Outdated Salt Cellars “The Shell” Purple Mix is out there at Witness Tree Winery’s tasting room close to Salem and Portland shops 45th Parallel Wines, Mom & Pop Wine Shop and Blackbird Wine & Atomic Cheese.

Whereas the urged retail value for “The Shell” is $24, costs could fluctuate.

— Michael Alberty writes about wine for The Oregonian/OregonLive. He will be reached at malberty0@gmail.com. To learn extra of his protection, go to oregonlive.com/wine.