Saturday, February 25 at The Allison Inn & Spa

Chardonnay | Global Inspirations

1:00 – 2:30 p.m. – Grand Seminar

Our esteemed panel will discuss their winemaking journeys in other regions and what those experiences have contributed to the Chardonnay they produce in Oregon. Each panelist will pour two wines; one from Oregon and one from the region that has inspired their winemaking.

3:00 – 5:30 p.m. – Grand Tasting

The Grand Tasting showcases Oregon Chardonnay in all its glory with over 50 Oregon producers pouring their wines. The Allison Inn & Spa’s culinary team prepares light Chardonnay-friendly hors d’oeuvres to enjoy alongside the wines.

2023 GRAND SEMINAR
MODERATOR

Chevonne Ball | Dirty Radish

As the founder and owner of her travel company Dirty Radish, Ball offers specialty wine tastings, consulting, and curated experiences that are engaging, insightful, and enjoyable. A certified sommelier and French Wine Scholar, Ball has made the Willamette Valley her home and is changing how people think about Oregon wine. She recently was named one of Wine Enthusiast’s Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers of 2020 and a Rising Star by SevenFiftyDaily. Look for her on screen this spring when she hosts an episode of OPB’s “Superabundant” highlighting Oregon Chardonnay. 

2023 GRAND SEMINAR
PANELISTS

  • Ian Burch
    Ian Burch | Archery Summit

    Most oenophiles venturing abroad to get a taste of the Old-World French wine culture bring home memories of unforgettable meals or a new favorite producer. Ian brought home his life-calling and a passion for Pinot noir and Chardonnay. His post-college winemaking stints abroad—propelled by a wine education degree from Cal Poly—instilled an undying appreciation particularly for cool-climate winemaking.

    Ian’s reverence for these two noble varieties ultimately led him to Oregon’s Willamette Valley and Archery Summit. After years of making wine on both sides of the equator, Ian made his Oregon winemaking debut at prominent Willamette Valley label Evening Land Vineyards. 

    Ian considers Burgundian winemaker Dominique Lafon among his greatest mentors and is constantly impressed by the sense of community in the global wine country, whether it’s in the French countryside or on the crush pads of the Dundee Hills. Driven by the pioneering spirit of New World enology, Ian continues to help chart Archery Summit’s iconic path while honoring the uniqueness and history of its Dundee Hills sites. 

  • Daniel Estrin
    Daniel Estrin | Cristom Vineyards

    Even though Daniel Estrin grew up in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, he had no interest in wine. It wasn’t until he was a young adult stocking wine shelves and working harvests at Red Car Wine Company (where his Uncle Mark was founder) that his interest burgeoned. Seeking more knowledge, he headed to work harvest at Craggy Range in New Zealand where he became intoxicated with the idea of making wine as a life-long pursuit.

    Once Daniel completed his B.S. in Viticulture, with minors in Soil Science and Plant Protection, from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, he accepted an internship at Littorai Wines. Here he worked under Proprietor/Winemaker Ted Lemon for seven years, becoming Associate Winemaker and helped to push Littorai’s biodynamic program to new heights. Daniel is grateful to have also worked at Mount Langi Ghiran, Domaine de la Cote, Bodega Chacra and Burn Cottage. In 2019, Daniel returned to his Oregon roots to join the Cristom team.

  • Olive Hamilton Russell
    Olive Hamilton Russell | Hamilton Russell Oregon

    Olive Hamilton Russell grew up on a South African cattle farm, which had been in her family for almost 200 years. After majoring in Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Stellenbosch, she worked in retail food product development at Harvey Nichols in London and Woolworths in Cape Town. This led to a position in retail homeware buying with inevitable regular business travel to Europe and Asia. Today she owns Hamilton Russell Vineyards, Hamilton Russell Oregon and Ashbourne, with her husband Anthony Hamilton Russell, and is also actively involved in his Southern Right business. She holds the Cape Wine Academy Diploma, and is currently completing her DipWSET studies. Olive has published a bestselling cookbook “Entertaining at Hamilton Russell Vineyards”, winning a Gourmand Award in its category. She has also appeared on numerous local and international TV cooking shows.

  • Stephanie Pao
    Stephanie Pao | Foris Vineyards

    Stephanie took the long route to winemaking, studying molecular biology as an undergraduate in her hometown of San Diego and working in bioinformatics for eight years post-college. After taking a sabbatical to work harvest, Stephanie switched careers to study viticulture and enology at Davis and work harvests in New Zealand, California, and Oregon where she developed a love for Oregon wines. Stephanie spent three years in Paso Robles working for Justin Winery and two years in Eastern Washington at Double Canyon Vineyards, before accepting a winemaking position at Foris in Southern Oregon in 2017.