“Enlighten Your Palate at The Carlton Winemakers Studio”

In the heart of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA in Willamette Valley lies an intriguing incubator that brings together startup winemakers looking to hone their craft, and Willamette Valley wine aficionados looking for a wine-tasting experience to please multiple palates. The Carlton Winemaker Studio offers support to new and expert winemakers with space, equipment, collaboration opportunities, and the ability to connect with curious customers over dozens of Pinots, Chardonnays, and more, in a charming tasting room.

…Through the years, 47 vintners have utilized the space at this highly functional studio, some of whom now have their own properties.  Fifteen vintners currently call the Winemaker Studio their homebase for crafting wine.

EllenonWine.com
Read the Full Article

“7 American Wineries Mixing Tradition And Innovation”

Carlton Winemakers Studio is an eco-friendly, recycled-material-using, cooperative winemaking facility. There, a large number of experienced and award-winning Oregon winemakers all share equipment to develop and produce a number of different varietals, including sparkling wines and dessert wines. On top of that, all the wineries that call the studio home pour their bottles in a shared tasting room that is open to the public.

Wiki.ezvid.com
Read the Full Article

“Want to Get Dirty in the Name of Wine? Here’s How to Help with This Year’s Harvest”

Collaborative wineries like Carlton Winemakers Studio in the Willamette Valley or the incubators at the airport in Walla Walla are great options. Here, you can enjoy a smattering of wines made in-house while you witness those very winemakers working on the newest batch.

The Manual
Read the Full Article

“Eclectic collective of more than 10 Oregon winemakers in the wine village of Carlton.”

Northwest real estate prices are painfully high and rising, so many savvy winemakers combat the problem by joining forces: sharing space, pouring wines alongside one another, even taking turns with equipment. That’s good news for adventurous drinkers short on time, as they can get the experience of visiting a number of wineries without even leaving their seats.

Sip Northwest
Read the Full Article

The Spirit of Alliance: Oregon’s Philosophy of Collaboration

Today, Anthony King is one of the winemakers at The Carlton Winemakers Studio and consults as the general manager. When asked about collaboration at the Studio, he mentioned an ongoing project with Patrick Reuter at Dominio I, one of the first winemakers at the Studio. “In 2015, Patrick and I started a collaborative project that we named after our grandmothers, ‘Agnes and Luisa.’ It focuses on Italian varietals and is meant to be a learning experience and exploration,” said King. “We all help each other. Jerry Murray of Project M explained to someone just today that it is easier to help someone and know that you’ll likely need some help sometime later that day. I, for one, love that I can walk around the Studio with a barrel or tank sample and ask ten winemakers whom I respect what they think of it.”

The Grapevine Magazine
Read the Full Article

“If you want a quick overview of what’s happening in the Willamette Valley, check out this collective winery and tasting room located in Carlton.”

The eco-friendly winery, partially hidden by grassy berm walls, is home to labels such as Ayoub, Hamacher and Andrew Rich. The list of varietals is wide and varied, from Pinot Noir to Pinot Gris to Riesling. The tasting room is a sleek, modern den of polished steel and wood.

Wine Spectator
Read the Full Article

Where To Drink Like A Local In Every State – Oregon

“The Carlton Winemakers Studio… in the wine-centric town of Carlton offers bottles from 13 regional producers, including top names like Hamacher and Andrew Rich, whose 2012 Knife Edge 
Pinot Noir is a must-try.”

Food & Wine | Ray Isle
Read the Full Article

“In late 2001, three avidly wine-involved individuals began laying plans to create a winemaking facility the likes of which the industry had not seen before.”

“Building an entirely new structure from the ground up also afforded them the opportunity to incorporate energy saving and environmentally friendly elements, making CWS an early industry leader in green technology.”

“That’s part and parcel of an operation that may have done more to further the industry’s growth than any other single entity in Oregon.”

“Further affirmation that visiting Carlton Winemakers Studio is one of the most enjoyable and certainly the most diverse tasting experience in Yamhill Wine Country.”

Mighty Tight Cluster
Oregon Wine Press | Karl Klooster
Read the Full Article

The studio concept, Mr. Mondavi said, began with the Carlton Winemakers Studio, in Carlton, Ore., which opened in 2002.

“Carlton was the brainchild of Eric Hamacher, a self-described “winemaking gypsy,” who had made wine in a series of borrowed winery spaces across California and Oregon, along with his wife Luisa Ponzi, and their partners, Ned and Kirsten Lumpkin.

Mr. Lumpkin, a successful contractor, owned a vineyard but needed a winemaker. Together, Mr. Lumpkin and Mr. Hamacher built an environmentally benign winery tailored to the needs of small producers…

The Carlton studio has the capacity to produce 18,000 cases of wine, which is currently shared by 10 winemakers, including Mr. Hamacher.

Each is individually licensed, and they operate under an alternating proprietorship that allows them to label their wines as “produced and bottled by,” which connotes an independent winery, as opposed to “cellared and bottled by,” which indicates that the wine was produced in a facility owned by another entity.

This licensing arrangement also allows each owner’s wines to be poured in the studio’s tasting room, and for direct sales to customers in states, like New York, that restrict such shipments.

‘We’re all independent wineries working under an alternating proprietorship, and that’s what differentiates us from custom crush,’ said Andrew Rich, who produced 7,500 cases last year, making him the largest winemaker at Carlton. Custom crush is, ‘Here are my grapes, call me when it’s in the bottle.’ We’re all doing what we’re doing by ourselves.”

Wine Made The Co-Op Way
The New York Times | Lawrence Fisher
Read the Full Article

“Carlton Winemakers Studio is home to 11 vintners that produce some of the Willamette Valley’s most recognizable and sought after wines.”

Eugene Daily News
Read the Full Article

 “The Studio offers a rare opportunity to continue to challenge your own assumptions, see fruit from across the Valley and beyond, and work alongside some of the best winemakers in the world.”

SoCal Restaurant Show
Read the Full Article

“31 Wineries to Visit in Washington and Oregon”

“During tastings at the innovative Carlton Winemakers Studio, where Andrew Rich makes his wines, the staff almost always operate with the lights off. If this makes you think of a dark, dungeon-like scene, you’re headed in the wrong direction. The eco-friendly, state-of-the-art facility was constructed by a Seattle design team to maximize natural light, which pours in as readily as the wines.”

Food & Wine Magazine
31 Wineries to Visit in Washington and Oregon
Read the Full Article

“Best Oregon Wineries to Visit”

“Wine lovers who want to step outside the mainstream tasting rooms and sample the new and artisanal have a one-stop tasting destination in the Carlton Winemakers Studio, where fourteen quality-oriented small producers like Andrew Rich, Hamacher and Lazy River have banded together to produce “Liquid Synergy.” The sleek, wine bar-like tasting room is an ode to Oregon’s cutting edge.”

Food & Wine Magazine
Best Oregon Wineries to Visit
Read the Full Article

“Oregon’s Best Tasting Room”

“The Carlton Winemakers Studio is just plain cool: It’s an eco-friendly, recycled-material-using, cooperative winemaking facility where a bunch of top-notch Oregon winemakers all share equipment to turn out classy Pinot Noir and other varietals—including sparkling wines and dessert wines. Winemaker Eric Hamacher of Hamacher Wines is the man who made it happen; other flagship tenants at the studio include Soter Vineyards, Andrew Rich Wines, Bryce Vineyard, Domaine Meriwether, Dominio and Penner-Ash Wine Cellars. And to top it all off, these wineries all pour their bottles in a shared tasting room that’s open to the public.”

Food & Wine Magazine
125 Reasons We Love Wine
Read the Full Article

“Innovators include a winery and tasting room called the Carlton Winemakers Studio. It is the country’s first green-built cooperative winery, using natural light, recycled materials and as little electricity as possible, among other improvements. Ten independent small-batch wineries can share space at one time, and the studio has acted as an incubator for young, talented winemakers without a home. About 20 winemakers have come through since the studio opened in 2002.

And like many wineries along this laid-back and friendly wine trail, it’s also the kind of intimate place where you can run into your favorite winemaker while sampling flights. On a recent visit, my friend Sarah and I watched as the tasting room manager introduced two Portland fans of the winemaker Andrew Rich to the man himself, who happened to be the guest winemaker on duty.

“Everyone’s wines are featured on a rotating basis here in the tasting room,” said Mr. Rich, who poured a pinot noir flight that included creations by several different winemakers. We tasted Mr. Rich’s own flagship blend, the Andrew Rich Vintner 2006 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, an earthy, berry-rich wine.”

On This Oregon Trail, Pioneers Embrace Wine
The New York Times | Bonnie Tsui
Read the Full Article

“Featuring a rotating group of 10 to 12 carefully curated producers, the collective has served as a launching pad for Oregon wine brands like Penner-Ash, Dominio IV, Scott Paul Wines, Boedecker Cellars and Soter.

As nascent winemakers arrive at the space, build a following, then move on to open their own wineries, wine lovers keep returning to the Studio, to see what’s new and revisit the classic wines made by founding partners Hamacher Wines and Lazy River Vineyard, along with Andrew Rich Wines, a tenant since the Studio opened its doors in 2002.”

Carlton Rises from the Sawdust Thanks to Wine
The Oregonian | Katherine Cole
Read the Full Article

“Getting to know mistress Pinot is all about enjoying the learning curve: from savouring the sweet, fruity bombast of newer vintages at Wines on Broadway to seeking out tannic, cellar-worthy finds in the wilds of Carlton.”

The Georgia Straight
Read the Full Article

“Your final, and perhaps most exciting stop along the Yamhill–Carlton wine trail is at the Carlton Winemakers Studio, at the end of Lincoln Street. The first of its kind in Oregon, this cooperative brings together 10 small premium winemakers who source grapes, then use state-of-the-art communal (shared) equipment to craft their individual labels.

With a vaulted ceiling and lots of glass, the Studio’s tasting room is light-filled and airy—very Northwest. Tours of this acclaimed green facility are available by appointment and allow visitors the extraordinary opportunity to experience the “behind-the-scenes” of winemaking up close and personal.”

Yamhill Winery Tour
Oregon Coast Magazine
Read the Full Article

Sixteen winemakers operate out of this one building, making a one-stop tour of the Willamette Valley possible for those travelers with limited time in the area. Some of the winemakers are among the best in the region. They pay rent to the cooperative based on the tonnage of fruit brought in from their farms. The winemakers have use of the studio’s cutting-edge equipment and plenty of opportunities to collaborate with each other. Visitors can sample wines that have been produced on-site and possibly mingle with the winemakers, too.

“The studio is a centerpoint for the industry,” says general manager Anthony King, who is also the owner of Ratio Wines, one of the Carlton Winemakers Studio’s operators. “You can really get a sense of the different styles of each of the winemakers. There’s a lot of inspiration and education, too, from seeing what others are doing.”

The tasting room is a light-filled space surrounded by shelves occupied by the studio’s current and past products. A pleasant patio provides a chance for al fresco sipping.

Six Wineries To Sip & Savor In Oregon
Vacay Network
Read the Full Article

As The Carlton Winemakers Studio in Carlton, Oregon enters its 16^th harvest season, the cellar is awash with pressing and crushing activity as new winemaking projects fill the space. The winery has been a home to an array of pioneering winemakers and new talent over the years – including such iconic names as Robert Brittan, Lynne Penner-Ash and Tony Soter.  This year “The Studio” welcomes Oregon wine legend Harry Peterson-Nedry and his daughter Wynne; Dave Paige, formerly with Adelsheim Vineyard; and veterans Jerry and Meg Murray to the collaborative shared space.

Wine Industry Advisor
Read the Full Article