Sheila & Nick Nicholas - Anam Cara Cellars
“From Cult Cabs to Pretty Pinots”

During the twilight hours, in the midst of Napa Valley harvest, Shelia and Nick would trade cult Cabernets for pizzas at their restaurant in the village of St. Helena, Calif. Patrons and friends who traveled through their doors to toast a glass represented a medley of celebrities from the wine industry: winery owners, winemakers, viticulturalists, barrel makers, geologists, tasting room managers, and more.

Fast forward to a small vineyard in Oregon's wine country. "We caught the bug, fell in love with Oregon and felt 'the calling' the second we met the property that is now our vineyard," Nick said.

Their 28 acres of Pinot noir, one acre of Riesling and one tiny acre of Gewurztraminer, stretch across a southeast facing slope on Chehalem Mountain in the northern Willamette Valley.

"We planted the vineyard in 2000 and waited 5 long years for the vines to produce fruit - we dropped fruit for the first 3 years to encourage quality," he added. They calculated that the first vintage cost $897 per bottle to produce, so for a price tag of $29, their first vintage was a bargain.

The vineyard used to be a dilapidated walnut, hazelnut and plum orchard, engulfed in wild blackberries. "We believe all of those flavors are apparent in the Pinots."

Indies in wine artistry and vineyard traipsing, the Nicholas crew (teens included) now farm, prune and drive tractors around their vineyard-stead with deft skill. It did take time to become seasoned in the art of vines though.

"Every month we would wonder if we were nuts, then we would sit on the deck, watch the vines grow, and enjoy a glass or two of our own wine and it somehow made sense," Nick said.

The first vintage for Anam Cara (Celtic for friend of my soul) yielded 200 cases of Pinot noir, and in 2006, production totaled around 1000 cases.

Lofty aspirations for their winemaking include lending assistance in an effort to save the world: "As the universal communicator, perhaps wine is the answer to world peace," Nick said. Hear-hear to those sage words!

"There's also something very personal about sharing a wine that you've grown and made," he added. For the Nicholas family, a great wine is shared with great friends.