The Magic of A Micro Boutique Winery in Oregon

???????????The history of Oregon wine began in 1847 when Henderson Luelling brought the first grape plantings from Iowa to the Oregon Territory.[i] Since then, Oregon winemakers have been pioneers in the industry by focusing on high quality, small production wine with an emphasis on sustainability in true Oregon fashion. One example of modern-day wine making pioneers are the husband-and-wife team behind Rue Cler Wine, Aaron and Angela Price. I had the opportunity to talk with Angela about how their winery started, where they are today, and the dreams they have for the future.

Oregon Wine Industry

???????????Oregon is the third largest wine producing state in the United States with over 900 wineries and 1,370 vineyards.[ii] The wine industry in Oregon is unique not only because of their award-winning wine, but also due to its strong sense of community. The majority of wineries are small, family-owned establishments with many led by second and third generations. 75% of Oregon wineries produce less than 5,000 cases per year which makes them boutique wineries.[iii] Then there are even more intimate wineries such as Rue Cler who produces 150-300 cases of wine per season and identifies as a micro boutique winery.

Rue Cler Wine

???????????Rue Cler is the epitome of Oregon wine. Founded in 2019, Rue Cler has persevered through many challenges and shown how the uniqueness of Oregon grapes and community can create an unforgettable business.

In The Beginning

???????????Their passion started as a hobby with Aaron making beer and wine in their garage. The hobby turned into a bigger dream after Aaron’s family purchased Ten Peaks Vineyard in McMinnville, Oregon and the couple travelled to France where they fell more in love with the idea of starting a winery. 20% of small businesses fail within their first year, which is why it takes drive just as much as love for the product.[iv] Angela shared how her passion came from being raised by a family of entrepreneurs where she watched her father build a successful business. Real life experience was invaluable for Angela as she gained business knowledge from other successful women-owned local businesses.

???????????In the beginning, the Prices heard ‘no’ often. Two of the biggest hurdles were finding grapes and a place to make their wine. In Oregon, wine must be produced in a licensed and bonded facility. Many of the facilities were not interested in having Aaron and Angela make the wine themselves and the facilities would offer to produce the wine for them, but the Prices have always committed to producing their small batch wine on their own. They finally found Bull Run Cider where they were able to rent space and begin their winemaking journey. The second hurdle was finding vineyards that would sell them grapes. Most vineyards have 5 to 10-ton minimums, but Rue Cler’s first harvest was only 1 ton of grapes. How did they finally find the right suppliers? They kept asking until they got a ‘yes’. Through trial and error, they have now established the right connections and contracts to secure their yearly harvest.

Rue Cler Today

???????????Aaron is Reu Cler’s wine maker while also working as a full time IT Manager and softball coach; Angela runs the day-to-day business needs from writing their newsletter, managing their social media, account servicing, planning events, and distributing their wine to customers, restaurants, and markets. The size of their winery continues to have unique challenges in the changing landscape of the Willamette Valley.

???????????The cost of producing wine continues to increase; the price of fruit is up 15.6% since 2018, bottling minimums continue to rise, and smaller wineries are having difficulty competing with the larger businesses that continue to buy Oregon wineries.[v] Despite challenges from their size, Rue Cler is continuing to see their dreams unfold now that they lease their own winery space in downtown Hillsboro. Their main business comes from their wine club members and pop-up events. Angela shared how grateful they are to have the support of their customers especially as they launched the business during the unique challenges of 2020.

Never Stop Dreaming

???????????We can expect to see more great things from Rue Cler as Angela expressed how they continue to dream about the future of their winery. One goal they have is to increase their production to 500 cases. Another aspiration would be to open a tasting room. Their current production levels are unable to support a typical tasting room setup, but Rue Cler deserves a unique experience and I’m excited to see what they dream up next!

Final Thoughts

Two key lessons stand out when we see how Rue Cler has been able to turn their vision into a growing business. First, half the battle of starting new ventures is having the drive and passion to do scary things. Angela shared how she has always been driven to do her own thing; she didn’t want to have any regrets even if the business failed. When they hit a roadblock, they would say “now what” and roll with it. The second lesson helps combat those barriers and that is to surround yourself with a supportive community. A theme I heard from Angela and throughout the Oregon wine industry is how “the foundation of the industry was built around transparency and sharing what works best to collectively elevate Willamette Valley wine.”[vi]

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Questions for the reader to reflect on; what are you passionate about? What legacy do you want to leave behind? Is there an infrastructure, resources, and community that can guide you to reach those goals?

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Follow Angela and Aaron on their Instagram account crushingwinetogether as they continue making their hand-crafted wine for Rue Cler Wine. Stay up to date on their events at the Rue Cler Wine Website.

[i] Cole, 2018

[ii] Lombardo, 2023

[iii] Oregon Wine Board, 2023

[iv] U.S. SBA Office of Advocacy, 2018

[v] Lombardo, 2023

[vi] Kerry, 2017.

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Citations:

Cole, Katherine. “Oregon Wine History.” Oregon Wine, 2018 www.oregonwine.org/discover/oregon-wine-history/.

“Frequently Asked Questions about Small Business.” U.S. Small Business Administration, Aug. 2018, www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/advocacy/Frequently-Asked-Questions-Small-Business-2018.pdf.

Lombardo, Christopher. “Wineries in the US.” IBIS World, Jan. 2023, my-ibisworld-com.proxy.lib.pdx.edu/us/en/industry/31213/about.

Newberry, Kerry. “The Humble Story of Oregon Wine.” Travel Oregon, 24 May 2017, traveloregon.com/things-to-do/eat-drink/wine-wineries/the-humble-story-of-oregon-wine/.

“Oregon Wine Resource Studio.” Oregon Wine Board, 2022, trade.oregonwine.org/.

Price, Angela. “Rue Cler.” Interview By Michaela Sims-Cochran. Portland State University. 12 July 2023.

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