Second-generation owner Tom Gerrie leads tasting featuring Wine Spectator’s #11 wine of 2025
SALEM — Attendees at Cozy Taberna’s April 29 winemaker dinner experienced wines from one of Oregon’s most celebrated producers, including the 2023 Mt. Jefferson Cuvée Pinot Noir, ranked #11 in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2025 with a 95-point score.
Tom Gerrie, second-generation owner and winegrower at Cristom Vineyards, a producer of acclaimed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Eola-Amity Hills since 1992, guided guests through five wines across four courses, explaining the history, terroir, and tasting notes behind each pour. The meal, prepared in partnership with Andante, paired complementary wines with each dish to enhance flavors and create what Gerrie described as educational wine experiences. More information about the winemaker dinner series is available at https://www.thecozytaberna.com/winemaker-dinner.
“This is an important partnership for us,” Gerrie told attendees. “I love questions, you know, if there’s some things that you guys get excited about or want to learn more.”
The evening began with a greeting pour of 2023 Eola Amity Chardonnay before guests were seated for the meal.
Course One: The Seven Springs Story
The first course paired 2023 Seven Springs Chardonnay with Kombu-cured albacore tuna, miso, ponzu, radish, and chicken “chicharron”—demonstrating Chardonnay’s unexpected versatility with fried foods.
Gerrie spent considerable time discussing this wine, representing a partnership dating to 1992. The vineyard, planted around 1982 on an east-facing slope, produces just 100 cases annually for Cristom.
“Honestly and truly, this is one of the best venues in Oregon. This is one of the best venues in the Willamette Valley,” Gerrie said of Seven Springs. “It’s an absolutely phenomenal site. East facing, due east facing, beautiful rice, organic soil, planted in the early 80s, I think about 82. We’ve been working with this vineyard since 92 in different ways.”
From 1992 to 2007, Cristom sourced Pinot Noir from Seven Springs, but for nearly a decade has focused exclusively on Chardonnay from the site.
“This is one of the most distinct and dynamic figured expressions of Chardonnay in all of the Willamette Valley,” Gerrie told attendees. “And so we’re really honored to work with it. There’s a number of really great growers that do get to work with it. So I encourage you to really seek it out.”
Gerrie noted Eveningland as another producer working with Seven Springs fruit.
Estate Chardonnay Achievement
Gerrie explained that Cristom’s broader Chardonnay program has evolved significantly. As of recent vintages, the flagship Chardonnay is 100% estate fruit—an achievement years in the making.
“We’ve been working toward [100% estate] for many, many years,” Gerrie said. “In 2012, I was able to buy a piece of property and I was able to name it after my father. It’s now called the Paul Gerrie Vineyard. And we began planting in 2014.”
Course Two: Single-Vineyard Expression
The second course featured 2022 Louise Vineyard Pinot Noir paired with octopus, sobrasada, preserved lemon, and baguette. The 2022 Louise Vineyard received 95-96 points from multiple critics, part of Cristom’s consistent track record of producing highly-rated single-vineyard Pinot Noirs.
The Louise Vineyard, named for Gerrie’s great-grandmother, was among the first replanted after the Gerrie family purchased the property in 1992.
Course Three: The #11 Wine
The third course brought a dual pairing—2023 Jessie Vineyard Pinot Noir and the 2024 Mt. Jefferson Pinot Noir—with Teres Major steak, asparagus, and sherry au poivre.
The Mt. Jefferson Cuvée is Cristom’s flagship Pinot Noir blend, crafted from the estate’s five vineyards—Marjorie, Louise, Jessie, Eileen, and Paul Gerrie—along with select partner vineyard fruit.
“This wine goes all around the country. This wine goes around the world,” Gerrie said. “Cristom is in about 35 different countries. And the two primary wines that get exported the most is this [flagship Chardonnay], and then another wine you’re going to try.”
Gerrie explained that approximately 70% of Mt. Jefferson production is sold through restaurants like Cozy Taberna, with close to 60% of total Cristom production exported globally. The restaurant-focused distribution model reflects his mother’s original vision for the winery.
“The majority of this wine gets sold in great places,” Gerrie said. “It’s a dream of my mom too.”
Course Four: Dessert Pairing
The final course paired 2023 Louise Chardonnay with Sewell Sweet’s apple and almond tart with whipped crème fraîche, demonstrating Chardonnay’s range from the savory first course to sweet finish.
Winemaking Evolution
Throughout the evening, Gerrie emphasized Cristom’s evolution under two winemakers. Steve Doerner joined as head winemaker for the first vintage in 1992 after 14 years at California’s Calera Wine Company, becoming the first established California winemaker to move to Oregon.
“Our original winemaker, Steve Doerner, was with us from 1992 until 2020,” Gerrie said. “Phenomenal winemaker.”
Daniel Estrin joined the winemaking team in 2019, bringing experience from Littorai Wines in Sonoma, where he worked under renowned winemaker Ted Lemon. “Daniel Estrin joined our winemaking team in 2019 and he came up here from Littorai,” Gerrie explained. “One of his first passes was to start to work really hard on our Chardonnay and to really use the knowledge that he had gained over his entire career and working with Ted Lemon at Littorai for years.”
Gerrie credited Estrin’s arrival with elevating Cristom’s Chardonnay program over the past seven years, bringing expertise in biodynamic and organic farming practices.
The 240-acre estate is farmed using biodynamic and organic methods on an east-facing volcanic slope in the Eola-Amity Hills, about six miles northwest of Salem.Regional Connections
Gerrie noted his family’s deep connections to the Oregon wine community, mentioning friendships with other pioneering winemakers including Beth at Bethel Heights and Mike Etzel, who consulted on the original Cristom property purchase. Gerrie said his father and Etzel shared “something like 27 consecutive years, I think, of fishing trips.”
Next Dinner
The Cozy Taberna’s next winemaker dinner is scheduled for May 14, 6:00-8:30 p.m., at 249 Liberty St. NE #140. Tickets are $175 for general admission and $298 for VIP packages. More information and reservations are available at https://www.thecozytaberna.com/winemaker-dinner.
