ECHO, Ore.-Echo Ridge Cellars recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a community celebration that has become a hallmark of the family-owned and operated winery in Echo.
“We’re a family business and we’re involved in every step of the process, from planting through pouring,” said Berlyn Anderson, Winery Operations Director at Echo Ridge. “Echo’s definitely a small town, but we’ve been welcomed, the community supports us and it’s been great.”
Vineyard dreams
Echo Ridge Cellars is owned and operated by Jay and Kim Bales, their daughter, Berlyn Anderson, and one employee.
Jay always dreamed of owning a winery, and after retiring from a career in heavy construction in Issaquah, WA, in 2010, the Bales’ began looking for opportunities to get into the wine business.
“My husband said it would be relaxing and romantic,” Kim Bales said with a laugh on a recent afternoon at the winery. “I’ve never worked harder, though.”
The Bales looked at a few areas, including Zillah, WA, before deciding to purchase their vineyard in Echo, followed by the property near the entrance to the City of Echo, where Echo Ridge Cellars and their event venues are located.
The Bales are hands-on owners and operators involved in every facet of the Echo Ridge Cellars operation, with Jay managing work in the field as Vineyard Operations Director, and Kim as the Sales and Tasting Room Operations Director, serving as the go-to contact for booking the winery’s event venues.
Berlyn Anderson studied viticulture and winemaking at Central Washington University and joined her parents in Echo as soon as operations at the winery began, and now serves as Winery Operations Director, Cellar Master, and Winemaker.
“We bought a vineyard, and she started taking classes and ended up here,” Bales said of her daughter. “I don’t think any of us thought we’d be doing what we’re doing now, but here we are.”
Wine and community
The Bales grow about thirty acres each of Cabernet and Merlot grapes, and around an acre of Muscat grapes at their 60-acre vineyard.
“Everything’s in Echo, the vineyards five miles away and we use all our own grapes, which is not super common anymore,” said Anderson. “We use French Oak and all our wines are very approachable, and all except a few are completely dry with no sugar.”
The first vintage with Echo, OR on the label was bottled in 2017, and the winery now produces an array of some one hundred percent varietals and some blends, bottling about 2,000 cases of wine a year in small productions of about 50 to 250 cases per varietal, with Three Blondes and a Boy being the most popular.
“Every year the weather is different, but we try to keep the overall style consistent,” said Anderson of the wines produced at Echo Ridge. “Some are bolder, some are ready to drink right away, and we do some rosé for those who prefer a lighter wine.”
For the Bales and Anderson, family and community are important. Since making Echo their home, they have given back by creating a space and hosting events for the Echo community that has embraced them.
Echo Ridge has hosted pregame meals for the high school football team, as well as the Echo Quarterback Club fundraiser auction, and will host the Echo Heritage Association fundraiser auction on May 30.
The winery also hosts Wine on Wednesdays, with wine available for $5 a glass, a price that hasn’t changed in 10 years, according to Anderson.
On Fridays from May through September, food is available from different local vendors, food trucks or even Future Farmers of America (FFA) students during Food on Fridays, with the next being Ye Olde Pizza Shoppe on May 1.
Echo Ridge also hosts live music and pickup parties for its Wine Club members in April and October, and a Valentine’s dinner every February.
Wine slushies are back for a third year this spring at Echo Ridge, and the winery also recently started Puzzles and Pour Decisions on Thursdays, which gives teams of up to six people two hours to complete a 500-piece puzzle.
“Not having business experience, one of the challenges over the first ten years was how to advertise, how to get people to know we’re here and our events are one way of doing that,” said Anderson, of the family-friendly events hosted by the winery.
Destination venues
“Since we opened we’ve been adopted by the Echo community and the surrounding areas,” said Anderson. “Some families do every birthday here.”
Echo Ridge Cellars has multiple event venue options, including a grassy area for weddings, the Silo for smaller events of up to 250 people, and an Airbnb right next door.
The winery can host larger events and weddings from December through August, but not during wine production, and Bales and Anderson will work with community members to host large and small-scale, public and private events, parties and weddings.
“It’s been nice, we have fun spaces for all kinds of events, but the Airbnb books quick for bigger events,” said Bales.
Looking ahead
In its first decade, Echo Ridge Cellars has become an ingrained part of the Echo and Eastern Oregon community and established itself with quality wines, and while Bales and Anderson savor those accomplishments, they continue to look forward.
“There’s always thoughts about landscaping or other projects on the winery property we could do,” said Bales.
Echo Ridge Cellars also recently launched its Oregon Trail boxed wine and is busy getting the word out about the red blend inspired by the wagon ruts still visible in Eco and the spirit of exploration.
Oregon Trail boxed wine is a good wine to have on hand for entertaining, will last over a month after opening, and each box contains three liters of wine, about four bottles.
“We fill the bags that go in the boxes ourselves,” said Anderson. “It’s a hands-on process done with love.”
Oregon Trail boxed wine and all of Echo Ridge’s other wines are available at the winery, online, or by calling the winery and Anderson can ship just about anywhere when someone places an order.
“We’d like to maintain what we’ve established,” said Anderson. “Ninety percent of our sales are right here, but we’d also like to keep growing through marketing and distribution opportunities in the future.
Echo Ridge Cellars is located at 551 North Thielsen St in Echo, OR, and can be reached online, or at 541.376.8100.
Winery hours are 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday through Friday, and 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays.
