CATALYST RIDGE WINES
Winemakers
WINEMAKER
Joe Dobbes
Preamble Pinot Noir, Preamble Chardonnay
Our connection to Joe Dobbes came through the fate of geography — he and his wife Patricia bought the house and vineyard across the road from Mark — and for that we are grateful. As we were exploring opportunities for winemaking, we kept coming back to the wine Joe has made throughout his storied career. It was not lost on us that as we were often drinking his wines when we discussed the styles of wine that we wanted to produce. Lucky for us, he agreed to come on board our project.
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Winemaker – Joe Dobbes, Preamble Pinot Noir and Preamble Chardonnay
Joe is just as comfortable on the tractor or walking in the vineyard studying the conditions of the fruit to harvest at exactly the right moment as he is at a white linen wine tasting. From day one, we felt like his vision matched ours and he continues to take that to the next level. We are ecstatic to have Joe as a part of our team in building Catalyst Ridge Wines.
Joe was raised in a small town in the north Willamette Valley and educated in Ashland. Yet his true wine education began in Germany and France, where Joe spent 2½ years learning the art and science of winemaking. He apprenticed at Wiengut Erbhof Tesch, in the German Nahe region, and at Domaine G. Roumier and Domaine Comtes Lafon in Burgundy, France, with winemasters Christophe Roumier and Dominique Lafon. Once back in Oregon, Joe’s winemaking skills were in demand. He spent time as a winemaker at Eola Hills Wine Cellars, Hinman Vineyards, Willamette Valley Vineyards and Tualatin Estate He launched his own brands Dobbes Family Estate and Wine by Joe, which led to numerous accolades and awards. He currently collaborates and crafts wines with a number of Oregon vineyards.
Our founders Mark and Jeff with
winemaker Joe Dobbes on the right.
WINEMAKER
Alex Sokol Blosser
2017 Rose of Pinot Noir from Blossom Ridge
We’ve had a partnership with Sokol Blosser at the Blossom Ridge Vineyard for many years. We were excited when he offered us a sparkling wine from here.
Alex Sokol Blosser, son of Sokol Blosser’s founders, Susan Sokol Blosser and Bill Blosser, grew up working in the family vineyards and winery. Not much has changed. The strong pull of the family wine business kept pulling him back in from escapes to college in Texas, to a stint with the Air Force Reserves. The wine life had him and it just took a few years for him to realize that he really did love the business and wanted to make this his life’s work.
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Winemaker – Alex Sokol Blosser, Co-President, Winemaker & Second Generation Winegrower, Sokol Blosser
2017 Rose of Pinot Noir from Blossom Ridge
In typical family business fashion, Alex has played many roles at Sokol Blosser from cellar rat, to Vineyard Manager, to Vice President of Sales. All these prior positions groomed him for his current and last position with the winery; that of Winemaker. Alex is only the fourth winemaker to walk the catwalks in the winery since the first vintage in the Dundee Hills in 1977. He has worked with and under all the previous winemakers and brings forward those learnings and a winemaking desire to fashion Pinot Noir that inspires the world.