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Chehalem Business Connection Page 3 November 2013
Each year a significant per-
centage of the United States
population utilizes large fi-
nancial institutions to fulfill their fi-
nancial needs. They choose larger
institutions for a variety of reasons,
including the attraction of a large
network of branches, the wide array
of products offered or, perhaps, the
brand recognition. So why would
anyone choose a local lender over a
regional or large bank for financial
services?
Local institutions or community
banks more than ever are offering
many of the same products and
services as larger banks. However,
the best reason to choose a local in-
stitution is for the personal service.
When you work with a local institu-
tion you will have access to a per-
son you know and trust. Certainly, a
large bank has local personnel that
you may know and work with.
The difference is usually later
when you need help. Frequently
larger institutions route your ques-
tions to a call center in another
state, whereas your community
banker is readily available. Many
large institutions sell their home
loans to independent servicers in
another market. If you shop around
you will find a significant amount
of local institutions service their
own loans and do not sell the serv-
icing rights.
How about access to key decision
makers? Generally, key decision-
makers of larger institutions are lo-
cated in another state or part of the
country and you will never meet
them. The senior management and
board members of local institutions
are probably located in your own
county. This means they understand
your community, your business
needs and you can probably talk to
them directly if you ever need to.
As is true in all businesses that
involve personal relationships, per-
sonnel make the difference. Com-
munity bankers are knowledgeable,
accessible, understand your busi-
ness and are deeply vested in your
community.
When it comes to your finances, choose a local institution — First Federal
The Willamette Valley has three
distinctive soil types. Chapter
24’s new tasting room, Fire and
Flood, harvests grapes from two of
them.
“What we want to do is focus on dis-
tinct flavor profiles that brings us, vol-
canic soil versus sedimentary soil,” said
Jessie Gordon, tasting room manager at
the business. “With volcanic (soil) this
pinot noir tends to be heavily high toned
aromatics, red fruit driven, really great
soft tannins. With sedimentary soils
you’re going to lean toward darker fruit,
heavier tannins (and a) little bit more
earthy characteristics. It’s a different
way to explore pinot, which I think is
really exciting.”
And it’s these concepts Gordon said
led to the tasting room’s name — fire
being representative of the volcanic soil
and flood of the sedimentary soil.
“Chapter 24 itself is named after
Homer’s ‘Odyssey,”’ she said. “It’s the
final chapter (which represents Mark
Trarlov, winery owner’s) return to Ore-
gon and his final chapter here. He is a
master storyteller, so everything has a
story behind it, which is wonderful be-
cause that’s what wine is about.”
She said the Two Messenger 2012
wine is based on an “Alice in Wonder-
land” quote.
“You must have two, one to come
and one to go,” Gordon said. “The idea
being that you need both wine and (vint-
ner) to make a delicious and harmonious
wine.”
Chapter 24 doesn’t have a brick and
mortar location yet, but Gordon said that
allows the tasting room to be different.
“We can showcase our wines, but
feature small wines that don’t have their
own outlets,” she said. “(It’s a) way to
have people stumble in here and try
wines they normally wouldn’t. I think
that’s truly what sets us apart, is having
our own label as well as guest wineries.”
The business plans to put down roots
in Dundee, in “an undisclosed location,”
in the spring, she said.
The tasting room’s roots are a little
more temporary, she said. That’s be-
cause the winery’s owner, general man-
ager and national sales manager are all
based out of New York, so for the time
being their focus is on the East Coast.
“How the wine industry works here is
people infiltrate the local market then
move out,” she said. “We’re flipping
that model and starting on the East
Coast then
moving back
to Oregon.”
The win-
ery will al-
w a y s b e
based in Ore-
gon, she said.
So to introduce the industry to Fire and
Flood, they hosted an open house Oct. 28.
“Wine & Spirits Magazine just wrote
an article about Chapter 24 and called it
one of 11 wineries to watch,” she said.
“The downfall is people can’t find a
way to purchase our wines. But in a way
it adds mystique to us.”
Currently, Fire and Flood has wines
from Walter Scott Wines, Coattails and
their own 2012 Pinot Noir’s, Two Mes-
sengers, The Fire and The Flood.
The tasting room is open from 11
a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Mon-
day and is located at 602A E. First St.
Visitwww.fireandfloodoregon.com
for more information.
Everything has a story at Fire & Flood
New tasting room draws name from the soil types and flavor profiles found in the Chehalem Valley
Getting started — Jessie Gordon manages Chapter 24 vineyard’s new tasting room Fire and Flood. The tasting room, located
at 602A E. First St., opened quietly in late September with an open house scheduled in October.
“We can showcase our
wines, but feature small
wines that don’t have their
own outlets. (It’s a) way to
have people stumble in here
and try wines they normally
wouldn’t.”