About Chris James Cellars
Chris James Cellars is a distinguished family-owned vineyard and winery, renowned for its commitment to producing a diverse range of high-quality wines. Located in the heart of Oregon's Willamette Valley, an area famed for its rich viticulture, the winery prides itself on crafting unique wines that are reflective of the region's distinct terroir. Their portfolio is varied and includes everything from aromatic whites and bold, elegant reds to unique sparkling wines, offering a wide selection to cater to different palates. The vineyard's dedication to sustainable farming practices and meticulous winemaking techniques ensures that each bottle captures the essence of its exceptional surroundings.
The winery extends beyond just wine production, offering a variety of immersive experiences that showcase their passion for viticulture. At Chris James Cellars, visitors can indulge in wine tasting sessions at their tastefully designed tasting rooms located in McMinnville and the Carlton Estate. These sessions are an exploration of the winery's extensive wine collection, allowing guests to savor flights of wines, each with unique flavor profiles and stories. The winery also organizes regular events, including wine education workshops, vineyard tours, and special themed events, providing an enriching experience for both wine connoisseurs and casual enthusiasts. Their estate, nestled amongst picturesque landscapes, offers a tranquil setting for guests to enjoy their wines, paired with a selection of small bites, in either indoor or outdoor settings.
Additionally, Chris James Cellars fosters a close-knit community through its Wine Club membership. This club offers wine aficionados an opportunity to deepen their connection with the winery through exclusive benefits. Members enjoy access to limited release wines, early releases, and member-only events, along with discounts on wine purchases and events. The club's tiered membership system caters to varying preferences and lifestyles, ensuring members receive a personalized experience. This sense of community is further extended through the winery's charitable initiatives, where they partner with local nonprofits, demonstrating their commitment to giving back to the community.
Overall, Chris James Cellars is not just about producing fine wines; it's about creating memorable experiences and fostering a community that shares a love for exceptional wines and the beautiful region they come from.
Thoughts from the Client
"I had a great experience with with Ashton and the team at Websites in a Flash. We had an existing website that we wanted to replace with a WordPress site that had similar look and feel, but some updates, too. Websites in a Flash had a first draft up pretty quickly and from there we worked together to polish it off. Throughout the process Websites in a Flash was recommending changes that would help improve our search results on Google. Our old website was limited with most of our item info and events being listed on a POS specific store. One goal of the re-write was to capture all of the info on our own website. We use a POS system specific to wineries that recently released an API to pull items. Websites in a Flash utilized this feature to display everything on our website rather than only showing items on the POS specific store. Since it was a new API, there were some hurdles which Websites in a Flash worked directly with the vendor to overcome. Overall, I am pleased with our new site and the process to get to it."
-Bethany B, Co-Owner, Chris James Cellars
Local Winery Website Description
The website we built for Chris James Cellars, showcases various functionalities and features that cater to the online presence of a vineyard and winery. Here are the key aspects:
- Wine Shop: The website offers an online shop where customers can browse and purchase a variety of wines. The categories include All Wines, Award Winners, Library Wines, Estate Wines, Current Releases, Red Wines from Columbia Valley and Willamette Valley, Rosé & Orange wines, Sparkling, White wines, Gift Sets, Gift Cards, and Merchandise. Each wine listing includes detailed descriptions, and customers have the option to buy online.
- Reservations: The website facilitates online reservations for wine tasting experiences, which are available at two locations. It provides details about the tasting rooms, including their hours, location, and the types of experiences available, such as flights of wine, small bites, and the availability of indoor and outdoor tastings. Customers can book appointments online, with walk-ins being welcome if space permits.
- Experiences and Events: The site offers information on various experiences and events. This includes weekly wine flights, descriptions of available wines, and details about the tasting rooms, including menus for small bites and drinks. Additionally, the website lists upcoming events, highlights the winery’s social media presence for updates, and details about charitable initiatives where a portion of proceeds is donated to local nonprofits.
- Wine Club Membership: The website details the Chris James Cellars Wine Club, offering multiple membership levels with various benefits. These include discounts on wines, access to limited and early releases, complimentary tastings, and vineyard tours. Members can customize their wine shipments, which are sent out three times a year.
- Special Events: The Events section of the website lists various events hosted throughout the year at both locations. It mentions specific themed events, workshops, and weekly activities like Wine Wednesdays and game nights, providing an engaging and dynamic environment for visitors and wine enthusiasts.
This comprehensive functionality supports a rich online experience for customers, ranging from shopping for wines to engaging with the winery’s community through events and memberships.
OrderPort into WordPress
For Chris James Cellars, we developed a custom WordPress plugin to integrate OrderPort with their WordPress website. We detailed some of the challenges and solutions we came up with for this website.