Shallon Winery

{ 2005 03 30 } The Shallon Winery I have to tell you about one of my favorite places and people. It’s Mr.Paul VanDerveltd‘s Shallon Winery. Born in Seaside(!) because his mother wanted him born there, he went to school in Astoria and eventually graduated from Astoria High School before going on to Reed College. He had to leave after his first year when his father found out that Reed was red1 and left to serve in the Navy during Korea and eventually came back to Astoria to take over his father’s construction company. He proceeded do to many things, one of which was to spend over a million dollars of grant money from the University to make a whey wine. Paul says, Whey wines: As far as I know, I had the first good tasting commercially produced whey wine in the world and still produce the only whey wine. These wines should be good for you; they should have the vitamins, minerals, and some of the protein that milk has. Several universities have in the past spent a great deal of grant money trying to make wine from the whey, and have essentially failed (I don’t get any grant money). If you come to his winery, he will give you the full tour, practiced and rehearsed to perfection. So practiced that if you come a few times, you will start learning your role and play it as well as you can. Sometimes he will tell you about the Black Raspberry wine and sometimes he won’t. Sometimes he will offer it to you and sometimes he won’t. Its a rare treat – he will take out consecrated silver cups and pour a tiny bit of wine that is inky black and unfathomably deep. Paul says, Wild BLACK Raspberry: A dessert wine too precious to even mention, the berries picked one at a time in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest! Talk about precious desert wines like Chateau d’Yquem at $200 a bottle, but they are available. This you can’t get. If I ever have any, it’s $85 for 375 ml. And then depending on his mood, maybe reflective or maybe a bit sad, he will tell you about his close friend (“an out of work fisherman like so many of them here”) that would go into those woods alone for weeks at a time and bring back those black raspberries and tell you that he was murdered two years ago(2) and how the cops* thought he was just a vagrant and let him go and how he (Paul) will keep his picture on his mantle to remember him and will never make that black raspberry wine again. Go back and look at the mantle on the far left. 1. The old sense of red as in commie red (funny how words change their meanings) [↩] 2. it’s always two years [↩]

My husband and I visited Mr. van der Veldt winery, and we enjoyed every bit of the experience. The tour and the stories were very informative and the owner is such a sweet gentleman. His recipes are unique (using whey? Never heard of it) and he deserves way more popularity. Must visit in Astoria!

This was an amazing experience. Give yourself a little time and enjoy this man and his knowledge. His wines are so unique. Stop in whole you still can!

Shallon is an aquired taste. We were not prepared for the "experience". Call first and read all the reviews. We visited his establishment about 2 years ago but after reading the reviews I felt I must give my two cents. The first hint I recieved that this tour was not going to be ordinary was just trying to gain entrance to the building.... Paul is an original, does EVERYTHING his way. You cannot just walk in and purchase, you will be required to tour and taste. I would strongly suggest you do not bring children. Plan on staying at least an hour. My wife and I were grateful for the experience and found Paul to be a likeable fellow that is very proud of his product. He is a craftsman and his artistic passion for his product comes through. Quirky, awkward, entertaining, and interesting are my best desciption of this experience. We will always remember this vacation due to our visit with Paul. We did not purchase his products but I did enjoy tasting his "Chocolate Wine"..... If you have the time, you must experience this tour at least once.

Paul is a vocal autobiography of his unique talent, personality, and winery. the product is remarkable, the environment unique, and Paul is a special vocal purveyor of HIS craft. I enjoyed and appreciated the adventure, and the wines are perfection to many. love the blackberry too, miss the peach from once upon a time.

Enjoyed the winery tour with Paul. He is quite the conversationalist and we spoke at length. We had some very unique and tasty wines. We liked the cranberry and lemon meringue the most.

Buying wine here is not just shopping, it's an experience. I feel sorry for anyone that doesn't understand that or read up on this place before going. The 90 year old chemist that runs this fine establishment does so with love and pride, his wines are his masterpieces and finest creations. Like any artist he does not willy-nilly release them but take you through the process of their creation from conception of the idea to fruition of the final wine. I absolutely adore this place, it's wine, it's stories and it's proprietor. My only great concern is that he does not seem to have an apprentice and so the beautiful exquisitely unique recipes may be lost on his retirement.

Being native Oregonians, my wife and I chose to spend the weekend experiencing Astoria. After reading the unique story of the local business, we started our trip off by visiting Shallon Winery and were VERY pleased that we did. I see by the published reviews that the few people who wrote poor reviews are from those who didn't choose to honor and respect Mr. Shallon's plan-- his demonstration that he's fine-tuned and repeated over 77,000 times for visitors! Being a one-man operation, guests need to understand and appreciate that--in order to receive the full, uninterrupted "show"--visitors who arrive while Shallon is finishing his free demonstration to the previous guest(s) may need to wait a few minutes before he can give you his full, undivided attention as he desires. The wait is well worth it, as are the wines-- only $23 to $42 per bottle. I admit that my wife and I are not very experienced when it comes to wine-tasting, but Shallon's unique style of classic wine production is like no other that we've experienced or even heard of before. I'm not going to give away the content of Shallon's presentation, but I'll just say it's definitely worth scheduling during your next trip to Astoria. Regarding ADA access, the main entrance to Shallon requires guests to climb a 10-step exterior staircase. If you need assistance--like those who use a walker, cane or a wheelchair--call Shallon ahead of time so he can clear a path inside the upper doorway off Duane St.

I don't think this winery, tasting room is in business. There is a for sale sign on the building and everything on display in the windows is quite old and dusty. Yelp says it's open but the open sign is not on.

Paul is awesome at making wine and he has a great personality ! His Orange/chocolate and the black raspberry are my absolute favorites!!! I picked berries for a while for Paul. He was a pleasure to do business with.

Being native Oregonians, my wife and I chose to spend the weekend experiencing Astoria. After reading the unique story of the local business, we started our trip off by visiting Shallon Winery and were VERY pleased that we did. I see by the published reviews that the few people who wrote poor reviews are from those who didn't choose to honor and respect Mr. Shallon's plan-- his demonstration that he's fine-tuned and repeated over 77,000 times for visitors! Being a one-man operation, guests need to understand and appreciate that--in order to receive the full, uninterrupted "show"--visitors who arrive while Shallon is finishing his free demonstration to the previous guest(s) may need to wait a few minutes before he can give you his full, undivided attention as he desires. The wait is well worth it, as are the wines-- only $23 to $42 per bottle. I admit that my wife and I are not very experienced when it comes to wine-tasting, but Shallon's unique style of classic wine production is like no other that we've experienced or even heard of before. I'm not going to give away the content of Shallon's presentation, but I'll just say it's definitely worth scheduling during your next trip to Astoria. Regarding ADA access, the main entrance to Shallon requires guests to climb a 10-step exterior staircase. If you need assistance--like those who use a walker, cane or a wheelchair--call Shallon ahead of time so he can clear a path inside the upper doorway off Duane St.

This is the ONLY place in the world where you can get REAL chocolate wine! I discovered this tiny, quaint, one man run winery a few years ago while on the Trolley tour in Astoria. The guide mentioned we should check it out so we stumbled in, kids and all. I immediately fell inlove with the place and the owner! After a quick tour, he led us through the tasting with so much knowledge and heart behind every story told of the wines. It was a one in a lifetime experience.I took home a Lemon Merenge wine, Peach wine, Cranberry wine and of course the Chocolate wine! I've been wanting to go back ever since! I told everyone; sisters, friends about this place and how if they ever go to Astoria they MUST go see the Shallon Winery! It's the only place in the WORLD where you can get wine like that and once the owner passes, the secrets and recipes will go with him. So they'd better hurry! When we booked our trip to Astoria this year I was SO nervous he wouldn't be there any longer and the winery shut down. You can imagine my relief to see that he was still there, alive and well! I was so happy to see him! I just wished we lived closer so we could visit more often. Talking with him and sharing stories is a priceless experience! I left buying wine for myself and a friend who begged me to buy her a bottle of the infamous Chocolate Wine! :)

This is one of the most unique wineries that I have ever been to. We stopped by in the morning, to find out that it wasn't open until 1pm. We came back at 2 to find a note on the door that said he was out until 2:30 and when we returned at 3:30, the noted said that he was in the process of making wine and we had to call to be let in. I thought "Well, this better be worth the wait" and it absolutely was! The Shallon Winery is more than a place to taste and purchase wines, it is an experience. It is a tour, it is a glimpse into a small wine making operation, it is time in the presence of a man who is passionate about his art as well as educating every person who walks through his door. The wines are pricey, but utterly unique and perfectly delicious. If you have a sweet tooth, the chocolate orange wine is the cream of the crop!

The most fun, informative, and unique wine tasting we've done. Paul is quite a character and is very selective about who he lets in. You have to call the number on the door and let him check you out. Basically, he wants intelligent, polite, and thoughtful people, not morons looking to get hammered or quickly guzzle his wine before moving on. If you're looking for a quick, no frills drink there is a brewery down the street that I recommend instead. The tour took about 10 minutes while the tasting took just over an hour. Paul has created an imaginative set of wines (blackberry, whey, apple) that you will not find anywhere else. As others mentioned, he is also very inquisitive and he carefully writes down the details of all 70k+ visitors he's had. Both he and his wines are real gems. Since he's over 90, I recommend visiting while you still can.

Great, quirky winery, with wine made from everything but grapes. Love the owner. Do call ahead. This is a one of a kind winery. Many great things to see in Astoria including the Trolley tour, many restaurants, the column, coffee shops, ... About ten miles away is Fort Stevens State Park with weekly bird tours, daily kayak tours, junior ranger sessions in the summer, bike rentals, clamming, beaching, hiking... Connected to Fort Stevens State Park is Historic Fort Stevens museum and gift shop. Although moderate sized, both are very nice. The museum also hosts ticketed truck (army personnel carrier) tours of the military installations. Nearby, Seaside is a great ocean beach community, carnival like community, with paddle boarding and skim boarding opportunities as well as a unique golf course

One of the news articles about this winery that is posted on the wall inside refers to it as the "Willy Wonka of Wineries," and I think that is a pretty good description. Nothing about this experience is your typical wine tasting. You won't be trying a sweet white and a dry red and you won't be pushed through an "assembly line" wine tasting with 15 other people. If you don't have at least 30 minutes to devote to this tour and tasting don't bother, because you won't be admitted. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that is well worth the time investment, though. When you go into the little shop, you are faced with a gong with instructions to bang it if no one is there. The shop itself is covered in articles, pictures, and memorabilia about the winery and the owner/winemaker, Paul van der Veldt. When we arrived, we were greeted by Paul. Shallon is a one man shop that is staffed by Paul 365 days a year. Paul first took us into the winery, which is colorful, to say the least (the walls are bubble gum pink!). He gave us a summary of his operation, along with quite a bit of very interesting history. He also showed us his lab (which would impress any science professional) where he makes his wine concoctions. We then moved to the front of the store for the tasting. One of the previous reviewers stated that Paul locked them in the shop - I suspect this individual was exaggerating. While Paul will not lock you into the shop, he does lock the public out of the shop, so that he can devote his full attention to you without the interruption of anyone coming inside the winery during the tasting. Paul likes to learn about each of his guests, so he visited with us about where we were from and our occupations. He then treated us to a (FREE!) tasting of six of his wines: a blackberry wine, two versions of his cranberry wine (one sparkling, one not), a spiced apple wine, a peach wine, and a chocolate orange wine (served in mini ice cream cones), along with detailed information about the history and production of each one. He makes each wine with his own two hands in his lab in the back of the winery, so each batch is unique, even if they are based on the same underlying recipe. The wines, like the experience, were truly unique. You cannot find anything like them anywhere else (literally, these wines are sold exclusively out of the winery in Astoria). My favorites were the regular cranberry, the spiced apple, and the orange chocolate. We ended up purchasing two bottles of the spiced apple. Paul will even give you tips on which ones fly the best (hint, not the sparkling cranberry). If you are in the area, I highly suggest a visit to the Shallon Winery. You will never experience anything quite like this again in your life. It is cash only.

This is a very interesting and unique place. Completely different from all the new wineries/tasting rooms popping up. An older man produces all of the wine and runs the shop. He has a kind of Sheldon personality (Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory show). Every time I'm in Astoria I stop by this winery and he has never charged a tasting fee. Paul the man who runs it, is very inquisitive of his guests and gives great customer service. Tips: make sure you read the sign on the door and follow the instructions, don't just knock. You must have at least an hour to spend here, as Paul likes to give you a tour and explain the wines in detail, don't rush through it.

I call him Passionate Paul. He is the the lone wolf of the fruit, whey and chocolate wines and he makes it all himself within his small lab! First, he will take you on a swift tour of his setup, discuss the history of the wine and of the wondrous building itself. Second, he will literally show you through the room window, his 6x6, one-man lab then it is on to the wine tasting. You will sample approximately four or five different wines. I would say the most unique taste would be his chocolate orange wine that he pours into a small cake cone; upon first taste you will get a hint of chocolate liquor then when you bite into the cone, a blast of orange and more alcohol stings you. That taste reminded me of my childhood years when my mom would bring home that infamous yellow Whitman's sample assorted chocolate box. The dark chocolate orange creme chew comes to mind. Nice stop going into Oregon...

One of the most fascinating little gems in Astoria. To save on some confusion here is the basic primers: 1. If you don't have 30 minutes to sit, listen, be queried by the owner about any random topic, and do a wine tasting driven by him, then this is not the winery for you. 2. If you are expecting a traditional winery, this is not for you. Else, our experience here was fascinating. We arrived and no one was at the winery. Rung a gong and Paul came out by himself. He owns, runs, and operates the entire winery from the building. When we started our tour he locked the front door so no one else would come in (seems a little scary at first) and he took us to the back and showed us the entire small operation while regaling us with stories of Astoria. Afterwards he took us through the four bottles of wine he owns and the story behind each one. Definitely the most unique wines I have tasted. Definitely an interesting experience.

If you are going to Astoria, make this a stop on the trip. It doesn't take too long maybe 20 minutes after all the chatting while tasting. First of all, it is a real interesting winery, with some real interesting fruit wines (some made from whey). I don't want to say too much about the wines because your tour will load you up with info. Now your host... Paul van der Veldt, is also the winemaker, the man behind the juice. To say he is interesting is an understatement, he has a lot to say about his wines, other wines, as well as a lot about the area. I'll let you be the judge, I know after I left I spent the next day reading articles about Paul, and his wines. Can't wait for my next visit, I have some questions that I'm sure he will enjoy answering. Oh yea, bring cash for a donation (tasting is free), and you'll probably want to grab a bottle or two ($16-30) Cheers

If this winery were closer to Portland, this guy would be a millionare. Portlanders are super into one of a kind, local, unique wine and experiences, and there is nothing more unique and one of a kind than Shallon Winery. It's a one man operation, he lovingly crafts fairly small batches with fresh local fruits, ages them and is from what I hear, the only distributor of whey wine that tastes good. Nutritional Wine, People! You walk in and are embraced under his wing as he gives you a quick tour of the winery and even gives some history about Astoria. I'm sure if you asked, he would produce even more information, and he is so sweet and quirky. On to the wine and the tasting, I wasn't sure what to expect from Whey wine, and if you don't like whey, you won't be dissapointed, it doesn't have a very strong flavor, it's like secret nutrition! Also, though the wine is made from fruit, it is not alarmingly sweet, so you sweet wine haters will be pleased too. I loved all of the wines, and the story between each one, about where the peaches were picked, that his is the only wine made with 100% peaches, that the blackberries are handpicked locally. We heard about the laws surrounding selling wine, the government even decides what colors the labels can be! Our favorite wine was the cranberry wine, (We bought two of those) and an apple one. I would have taken home a lemon meringue but he still had to bottle that batch. Next time! This was our favorite part of Astoria, and I am grateful to have been let in to this man's business, hobby, passion and life.

Whey wine? Are you kidding me? Absolutely disgusting. After being locked in (creepy) we were "treated" to a tour of his collectables...then on to the wine. Wine made with milk? How on God's green planet are you allowed to call this wine. After one disgusting wine after the next, the final "wine" is served in an ice cream cone. What the ____!? He tried to force us to buy a bottle. I demanded he unlock the door and let us out. What a Horrible experience!

People go here while you can, we were here in 2010 when Paul was 85!! Such a unique fun experience. Take your time though and be open minded!

Amazing place, fascinating owner, delicious wines. This will be unlike any experience you have ever had at a winery or with a wine. If in or near Astoria, this should be at the top of your list.

Situated in downtown Astoia, this is a unique location for a winery. We were given the tour, along with a history lesson of Astoria by assistant Rod. Paul the owner was at the doctor. This was followed up with a great "tasting" session. We picked up a bottle of the Chocolate Orange wine. Which was like eating a Chocolate Truffle! Also, got a bottle of the Cran Du Lait to have at Thanksgiving. Prices were on the high medium side. But, not bad for the great taste and unique styles

Interesting winery! From the moment you walk in and are greeted by Paul the owner, you are in for a treat! He makes a great chocolate orange whey wine that nothing can compare to! Most of his wines are made with whey which I find very interesting. Plan on at least an hour to visit his winery, he has a lot to say and wants you to hear about it! If I could make a guess, I would say he used to be a science teacher.....who knows. He accepts cash and checks only, so be prepared.

I first wasn't sure what to think. When I called up, he said we wouldn't have enough time because he was closing in an hour. Then he said i can't come over if I'm coming from the breweries around town. I later found out it's because he wanted to take me through the whole tour, fill out his log book, and share tons of stories with us. He also wanted the wine purists of sorts; not the people that are looking to get hammered. He is incredibly well versed in wine and it was very insightful to hear him speak. Made it seem like I was speaking with a sage. I was impressed in how much he genuinely appreciated people and got to know each and every one of his guests over the past 36 years. Can't believe he's so sharp at 91. I loved how he finished off with the chocolate orange by pouring it into an ice cream cone. That's a first! So this is the wine that I purchased because after all, when am i ever going to get the chance to try wine like this again? Highly recommend this place but plan for at least an hour when you go there. He also recommended I go to Clemente's for dinner and their seafood was outstanding and their service rocked. Thanks for the suggestion!!

We stopped here on our way back to our hotel, thinking we'd get a glass of wine, learn about the winery, and be on our way. Were we ever surprised. Paul was fantastic! I've toured a lot of different wineries, and this was hands down the most enjoyable of the lot. If you're going to be in the Astoria area, you have to stop by. (and make sure you have a business card on you)

What a pleasant surprise. We just so happen to find this place while on a trip up to see the goonies house, which Mr. Paul had plenty to say about that. lol. Our friend's name is Shallon and she wanted to go in and get some wine for her mother. What we found was a delightful journey into a man's mind and heart. Very passionate about wine and history, especially the history of Astoria we were amazed and enthralled in his stories. I found Paul to be a very original soul, something you don't find often these days, and his wines prove it. Unique in every way, thoughtful and thought out, he is a true gem as much as his wines. I would call him the willy wonka of wine but he might not like that. His wines are made out of whey which is very nutritional. I couldn't decided which one I liked best. He has a unique way of serving his Chocolate Orange Wine and it is so tasty. I also want to mention that Paul has inspired me to get a new business card. For those that have been you will know why. I'm going out there and saying this is a must if you are in Astoria. Seeing the goonies house was awesome, but the shallon winery is such a unique experience you just can't get anywhere else.

This is a seriously cool place. On a recent trip to Astoria, we noticed the "winery" sign and we had to go check it out. (The husband actually suggested this, but he knew that I, being the family wino, was not going to argue). We entered the small store/tasting room and were immediately greeted by the owner/winemaker. He brought us in back to show us the winemaking facilities and give an overview of the process. The "tour" was pretty brief as, per he, most people are not particularly interested in the details. That is pretty sad. He was happy to answer questions, though, and expound further. Then we moved on to the tasting room. He makes only fruit wines --blackberry, peach, cranberry. I am not a fan of sweet wines and, initially, thought I would not like these as fruit wines tend to be sweet. BUT, these were not. They were tasty and flavorful and I could have "tasted" a bottle of each. Even the chocolate-orange was not too sweet -- just a delicious little cup of heaven. The (elderly) proprietor will happily tell you stories of the area's history and is also happy to hear YOUR story. He said he loves to hear what his guests do for a living and for fun as it helps him keep up with what is happening in the world. Unfortunately, being a very small business, he is not able to sell his wine wholesale (so you can't buy it at your local store) and complex inter-state liquor laws mean, depending on where you live, he may or may not be able to ship it to you. SO, a trip to Astoria might be your only option. Which is not a bad thing for many reasons; just make the Shallon Winery your first stop.

This is by far one of the best wineries of all time. The wine is unique, special and truly unlike anything you'll ever try. The owner Paul, is an intriguing man full of stories, and observations. He will ask you what you do, and other personal questions, and makes notes of you in his records. He remember us when we came in this third time. He spends time every night reflecting on his customers for the day. If you do not have an hour to spend there, go another time. He will refuse to sell to you if you don't go on the 5 minute tour and then do the 45 minute tasting. Well worth it!!! If you have the opportunity to go, do so. It's an unforgettable experience with exquisite wine and a fascinating owner.

Absolutely one of my favorite places I visited here! Yes, it is a lengthy tour, so if you're tight on time make other plans. But I wouldn't have it any other way. He is so passionate & informative. Paul knows his stuff. THE BEST & only legit chocolate wine. Bought a few bottles of some different kinds. Highly recommend taking time out to go here. If I'm ever anywhere near the area I'll be going back for sure! Thanks so much Paul!

Super fun experience. If you like the magic of Wonka , a wine story and history of the area, this is for you. Paul has a passion for wine, this is an hour long event so relax and enjoy the ride. If you are in a hurry, go elsewhere. A fun and unexpected experience. By appointment only or fly by night call. Thanks Paul, for an unforgettable experience and wine lesson!

This is NOT your typical winery non-tour. Paul, the owner and proprietor, will show you the winemaking operations and Laboratory. This was the most interesting wine tour I have ever experienced. If you are in the area, you should definitely check it out. Paul is a very interesting guy and he wants to know about you too, so be prepared to share. A wonderful experience for all.

What an experience! Paul is an amazing source of information and an overall delightful man. Plan to spend an hour if you want to visit him. The wines are different than you might be accustomed to. I will be back.

Amazingly tasty wines we bought three bottles and if we could of we would have bought I couple more. But if you have ever tried chocolate wine before it is typically yuck. The chocolate/ Orange wine at shallon wintry is to die for!!! And the owner is an older gentlemen with a no nonsense attitude you instantly fall in love with. If you go make sure to bring cash or checks as he does not accept credit or debit.

I've been to many tasting rooms and this is by far the most unique experience of them all. The owner, Paul, is as informative about his winemaking as he is inquisitive about your personal occupations and backgrounds. Don't expect classic wines here; he specializes in wines made from fruits and whey. The blackberry wine was truly wonderful, with authentic handpicked blackberry flavor and not too sweet. The fact is, you won't find anything like this anywhere else, and the unique experience had here will be more memorable than most other winery visits.

GO HERE NOW. (What, you say you're in NJ? Book a flight. Seriously.) If you have eschewed fruit wines in the past (and rightly so, I believe), you MUST disregard all past experiences and head to fruit wine nirvana -- which can only be found at Shallon Winery in Astoria, Or. If you're a nerd, you will thoroughly enjoy the brainy, academic and somewhat twisted musings of the septa- or octa- genarian (ish) winemaker, tasting room manager and tour guide. But, most importantly, the wine is delicious. The blackberry wine tastes like a young cabernet with a blackberry finish. The peach wine is a pure delight (in its non-explosive form). The cranberry whey wine will blow your taste receptors. The chocolate-orange wine is not a gimmick. It's seriously delicious, not a sugary mess and has a respectably high alcohol content. Good enough for the New York Times, it's also tasty in a wafer ice cream cone.... If you are disappointed, then I can only assume that you have major post nasal drip, an extreme affection for Busch Light (in a can, and warm too), or morning sickness. Nota bene, they do NOT accept credit cards, so bring your cash, or out of (or in) state check.

This was a wonderful, local winery. The man who runs it has a wealth of information to offer and fantastic, creative wines to taste. Be prepared to buy a bottle or five.

An amazing experience, and educational too. Definitely worth a visit if you are in Astoria. The owner will show you his winemaking process and you get to taste unique non conventional wines

Loved this stop, interesting wines, special guided tour for all patrons. A must do!

We had an excellent time with Paul at his winery. Very educational, and we loved his sense of humor. Definitely a must do in Astoria!

Undeniably the most unique winery tour you will ever encounter. I'd elaborate, but I really don't want to spoil the surprise. Lets just say, if you enjoy an offbeat personality and some offbeat wines, this is the place for you.

Absolutely the most unique wine tasting you will ever go to. The owner lives in the building and does tastings 365 days a year. He is a funny older gentleman with a dry sense of humor and a flair for the original. Lemon merengue pie was my favorite :) you won't be sorry you stopped in to chat and checked out his unique winery.

One of the best wine tastings I have ever been to. This guy is a true artist.

My husband ,myself and my 12 year old son,stopped into this unique winery January of 2011. The first thing Paul said to us is are you taking a Plane ,Train or Automobile out of here any time soon.We said no we have the time...therefore we got the tour and the history.What a strange and unique delight.He was funny and fascinating.A very sharp witted older man. We bought the Chocolate Whey wine.Lemon Meringue whey wine and the blackberry wine.We drank the Blackeberry wine a few weeks after we got it ,delicious.The Chocolate wine which he told us how many pounds he melted for this wine.His friend had closed down a chocolate factory and he purchased the chocolate from him.I saved it for a girls weekend in June and it had soooo much of it in it (he wasn't kidding) that I had to put the bottle in hot water to remelt it. When it was ready it was like drinking nothing I have ever had or probably will ever have again.Truly scrumptious!! We still have the Lemon Meringue whey wine which we were saving for special. I am sad to say we kept it so long we discovered that the cork has popped.we are hoping it will still be good as the foil is still sealed.Maybe I will have to use it in a recipe if anybody has some suggestions.We did get to taste it when we went to his winery and we know that it is good.I guess we will just have to go again.Not too hard to do.Its only a 6 hour drive but totally worth it. Astoria and this winery are a must see.Very quaint,like stepping back in time.

Read the great reviews for this winery and were looking forward to visiting. Sent the following email and got the following response: "Hello,We will be staying in Astoria on August 14th and have heard of your winery. Would like to visit but will have our young granddaughters with us. Must visitors be 21 or over?" Thank you Paul Vanderveldt@Shallon responded: No, but they should be disciplined and quiet. Doubt that's possible."

GO NOW! DO NOT DELAY!!! Paul is one of the pioneers of Oregon Wine and at 85, he's not getting any younger! We spent over an hour with him and loved every second. Even our 14 year old son enjoyed his conversations. His winery is immaculate, historical, perfectly designed for a one man operation, and an incredible reflection of Paul's personality. How many real men would paint their winery "pink".... Hello.....It is his favorite color! If you've ever sold anything in you life, or ran a business, you can't help but enjoy Paul and his presentation. His wine was a wonderful treat and so incredibly different from the usual wine you come across. Yummy and Fun! I received a fantastic lesson on "Black Raspberry's" and his Black Raspberry wine. (I called them "black caps" as a child and thought they were in the Blackberry family...Paul corrected me) He charges extra for a taste of this special wine, it is worth double to taste this wine. The story behind the "picker" of the fruit makes the wine even more special. I can easily say, the Black Raspberry wine was the best fruit wine I've ever tasted, and it alone is worth a trip to Astoria. Plan on spending time with Paul. You'd think he loves his wine and it's all about his wine, but he admitted to us, he loves "the people" and the interactions with them. I pray that I can be as sharp and gifted as Paul when I'm his age. Go make Paul's day and fall in love with his wine, and learn from this wonderful treasure of a person. Thank you Paul...you made our vacation!

My one regret is that we had this winery as our last stop instead of our first stop. Paul gave us some great history about the area, we now how to make another trip! If you visit the winery, be prepared for a tour. You will see the facilities and get a brief history lesson. Listening ears must be on because he will talk fast. He's used to giving a watered down version of his tour for people with no patience, but ask him a few questions or show genuine interest and he will start to open up. We got to taste 5 wines from a red house wine, blackberry wine, lemon meringue whey wine, spiced apple wine and chocolate orange wine. (He was out of the peach and cranberry whey wine) Cash only. The wines are from $14 to $32 a bottle. I loved the tartness of the blackberry wine. It is one of the more expensive bottles to buy, but would go great with duck. He explained he was having a hard time hiring people to pick blackberries ! The lemon meringue was really interesting too. He explained that each batch came out different. The one we tried had mead-like qualities and was crisp like a green apple. The spiced apple wine was perfectly balanced...and the chocolate wine was thick. He explained he used to make it out of 3 different kinds of chocolate until one of the places got shut down from the bank. He had to make a new formula which now includes 6 different types of chocolate. Very tasty. Next time I'm bringing more cash.

My husband and I visited Shallon Winery last weekend and had a wonderful experience! Paul, the owner, is quirky and passionate about his winemaking. We left the winery with 6 bottles of delicious, unusual fruit wines made from whey. Paul is a gem...he is as eccentric as they come, but that was half the fun. Highly recommend a visit/taste.

Terrible experience! Went to the front door to find a note that says "call this number and I'll open the door". I called and then the door opened. The man who opened was shaking his head and without even greeting us said he was with a bunch of people and that we should try tomorrow or the next day. Then he shut the door. We stood there dumbfounded. What else is there to be said!? How about put up a sign "go away"? I think I would have left feeling better about Shallon Winery.

Oh my Paul what a personality! We stopped by because we were very curious about this place and when we entered we were the only two in the winery. Paul told us to line up so that he can start the tour. I thought to myself, ummmm there is only two of us but we did.. He gave us a tour and told us that most of his wine is made from whey from Tillamook and that he was a retired chemist and that's how he thought of using whey. He also uses fruits to create other types of wines. When we were sampling the wine he talked about a guy who he bought fruit from to make his wines and how his friend was murdered in the forest. My fiance and I looked at each other thinking he was going to tell us more but instead he kept talking about the wine. I didn't even remember anything he said about the wine all I could think about was his dead friend... So, we ended up buying the lemon meringue wine and orange chocolate wine. Very delicious!! Definitely will come back.

You need to go here. The wines are unusual made with fruit and whey. But they don't taste like milk and they don't taste like your usual fruit wines. They are not sweet or heavy. He also makes a chocolate wine, not a chocolate flavored wine but a wine actually made from chocolate. You have to do the tour if you want to sample but that doasn't take too long as the place is small. You also have to listen to the stories and opinions of the owner who is the wine maker. If you are in a hurry this isn't a good stop but if you to meet a character and find wines that you can not get anywhere else this worth the trip to Astoria.

Good wine, actually really good wine. Paul though is unique, somtimes a rude statement or two. I was verry excited to meet the man who makes the whey wine, after introducing myself as a amuture wine maker he firmly put me in my place. Like I really couldn't make as good as wine as him. I was affronted a bunch of time talking to him and was rebuffed for the questions I asked so I stoped asking questions. He does have a speal he says to everyone who comes in. For the people who say he loves to talk about wine to people, he dosn't he just likes to make his speech. I tried to talk wine with him but he acted like I was an idiot and didn't know what I was talking about. In short loved the wine not the winemaker.

Our Beta Sigma Phi group visited Paul's winery. I suggested this outing to the girls and none of us were disappointed. Although we had all visited Astoria before, we had missed this adventure. Paul is now 87 years old, but still has alot of passion and love for his city and his wine. He also takes a genuine interest in each visitor as his way of staying connected to the world. On our drive home, we all agreed that our visit to this winery was the hightlight of our day!