DUJAC ...Dujac is more than just a name of a great producer in Burgundy, it also the name of The Cellar Door's CEO. Dujac was born with a silver milk bone in his mouth near Oregon City (which he believes is a suburb of Paris, and hey, who are we to argue with him).

Dujac's main duties around Cellar Door are "Hovering" crumbs under "Uncle" Bryan's desk and sitting at the front door encouraging everyone who passes by to stop and give him a pat. It is our job once he gets them in the door to sell them a great bottle of wine. He most definitely earns his keep which has gotten him to the top of our corporate ladder.
ABOUT US...After over two decades in the wholesale wine business in Oregon, Karen Hinsdale turned her passion for wine and years of experience in the industry into a “unique retail wine buying experience” called THE CELLAR DOOR. As Co-owner of Henny-Hinsdale Wines, Inc., a state wide distributor of premium wines, she had the opportunity to develop strong personal relationships with great wine producers from all over the world. She also had a broad understanding of how the distribution system works under Oregon’s unique liquor laws. After the sale of Henny-Hinsdale, Karen developed the National Distribution plan for Rex Hill Vineyards and did Public Relations and Marketing work with Wendy Lane of Lane PR but selling wine was always her real interest.
As a wholesaler, Karen often complained that because Oregon is a “cash on delivery” state with no quantity discounts and no returns, it is a difficult environment for wine only retailers. Distributors always get paid but there is no “float” for retailers. All the 30 -60-90 day terms on purchases go to the distributor. It just seemed logical to “take advantage” of the vast quantities of wine sitting in wholesale warehouses by selling them and taking payment as the wines where delivered or immediately after. Small inventory, high volume sell through and expert tasters as wine buyers gives customers of THE CELLAR DOOR the highest quality wines in every category for the best possible prices.
THE critical components of The CELLAR DOOR are Bryan Shuttleworth and Susan Ziegler. These two are the exceptional palates that taste between 20 and 50 wines per week and write up their favorites in witty, pop culture infused, twice weekly “Hot Sheets”. These are MUST READS for anyone who likes wine and wants to be “in the know”. ( bryans@thecellardoor.com )

Bryan Shuttleworth (a.k.a. “Wine Shark To The Stars”) has arguably one of the best palates in the United States. Hailing from Pittsburgh “the wine capital of the Rust Belt”, Bryan started bussing tables at the city’s most prominent French restaurant, Le Pommier whose owners Christine and Jim Dauber recognized his innate talent for tasting and nurtured his intense desire to learn more about fine wine. From bus boy to sommelier, tasting, traveling, more tasting and working two vintages in Burgundy at the legendary Domaine Dujac solicited Bryan’s passion for wine and expertise in Burgundy.

“Go west young man”… Bryan moved to Oregon in 1994 thinking that winemaking might be in his future but after the 1995 vintage working at Domaine Dujac he decided that he was “too lazy” for winemaking and his true passion was buying, selling, educating and (especially) drinking wine. Working first at The Cheshire Cat, Bryan moved to THE CELLAR DOOR in 1998.

Known for his “natural” palate, Bryan learned his craft from mentors and self-study. He looks for a sense of place in every wine, and describes his tasting method as “unorthodox” yet “lyrical”.” His wine tasting notes are legendary. Once, at a tasting in France, a fellow taster glanced at Bryan’s notes, laughed and called the wine maker over to see what Bryan had written to describe his wine. Bryan had scribbled just one sentence: "This is Juliette Binoche with a whip and handcuffs."

"Introducing Susan Ziegler our newest Consultant"

Before accepting a position at The Cellar Door, Ziegler worked as an event planner for Food in Bloom Catering along with five years experience learning the ropes of fine dining at Genoa Restaurant. Intel Corporation helped hone her professional writing skills which began at Portland State University during her stint as a graduate mentor. Before moving to Portland in 1992, Ziegler worked in the music industry for Bill Graham Presents and Bimbo’s 365 Club. She received her bachelor’s degree in French from San Francisco State University and her master’s degree in English from Portland State University.

Over the past 23 years, Susan has traveled extensively through numerous wine regions including: Alsace, Bordeaux, Brittany, Burgundy, Côtes du Rhône, Loire Valley, Normandy and Reims, France; Liguria, Lombardia, Piedmont, Puglia, Tuscany and Umbria, Italy; Barcelona and Catalonia, Spain. She has also ventured through Greece, Peru and Ecuador and spent much time living and working in the U.K.

“In addition to tasting and academic study of terroir, there is no better way to learn about a region than by walking through its vineyards and experiencing first hand how the sun, soil, and elements affect the vines.”