Meet Our Winemaker
Dough is about the roots of food and wine. Back to the yeast. Back to what creates a good foundation ... whether it’s a good foundation for a wine or a culinary masterpiece.
meet heidi
Dough Winemaker Heidi Bridenhagen brings a solid scientific background to her winemaking, having first earned a B.S. degree in biochemistry University of Colorado at Boulder before spending six months traveling throughout Europe, exploring the wines of France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Heidi’s goal in pursuing winemaking is to combine her scientific expertise and her creative skills.
A believer in the value of exploration and experimentation, she has spent her career working with diverse and acclaimed vineyards. Most recently Heidi worked with prestigious vineyards in the Sonoma coast, developing a highly lauded vineyard program. This has led Heidi to this new project Dough Wines, where she is utilizing DVWP vineyards and its network of growers and négociants to choose high quality lots from top AVAs, bringing the art of assemblage to life to craft the core wines to be as food friendly as possible.
"A believer in the value of exploration and experimentation."
The Collaboration
To craft the final blends for dough, Heidi works in concert with a hand-selected group of JBF Chefs and Sommeliers. Heidi presents two distinct blends of each varietal to the group, followed by a lively group tasting, where everyone has the opportunity to weigh in on which will pair best with food, and which aromas and flavors are striking the right chord. From there, Heidi takes the feedback back to the cellar to compose the final blends.
Making dough wines is such a fun, collaborative process. It's a really interesting and unique opportunity to gain additional perspective on the wines from people with trained palates in different fields.
The Varietals
The core wine varietals of the dough portfolio – Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon – are the true “classics” of the North Coast and Oregon wine regions. The smaller-production appellation wines dive deeper into the smaller sub-AVAs and amazing microclimates that make up the larger North Coast and Oregon appellations, with additional varietal exploration. Heidi’s goal is to present the most food-friendly wines possible – wines that are layered, aromatic and beautifully balanced.