About Le Miel

DISCOVER THE ORIGINS OF LE MIEL WINERY

Driven by the love of bringing together family, friends and wine

Stacey and John Bernards and their family

Our founders, John + Stacey Bernards

We were inspired two decades ago on a trip to Sonoma, California to start our own winery (one day). We wanted to learn the art of winemaking, craft exceptional wines and share the joy good wine can bring to life with our family and friends.

‘Le Miel’ means honey in French, and represents the values guiding this winemaking journey. The bee symbolizes dedication, loyalty and hard work, but also sweetness, generosity, and community. These principles are at the very core of our winemaking.

Our journey

Living in Europe for several years, we had the chance to experience some of the world’s greatest wines, including the celebrated (and expensive!) Pinot Noirs of Burgundy, France. Upon our return to the US, we started traveling to Oregon from our home in Washington, DC, determined to start a winery that would bring interesting and approachable Pinots and other quality wines to our family and friends.

In 2021, we chose Willamette Valley to make our long-held dream a reality, as much for the beautifully made wines and pretty rolling hills, as for the welcoming community (you should definitely visit for all those reasons!).

Now, we are thrilled to share with you our first small-batch vintages of 2022 Pinot Noir, 2023 rosé of Pinot Noir and 2023 Albariño. Enjoy!

Crafting Excellence

Making Le Miel a reality meant many nights and weekends learning, thinking and planning. After three years of after-hours study, Stacey earned a winemaking certificate from the renowned University of California-Davis. John took some excellent local beekeeping classes and is now managing two hives.

We have made mistakes along the way, but we have also met many helpful people who we are now happy to call friends. We are especially honored to collaborate with esteemed winemaker Anthony King, whose expertise is well known throughout the Willamette Valley wine community. With his guidance, we are delving into the complex art and science of winemaking, excited about what is to come.

Man holding red grapes for winemaking
Le Miel winemaker Anthony King

Meet Anthony, our winemaker

Anthony grew up in Texas and went to high school with our brother-in-law Tom, which is how we met him (lucky for us).

Like many of the best, he started at the bottom and worked his way up – going from wine shop chap, to wine writer, to Napa intern. He served as winemaker at Acacia in Napa and moved to Oregon in 2006 (smart guy) with his wife and two children. He spent eight years as winemaker at Lemelson Vineyards and then embarked on a consulting career, including the Carlton Winemakers Studio, where he serves as General Manager (and which you should definitely visit when in Willamette Valley).

Anthony approaches his winemaking with a background in the science, deep experience in the art, natural humility and learned skepticism. We are fortunate that Anthony agreed to help us launch Le Miel and confident that, with his support, we are creating some really good (and joyful!) wines.

Our Wines

Relax, enjoy, learn.

Le Miel Rose Pinot Noir

2023 Rosé of Pinot Noir

Crushable Rosé of Pinot Noir
A delight that defies expectations

Le Miel Pinot Noir

2022 Pinot Noir

Our go-with-everything Pinot Noir
A delicious blend that is your new go-to

Le Miel Albarino

2023 Albariño

Crisp and marine Albariño
A pure and fresh experience

Join us

As we embark on this exciting journey, we are grateful for the unwavering support of our friends and family. Their enthusiasm fuels our commitment to creating exceptional wines that embody the spirit of Le Miel. We invite you to be part of our story and experience the joy of well-crafted wines.