Bill Stoller, Oregon Vintner and Philanthropist, Dies at Age 74
Bill Stoller, a Willamette Valley native, businessman and philanthropist who established Chehalem and Stoller Family wineries as prominent players in Oregon wine, died in his sleep on April 24 at his home in Oklahoma City. He was 74.
“Bill Stoller exceeded all expectations,” said friend and winemaker Rollin Soles. “We in the Willamette wine industry will benefit from his vision for a long time to come. This is also a huge loss for the Yamhill County and Dayton community at large.”
Gary Mortensen, Stoller Wine Group president, said in a statement that Stoller “had an unwavering belief in the potential of the Oregon wine industry. Bill was more than a remarkable entrepreneur—he was a generous mentor, a steadfast friend.”
An Oregon Native Who Returned to Make Wine
William H. Stoller was raised on his family’s turkey farm outside Dayton, Ore. He graduated from Pacific University in 1974 with degrees in business and economics and later earned his MBA from Portland State University. In 1983, he co-founded Express Employment Professionals, an Oklahoma City–based firm that is now one of the largest privately owned staffing companies in the world.
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As Oregon gained prominence as a wine region, Stoller’s sights turned back to Willamette Valley. In 1988, he was one of 36 investors in Ridgecrest Vineyards, the first vineyard planted in what would later become the highly regarded Ribbon Ridge appellation.
By 1993, Stoller was co-owner of Chehalem, which was founded by winemaker Harry Peterson-Nedry in 1990. Stoller also purchased the old family turkey farm and started planting vineyards there. That property would soon become Stoller Family. Located in the Dundee Hills appellation, the 373-acre ranch now has 210 acres of vineyards, about 70 percent planted with Pinot Noir. The first vintage of Stoller was 2001, made at Chehalem. Stoller became sole owner of Chehalem in 2018.
Preserving His Willamette Valley Community
Stoller was also committed to sustainability in both farming and winemaking and helped set an example for a green building in the wine industry, when Stoller Family became the first winery in the world to earn the prestigious LEED Gold certification for energy efficiency and environmental design, in 2006.
Built into a hillside, the winery was designed to save energy by relying on gravity to move the wine, using solar power and nighttime cooling and storing wine in a naturally cool underground cellar. While such practices have become more common now, they were still a rarity in the early 2000s. Also in 2006, the vineyards earned LIVE sustainability certification, with the winery following in 2009.
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In 2020, Stoller bought the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum from bankruptcy liquidation, preserving one of Willamette Valley’s most popular attractions. “That was a big deal,” Beaux Frères founder Mike Etzel said. “It’s truly a shock to lose him.”
Stoller and his late wife, Cathy, were avid philanthropists in Willamette Valley and worked diligently to help revitalize his hometown. “Dayton has been a significant investment for him,” said friend and winemaker Ken Wright. “I am saddened to hear of his passing. Hopefully someone will continue to carry the torch.”
Stoller is survived by his second wife, LaRue, and his children Heather, Ken, Kyle, Lara and John.
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