Winemaker
Chris Hermann
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- Carlton, Oregon, United States
- Venue
- 00 Wines · Winery
i. Biography
Willamette Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir set the working frame here: cool-climate fruit, carefully chosen vineyard sites, and cellar decisions made around texture, aromatics, alcohol, and age. In the wines Chris Hermann makes through 00 Wines, the stated contrast is central to the craft: rich-textured yet low-alcohol, powerful yet elegant. The work is built on fruit and technique, with patience applied to skins, juice, vintage rhythm, and the protective choices that shape what a wine can hold over time.
Coming Up
Business structure and wine production both depend on early decisions carrying long consequences. In Chris Hermann’s early career as partner at Stoel Rives LLP, the work was legal architecture: structure, negotiation, and long-range thinking. Those disciplines translate cleanly to wine, where soil and weather are only part of the equation; timing, judgment, and the ability to read downstream effects matter just as much. The present working profile combines cellar, industry, and legal practice. That combination keeps the craft connected to both vineyard material and the practical systems around wine: sourcing, production intent, business structure, and the decisions that turn a site and season into bottles with precision, depth, and identity.
Where They Are Now
Vineyard sourcing, cellar decisions, and cool-climate expression define the current work at 00 Wines. Chris Hermann’s focus extends across the Willamette Valley, Burgundy, and Champagne in pursuit of world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The geography is broad, but the sensibility is narrow: site, season, and hand must remain legible. 00 Wines is described as a benchmark for the modern Cool-climate Chardonnay revolution, with its philosophy built around precision in the cellar, integrity in the vineyard, and a pursuit of purity. Clarity in wine is not the absence of technique; it is technique kept in proportion. In Hermann’s work, each wine is treated as an expression of place, season, and hand. The vineyard provides the voice, the vintage shapes its inflection, and the cellar is used to refine rather than cover. Texture, aromatics, and structure are central measures: how the wine opens, how it holds, and how it ages. Black Chardonnay is the defining craft choice associated with the Oregon work. The Burgundian-style extreme pressing approach extracts phenolics and fine particulates, then allows early oxidation to develop aromatics, flavor, texture, and aging potential. In Chris Hermann’s hands, the method reflects controlled intensity: drawing more from the fruit while preserving elegance, and building wines intended to carry both immediate appeal and longer aging horizons. Freya Hermann Cuvée, a Chardonnay from 2017, is described as a defining early moment for the winery and a touchstone. Within 00 Wines, it serves as a marker of intent: a wine tied to the house’s emerging identity and to the larger pursuit of Chardonnay with richness, precision, and poise.
Honors
Chris Hermann has received Oregon Wine Industry Symposium — Industry Partner Award (2011). Chris's honors include Industry Partner Award (2011).
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Chris
What is Chris Hermann's current role?
Chris Hermann is Winemaker and Founder of 00 Wines.
Where did Chris Hermann work before?
Earlier in their career, Chris Hermann worked at Stoel Rives LLP.
What recognition has Chris Hermann received?
Industry Partner Award (2011).
