Nate Klostermann

Coming Up

Wine training here runs through formal study, cellar repetition, and field work, and Nate Klostermann’s path follows that sequence closely. At the University of Minnesota, he built the academic base; at Falconer Vineyards in Red Wing, Minnesota, he worked in the vineyard and cellar where precision is learned through repetition rather than theory. That early footing carried into Argyle Winery in Oregon, where he trained from 2005–2013 before moving into enology. Each step added a different view of the same trade: fruit in the field, movement in the cellar, and the quiet work between the two. Since 2013, the winemaker role at Argyle Winery has marked the top of that progression. Klostermann’s rise there reflects a methodical approach to the work, shaped by time, practice, and close attention to what each vintage will and will not give.

Where They Are Now

Sparkling wine demands a level of control that leaves little room for improvisation, and Klostermann speaks to that reality directly. When he says, "Making great sparkling wine is unlike anything else—it’s the ultimate challenge for a winemaker," the emphasis falls on balance, timing, restraint, and the long build that goes into a finished bottle. The statement reads less as rhetoric than as a plain account of the category’s technical load. Harvest is where that labor becomes visible. For Klostermann, it is the season when aroma, texture, and timing all have to be read at speed and with care. His own words make the priorities plain: "Harvest is my favorite time of year. It’s the culmination of an entire growing season brought to life and brings me great excitement to smell, taste, and work long days to make sure it all comes together at the right time." The work is physical, sensory, and exacting; the reward is seeing the season resolve into wine.

Signature

Nate's signature wines include Argyle Vintage Brut, Nuthouse Pinot Noir, and Brut Willamette Valley Extended Tirage Master Series 2010. Taken together, they show a maker working across both sparkling and still wine, with Argyle as the consistent frame and range as the result.

In Their Words “Harvest is my favorite time of year. It’s the culmination of an entire growing season brought to life and brings me great excitement to smell, taste, and work long days to make sure it all comes together at the right time.” “With Rollin as my mentor, I knew that I could learn more on the job than I ever could in a classroom.”