Woot! Woot!

OWP marks 400th edition

I am not so good at math, but I think I can handle this one: If I take 400 and subtract 243, the number is 157. Am I right?

My calculator confirms my elementary answer, of which my unsureness comes from not regularly exercising that part of my brain and the fact that numbers, and the potential to be off, makes me seriously uneasy.

In 2006, when the News-Register and the Bladine family acquired the Oregon Wine Press from hardworking founders Elaine Cohen and Richard Hopkins, the first edition we produced was No. 244 (May 2006), which means Elaine and Richard had published the previous 243 issues. Fast-forward to 2019, and this magazine marks our 400th issue, which means we’ve produced 157.

For myself, this is quite an accomplishment. That’s 157 “births” spread over 13-plus years — I love adore each “child” the same.

Along the way, OWP has adapted. At first, we continued the newspaper format of the original newsletter; then we graduated to a different stock of paper and bound the side for a magazine feel. Our latest iteration, starting in 2015, is what you are holding right now: a glossy cover with brighter, heavier paper inside — printed merely feet from my desk by the Bladines’ long-running press.

Over the years, we have dabbled with the idea of going all glossy, but we believe our magazine strikes a unique balance reflective of Oregon’s wine industry itself.

We have a glossy side — the high distinctions, the winemakers flocking here from the around the world, the extravagant tasting rooms, etc. Yet, it is Oregon’s down-to-earth, eco-conscious, friendly, more experimental side that reflects a much broader section of our industry. This is represented by our recycled, recyclable, natural paper “guts,” a term for interior pages — I’d say it works well for this analogy.

And so, as the world continues to fall in love with Oregon wine, and the bar reaches higher and higher, here at OWP, we intend to keep up, yet keep things real. And we hope you’ll continue joining us on this fantastic ride, now 35 years running.

Next stop: No. 401. But for now, enjoy this special, round-numbered edition. No. 400 has such cool ring to it.

Cheers from OWP!