Generous Pour 2025
How Oregon's wine industry is building stronger communities
Story by Gail Oberst
Football legend Walter Payton is credited with saying, “We are stronger together than we are alone.” The late “Sweetness” was known for his charitable work, a legacy that continues decades after his death.
In the same way, Oregon wineries are collaborating to create their own brand of sweetness in the world, raising money for diverse causes, including neonatal care, professional development and affordable housing.
Some wineries host annual fundraisers, while others join foundations and peer groups. In addition, wine people are generous with one another and to their communities, as reflected in fundraisers following grape-damaging disasters.
The story includes just the tip of the iceberg of generosity, or perhaps we should call it the icing on the cake, sticking with the allusions to sweetness.
Let’s begin with organizations– some new to the fray– whose member wineries and vineyards are raising money for causes dear to their region’s heart as well as its wines.
WALLA WALLA VALLEY WINE
Among the nonprofit Walla Walla Valley Wine’s many events is the month-long Barrel Full of Money. Now in its 15th year, the fundraising campaign raises funds for Walla Walla’s Blue Mountain Action Council, or BMAC– a local arm of the national Community Action Council– devoted to helping families and individuals challenged with poverty.
Danielle Garbe Reser, CEO of Blue Mountain Action Council, explains, “Each year, Barrel Full of Money has shown what’s possible when our community comes together with generosity and heart. All funds raised assist individuals and families experiencing poverty, helping them take steps towards stability and independence. Together, we are building thriving communities.”
Beginning with the popular “Bubbles for BMAC” sparkling wine event on Nov. 6, Walla Walla Valley wineries are also donating tasting fees and conducting other on-site fundraisers. The campaign concludes Dec. 5 with the Community Celebration and Auction featuring exclusive wine lots, experiences and products donated by Walla Walla wineries and businesses. Since its inception in 2011, the Barrel Full of Money campaign has raised over $700,000 for BMAC’s mission to provide services to local residents.
“Barrel Full of Money has always held a special place in my heart,” shares Tracy Parmer, interim executive director of Walla Walla Valley Wine. “I’ve been part of this event since 2013, and as a former BMAC staff member, I’ve seen firsthand the difference these dollars make for families in our community. It’s inspiring to watch wineries, businesses and neighbors come together every year to ensure no one is left behind during the holiday season.”
Find more information, along with tickets, at wallawallawine.com/event/bfom.
WILLAMETTE VALLEY WINE FOUNDATION
Page Knudsen Cowles of Knudsen Vineyards describes it perfectly. Oregon winemakers are especially collaborative. “I need a tractor. Can I borrow one of yours? It’s part of our ethos,” she observes. The Willamette Valley Wine Foundation chair is alluding to an underappreciated trait of the industry’s generosity: It extends inward as well. The cooperative community adeptly connects services and experts. “Oregon wine is really about connections and relationships,” she states.
As a result, Knudsen Cowles notes how the Foundation serves an important role as facilitator in its mission to provide affordable housing, professional development, health and childcare for the communities it serves. Its members know people who know people. And when the people they know need something, well… they know somebody with a tractor.
Willamette Valley Wine Foundation is the charitable arm of the Willamette Valley Wineries Association. Formally established in 2021, the 16 volunteer board members of the Foundation raise money from pledges, grants and charitable contributions with support from the Association’s staff and infrastructure. Intimate house parties and other informational gatherings have helped fund the Foundation’s current projects. Late last month, Julie Dalrymple, the Foundation’s first executive director, stepped into her role. She’ll work with board members from the housing, education and health care industries to plan fundraising efforts serving crucial community needs along with the wine industry’s goals.
Last year, the Foundation’s members raised $1.1 million of a $2 million campaign to support various projects, including Primeros Pasos, an early childhood education project for Latino families, in collaboration with the Capaces Leadership Institute. In addition, seed money, connections and support helped secure a $6.2 million grant for the 175-unit affordable Stratus Village housing project, supported by Oregon’s Agricultural Workforce Housing Tax Credits. The McMinnville apartment complex will be completed and open by year’s end.
UMPQUA VALLEY WINEGROWERS ASSOCIATION
Further south, wineries in the Umpqua Valley Winegrowers Association and Umpqua Community Action Network, based in Roseburg, frequently raise money for the organization’s food bank. Each July and August, wineries pledge portions of sales or tasting fees, conduct raffles or stage other fundraisers in collaboration with beer and coffee breweries. It’s an ideal opportunity to taste local drinks, help the economy and fight hunger all at once.
Last year, fundraising efforts included local breweries, raising more than $7,000 for the food bank. This year and next, the Pouring Generosity campaign also involves coffee brewers, attracting an even broader audience.
This year’s participating wineries were Abacela, Brandborg Vineyard & Winery, Bradley Vineyards, Cooper Ridge Vineyard, Freed Estate Winery, JosephJane Winery, Knostman Family Winery, Melrose Vineyards, Richwine Vineyards, Rivers Edge Winery, Season Cellars, Trella Vineyards and Whitetail Ridge Vineyard.
In addition, Umpqua Valley wineries are featured in the 54th annual Greatest of the Grape celebration on March 7, 2026. This year, the event raised $4,000 for Douglas CARES, a child abuse response and evaluation center.
SOUTHERN OREGON
For a second year, more than 30 small-production wineries gathered in Phoenix for the Southern Oregon Indie Wine Mixer. Five percent of event ticket sales supported Rogue Food Unites’ food boxes, hot meals and other assistance to those in need. Erich Berg, founder of both Ricochet Wine Company and Indie Wine Mixer, partnered with Sound & Vision Wine Co. to produce the Southern Oregon edition.
"This event is packed with talented winemakers doing it all on their own, without deep pockets, cellar staff or marketing teams," boasts Berg. "They're out there making great wine and building their brands one handshake at a time."
Additional participating wineries were Abundancia Vineyards, Augustina Cellars, Botaneity, Burton Bittman Wines, Cortell Collection, Circadian Cellars, Dagger Daisy, Flipturn Cellars, Francere, Goldback Wines, Gonzales Wine Company, Grit Cellars, guerrilla wine co., Human Cellars, Iruai Wine, Jackalope Wine Cellars, Lafayette & White Cellars, Liska Wine Co., Little Crow, Lovely Wine Co., Maison Jussiaume, Marr Cellars, Redolent Wine Company, Satyr Fire, Terrene Cider + Wine, The Punch House, Throughline Wines, Twelve 32 Wines and Zē Wines.
Next year's Southern Oregon Indie Wine Mixer is scheduled for Labor Day Weekend.
ROCKS DISTRICT WINEGROWERS
A small group of Oregon winegrowers is located in The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater, a six-square-mile nested American Viticultural Area, nested within the larger Walla Walla Valley appellation. This summer, they hosted the Basalt Bash and Barrel Auction fundraiser, donating $75,000 to support mental health services for the Milton-Freewater Unified School District’s students.
“Currently, demand far exceeds capacity. Our community faces significant barriers to accessing care. Through this partnership, we can bridge the gap, bringing more mental health services and making them accessible to our students,” reports the School District Superintendent, Aaron Duff.
The inaugural Bash included a tamale tasting and fiesta block party, golf with the winemaker tournament, a bubble lounge, auction and a winetasting with 32 producers, all “cobbled” together by the nonprofit Rocks District Winegrowers. High on the wings of success, the organization is planning the second annual Basalt Bash for July 24-25, 2026.
“Awareness of the needs of Milton-Freewater children and their families is now front and center with the wine community of Walla Walla Valley, asserts Steve Robertson, president of the Rocks District Winegrowers.
TARGETED GENEROSITY
You might have noticed how winery owners and wine growers are as different in their personalities as the wines they produce. Individual wineries and informal collections support causes in various ways, from donating tasting fees to all-out festival proceeds going to a single cause. Here are several examples of groups Oregon wineries support:
Veterans and Law Enforcement – Richwine Vineyards donates wine to the Oregon Fallen Badge Foundation’s annual ball, raising money for law enforcement families, in addition to the UCAN food bank. Through bottle sales, Del Rio Vineyard Estate supports Homes for Our Troops, benefiting post-9/11 veterans.
Health and Children Services – ¡Salud!, providing affordable healthcare for vineyard workers and their families, is the beneficiary of the Nov. 14-15 Oregon Pinot Noir Auction, including wines from 35 Willamette Valley wineries. Last year’s event raised $1.4 million for ¡Salud!’s programs. Tickets and information for the 34th auction is available at saludauction.org/auction.
Willamette Valley Vineyards’ annual summertime 5K runs also raised money to benefit ¡Salud! and the American Heart Association. Many other wineries contribute to ¡Salud! through various fundraisers during the year.
Et Fille sends a portion of its bottle sales to Providence Portland’s Neonatal Care Unit, Adelante Mujeres’ Chicas Youth Program, as well as the Baby Blues Connection and Providence BULL auction. Abbey Road Farm donated space to several groups, including With Courage, an organization supporting families in Yamhill County impacted by breast cancer. With Courage also benefits from Patton Valley Wine’s Drink Pink festival, featuring rosé from dozens of Oregon wineries. Ricochet Winery donates five percent of its third-quarter sales to Henderson House, a Yamhill County nonprofit supporting survivors of violence.
Housing and Hunger – Boedecker Cellars has established an internal fund to support its causes, primarily focusing on those in need of housing and food. King Estate Winery supports the nonprofit Food for Lane County, including last month’s fundraising dinner and auction. Yamhill Community Action Partnership, providing a food bank and housing services, is a recipient of several area wineries’ donations, including Abbey Road Farm and Knudsen Vineyards.
Diversity and Pride – Remy Wines’ annual Queer Wine Fest, set for June 28, 2026, raises money for Wine Country Pride, a nonprofit providing scholarships to LGBTQ+ youth and supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Knudsen Vineyards and other wineries also donate to Wine Country Pride. Remy’s sparkling wine sales also benefit the American Civil Liberties Union, sending over $13,000 in the past five years.
Youth, family and training – Ricochet partners with Encompass Yamhill Valley, a job-training program for individuals experiencing homelessness. Sweet Cheeks Winery partners with the Marcus Mariota Motiv8 Foundation to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club of Emerald Valley. Vitae Springs Vineyard and Winery provides vineyard training scholarships through the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms program.
In May, Bryn Mawr Vineyards hosted Family Building Blocks’ Uncorked dinner and auction fundraiser, benefiting the nonprofit organization focused on connecting families to supportive services in the mid-Willamette Valley. The event also included Abbey Road Farm, Andante Vineyard, Alumbra Cellars, Bledsoe McDaniels Winery, Botaneity, Bryn Mawr Vineyards, David Paige Wines, Cória Estates, Cubanisimo Vineyards, Illahe Vineyards, Iterum Wines, Left Coast Estate, Parra Wine Co., Pike Road Wines, Scenic Valley Farms, Sineann, Varnum Vintners and Willamette Valley Vineyards.
ONE PERSON CAN CHANGE THE WORLD
One Glass at a Time
In this issue, we applaud the large groups and winery or vineyard owners changing their world in big and small ways. But what if you are one person, glass of wine in hand, looking to do your part to make this a better world?
Good for you for thinking this way. Generosity lives in the spirit of bonhomie typical of those who drink wine together.
You have assets: talents, time, connections to power or piles of cash. Take a look at the groups mentioned in these pages and ask yourself what you can do for them… then do it.
Here’s an example: “Anonymous,” cash jars and volunteers. Having served on a few nonprofit boards myself, I am always amazed at the quiet support from people who don’t ask for recognition, but instead, dig in to help.
And another example: Nobody pays Carl Giavanti, a wine writer and consultant, to write stories about other wine writers in his free newsletter. He does it to boost the business of wine and writing. He did not write about me. This is not a quid pro quo, although I owe him for connecting me to stories.
Or what about Page Knudsen Cowles? She sits on the board of five nonprofits, and is retired from several others; many have little to no connection with Knudsen Vineyards, the iconic Dundee-area winery her parents founded. Why? Because that’s what she can do. And she’s not the only one in the industry who volunteers to help lead the organizations for which they raise money.
What’s in it for you? If nothing else, any donation you make is worth the good feelings you get and spread around, about humanity.
We are good. Wine is good. That is all.
DISCLAIMER
We hope you’ve enjoyed this small taste of the generosity of Oregon’s wineries and vineyards, an important trait of our 1,143 bonded wineries and 1,512 vineyards (according to the most recent Oregon Wine Board statistics). If our math is correct, less than 2 percent of those operations are listed in this story. And, we’ve not even whispered about the tertiary businesses supporting community fundraisers by serving or promoting wine, donating event space or helping get the word out. These include bottle shops, wine bars, restaurants… the list goes on.
DRINK GENEROUSLY: Donation examples (A short list)
The following is an alphabetical summary of the generous donations reported to the Oregon Wine Press. Other details are in this issue's Generous Pour story.
Abacela Winery donated proceeds from 12-bottle bundle sales to the food bank program Umpqua Community Action Network.
Abbey Road Farm donated space valued at $44,000 to organizations, including With Courage, Women in Wine, Sip and Savor and Wine Country Pride. Wine, plus $17,000 value in B&B stays and merchandise, was donated for nonprofit auctions; hosts the four-week-long Holiday Lights Wine Walk to benefit a different local organization each year; also contributed to Juliette’s House, ¡Salud! and Yamhill Community Action Partnership.
Boedecker Cellars donates to Life Up Portland, an organization delivering food to those in need, and sponsors social services at Friendly House and the Unidos Gala. Last year, the winery established the Boedecker Foundation, donating to various organizations in need.
Brandborg Vineyard & Winery donates all of its tasting fees for July and August to the Pouring Generosity UCAN Food Bank program.
Bryn Mawr Vineyards hosted the Uncorked fundraiser for Family Building Blocks in May, raising funds for families in the Mid-Willamette Valley area. Participating wineries included Abbey Road, Andante Vineyard, Alumbra Cellars, Bledsoe McDaniels Winery, Botaneity, Iterum Wines, David Paige Wines, Coria Estates, Cubanisimo Vineyards, Illahe Vineyards, Left Coast Estate, Parra Wine, Pike Road Wines, Redhawk Vineyards, Scenic Valley Farms, Sineann, Varnum Vintners and Willamette Valley Vineyards.
Del Rio Estate Vineyard supports Homes for Our Troops by donating $1 per bottle sold during November and December to help fund the building of specially adapted homes for post 9/11 veterans who have been severely injured in combat.
Et Fille Wines donates a portion of the sales of Gabriella Pinot Noir to the Providence Portland NICU where the owner’s daughter, Gabriella, spent the first month of her life. Other donations go to Adelante Mujeres for the Chicas Youth Program. Et Fille is one of 35 wineries crafting exclusive cuvées specifically for the ¡Salud! Auction, raises funds for accessible health care for vineyard stewards. Other support goes to infant and maternal health at the Baby Blues Connection and Providence Hospital’s BULL (Business, Union and Labor Leaders) auction, to education and programs empowering women.
Freed Estate Vineyards participated in the UCAN program, selling tickets in a raffle for six bottles of wine, including free shipping for the winner.
King Estate donated more than $100,000 in wine to various nonprofits, including the Eugene Symphony, Food for Lane County and Lane Community College’s food program. The winery is a longtime sponsor of the Chef’s Night Out fundraiser.
Knudsen Vineyards donates five percent of Family Series wine sales to Wine Country Pride, a grassroots LGBTQ+ community nonprofit. Their Arbor Day Spring Trio sales support One Tree Planted and “Give Back Bundle” sales support Yamhill Community Action Partnership funds to low-income families in Yamhill County. They also support Western Bluebird Recovery and the Community Leadership in Diversity, Equity, Belonging & Inclusion Committee of the Willamette Valley Wineries Association.
Left Coast Estate sponsors an annual Run for the Oaks, raising money for oak conservation.
Potters Vineyard stages an annual Empty Bowls Soup Dinner for the Stone Soup Missions, to feed the hungry and train or employ people who are houseless or housing-insecure.
Remy Wines supports LGBTQ+ communities by sponsoring Wine Country Pride and the Wine Queer Fest. They also donate a portion of Black Heart Méthode Champenoise sparkling wine to the Oregon chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. Other donations include facility space, winery supplies and year-round storage for Wine Country Pride's physical assets.
Richwine Vineyards donates wine and silent auction items to the Fallen Badge Law Enforcement Ball and other organizations. The winery also provides space and set-up for charity fundraisers, in addition to a percentage of bottle sales to the UCAN food bank. Among this year’s beneficiaries were Altrusa International Foundation, Riddle Roots Community Projects, Chamber of Commerce, special needs nonprofit FEEAT, Mercy Hospital and the local school district.
Ricochet Wine donates five percent of all sales to local nonprofits. In addition, five percent of all Q3 sales go to Henderson House, assisting survivors of domestic and sexual violence in Yamhill County. The winery also provides workforce training in partnership with Encompass Yamhill Valley to individuals experiencing homelessness.
Patton Valley Wines hosts the annual Drink Pink Rosé Festival, raising money for With Courage, a nonprofit supporting families impacted by breast cancer. This year’s participating wineries included: Abundancia Vineyards, Adelsheim Vineyard, Balsall Creek, Bells Up Winery, Big Table Farm, Bryn Mawr Vineyard, Chehalem Wines, Chris James Cellars, Coelho Winery, Dauntless Wine, David Hill Vineyards, Domaine Lumineux, Furioso Vineyards, Illahe Vineyards, J Christopher Wines, Jachter Family Wines, Knudsen Vineyards, Lafayette & White Cellars, Lemelson Vineyards, Marshall Davis Wine, MonksGate Vineyard, Ocelli Cellars, Patton Valley Wines, R. Stuart & Co., Rain Dance Vineyards, Soter Vineyards, Stoller Family Estate, Suzor Wines, Varnum Vintners and Well Played Wines.
Sweet Cheeks Winery partnered with Marcus Mariota's Motiv8 Foundation to raise $110,000 through sales of collaborative wines. Those funds are supporting Arc Park in Eugene, Boys and Girls Club of Emerald Valley and Sleep in Heavenly Peace. The winery also donated tasting fees to Naturely on Mother’s Day, a local nonprofit supporting equity in perinatal wellness, and continues its Charitable Cheers program in November and December, when $20,000 in tasting fees will be donated to three local nonprofits.
Vitae Springs Vineyard and Winery participates in World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, an agricultural training program.
Willamette Valley Vineyard raised $1,700 for the American Heart Association during February through sales of its 2023 Whole Cluster Pinot Noir. The winery’s annual 5K race raised funds for ¡Salud! and a fundraiser for Cascades Raptor Center raised $1,270. It donated wine to the Salem YMCA and Family Building Blocks' Uncorked event. The winery also hosted the Oregon Truffle Festival’s Truffle Dog Awards.
If you or your favorite winery should be included in next year’s Generous Pour series, send information to gailoberst@yahoo.com before July 30, 2026.
Gail Oberst has been a Northwest writer, editor and publisher for decades. Among her favorite gigs was business editor for the News-Register, and editor pro temp for three months for the Oregon Wine Press. Inspired by the OWP, she founded the Oregon Beer Growler with her family, later selling it to Oregon Lithoprint. She continues to edit and write a wide range of articles for magazines, and weekly and regional newspapers. Recently, she published her first fiction novel, "Valkyrie Dance," available on Amazon, and is working on her second, San Souci. She lives in Independence, Oregon and has four grown children and seven grandchildren.
