In Solidarity
New brand defines Oregon wine community
By OWP Staff
Starting Feb. 15, consumers can purchase Oregon Solidarity wines made by King Estate and Willamette Valley Vineyards; they collaborated last fall to help Rogue Valley winegrowers after their grape contracts with the California producer of Elouan were abruptly canceled days before harvest, citing smoke taint from the season’s wildfires. In addition, the two wineries were joined by Silvan Ridge and The Eyrie Vineyards to produce three offerings: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and rosé of Pinot Noir.
The line-up will be available in an online pre-sale (oregonsolidarity.com) before the following release dates: rosé, March 1; Chardonnay, May 1; and Pinot Noir, Aug. 1. Net sales proceeds will be donated to Rogue Valley Vintners, helping support growers in the region.
“The Oregon Solidarity wines exemplify the Oregonian spirit, bringing forth our best values by helping others during their time of need,” explained Oregon Governor Kate Brown. “The Rogue Valley often bears the brunt of wildfire season, and it’s incredible that our wine community is stepping up to support one another and boost our local economy.”
King Estate and Willamette Valley Vineyards purchased as much stranded fruit as possible, paying the full contracted rates to help the growers. Independent third-party analysis showed the grapes were well below the threshold for smoke impact. In total, the coalition was able to acquire more than 140 tons of grapes from six growers at a cost of $323,750. The effort translates to nearly 7,500 cases of wine.
Oregon Solidarity wines will be distributed in Oregon and Washington by Young’s Market Company. To date, there have been commitments from Safeway, Albertson’s, Fred Meyer and New Seasons to sell the special brand. Additional states outside the Northwest, such as Pennsylvania, also will have allocations.
“We are thankful for the overwhelming support we have received from retailers and customers for the Oregon Solidarity wines,” said Christine Clair, winery director for Willamette Valley Vineyards, “We look forward to sharing them with people across the country and supporting growers who were deprived of the opportunity to share their high-quality grapes due to the unexpected cancelation.”
Oregon Solidarity will be featured in several consumer events across the country starting this spring, including the Oregon Wine Board’s Oregon Wine Trail event in New York City, May 6, 2019. Visit the website for additional event listings.
The labels were designed by Taylor King of the King family.
