Word around Wine Country
News briefs from November 2020
Rogue Valley Cares
Rogue Valley wineries have come together to support families impacted by the wildfires that struck the region in early September. In collaboration with 24 wineries, as well as key sponsors, Rogue Valley Vintners launched a relief program called Rogue Valley Wine Country Cares.
“These devastating fires have affected many of our winery members’ employees, friends and colleagues,” said Gina Bianco, executive director of Rogue Valley Vintners. “The goal of Rogue Valley Wine Country Cares is to bring hope to those hit hardest. So many families have lost everything and have no insurance or other means to rebuild.”
Through Oct. 26, participating wineries donated at least $10 for every bottle of “Cares” wine sold — more than 50 exceptional wines comprised the selection.
“The fundraiser idea was conceived by Valley View Winery and Red Lily Vineyards. Rogue Valley Vintners developed the campaign and is collecting the funds of which 100% will go directly to families in need,” added Bianco.
During its first few days, the fundraiser generated more than $10,000 in cash donations from supporters like Troon Vineyard, Michael Donovan Consulting and Quady Sweet Wines from California. Oregon Wine Experience has pledged to match up to $5,000 in proceeds donated from “Cares” wine purchases.
Wineries include: Anchor Valley, Apricity, Belle Fiore, Cliff Creek, Cowhorn, DANCIN, Del Rio, Edenvale, Eliana, Goldback, Grizzly Peak, Hummingbird Estate, Irvine & Roberts, Naumes Suncrest, Plaisance Ranch, Quady North, Red Hill, Red Lily, Rellik, RoxyAnn, Schultz Glory Oaks, Troon, Valley View and Weisinger Family.
To learn more, visit www.roguevalleywinecountry.com.
Crash at Crush
The night of Oct. 4, a motorist drove through the front of winery suppler Crush2Cellar and ETS Laboratories in Newberg. No staff members were present at the time, and the driver did not sustain injuries. Employees cleared the entrance so customers could continue coming in to purchase products for harvest, and drop off or pickup samples from ETS.
For more about these businesses, visit www.crush2cellar.com or www.etslabs.com.
Art of Sparkling
On Oct. 1, Argyle Winery and the Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) celebrated the unveiling of the 2020 Art of Sparkling artwork at a special online event. Created by Argyle, the program is a unique collaboration with PNCA. Each year, three student artists are selected to receive a scholarship from Argyle.
As part of the scholarship, the artists create an original piece of art reflective of their interpretation of Argyle, which is then turned into a label for a special three-bottle set, this year featuring 2017 Argyle Vintage Brut. The winning labels were created by Eduardo Soto, Roger Schuff and Shannon Driscoll. The wine is available for purchase at www.argylewinery.com.
Bo Knows
Based in Minneapolis, Beverage Dynamics magazine recently announced Bo’s Wine Depot among the winners of its second-annual Top 100 Retailers Awards, which recognize off-premise retailers throughout the U.S. demonstrating innovation, excellent customer service and superior beverage knowledge. Retailers are nominated by industry members and judged by the magazine’s editorial team.
“Innovatively operating in a control state such as Oregon takes creativity, especially during a pandemic, and our customers have shown us that our concept is one that was long overdue,” said CEO Boris “Bo” Wiedenfeld. “We are excited about the future as we are preparing to open more locations around Oregon.”
Currently, find stores in Eugene and Springfield. Visit www.bosdepot.com for more information.
