DUNDEE, Ore. – January 26, 2022 – Argyle Winery is excited to announce the debut of its second annual Ojo Brilloso collection, which features a trio of limited-production, single-vineyard Pinot Noirs from the renowned Knudsen, Spirit Hill and Lone Star vineyards. Created to honor the knowledge, wisdom and skill of Argyle’s acclaimed vineyard team, each of the three wines was made in collaboration with the vineyard supervisor overseeing their respective vineyard. Building on the philosophy behind the Ojo Brilloso program, which strives to acknowledge and empower vineyard workers, Argyle has partnered with three leading non-profits, and will be making a significant commitment in terms of time, resources and charitable contributions to the important mission of each organization. This includes ¡Salud! A project of OHSU Health Hillsboro Medical Center’s mission to provide healthcare to Oregon vineyard workers, AHIVOY’s mission to provide education and professional development to Latinx and Hispanic vineyard workers in the Willamette Valley, and The Roots Fund’s commitment to investing in communities of color to provide opportunities in the wine industry through scholarships, wine education and job placement. The three-bottle Ojo Brilloso collection is available online at argylewinery.com for $150.
What is Ojo Brilloso? This was the question Argyle Viticulturist Geoff Hall found himself asking when he joined Argyle in 2017. As he began learning about Argyle’s renowned 400-acre estate vineyard program, he would often hear members of his team say ‘ojo brilloso’ (ō-hō bree-ō´-sō), which loosely translates to ‘nice observation.’ Hall quickly realized that these ‘nice observations’ reflected his team’s intimate knowledge of the vineyards, and were building blocks of Argyle’s success, which in turn inspired the Ojo Brilloso program.
The 2019 vintage of Ojo Brilloso highlights the talents of Argyle’s three vineyard supervisors: Francisco Ponce, who oversees Spirit Hill Vineyard, Jose Sanchez, who guides Knudsen Vineyard, and Hector Cabrera, who supervises Lone Star Vineyard. Each vineyard supervisor selected a small block or section of Pinot Noir in their vineyard that they personally stewarded throughout the excellent 2019 growing season to create a wine that embodies their connection to the site, and the pride they take in their work. The wines were then produced in collaboration with Argyle’s acclaimed winemaker Nate Klostermann.
“Vineyard workers are the backbone of our industry, and yet their contributions so often go unacknowledged. With Ojo Brilloso, we are working to change that,” said Winemaker Nate Klostermann.
Each of the three vineyard supervisors selected and stewarded their Ojo Brilloso blocks, applying custom leafing, pruning and canopy management techniques to coax the full potential from each site. As a result of the quality of the Ojo Brilloso wines, the Argyle vineyard team has already begun adopting select pruning and leafing methods applied by the vineyard supervisors for use in other sections of Argyle’s estate vineyards.
“This project makes me proud,” says Argyle Vineyard Supervisor Francisco Ponce. “The company takes us into account and reminds us that we are the foundation of the company—the pillars.” For Vineyard Supervisor Jose Sanchez, Ojo Brilloso is a reflection of his relationship with the vineyards. “This wine reflects the love we have for the plants. It is a sign of how much we respect the plants. It feels good to know that this wine is the fruit of our humble work.”
To support Ojo Brilloso’s mission of empowering vineyard workers and creating a more equitable and inclusive wine industry, Argyle will be making an equal cash donation to ¡Salud! A project of OHSU Health Hillsboro Medical Center, the Asociación Hispana de la Industria del Vino en Oregon y Comunidad (AHIVOY) and The Roots Fund. The donation to ¡Salud! will support their mobile health clinic program, while the AHIVOY donation will fund educational scholarships for vineyard workers. In addition to the cash donation, support of The Roots Fund will include two annual harvest internships annually for BIPOC members of the wine community.
“We are deeply grateful for Argyle’s monetary support and advocacy work via the Ojo Brilloso project,” said the AHIVOY team. “We appreciate, and celebrate, the acknowledgment that the Ojo Brilloso project gives to the important work vineyard stewards contribute to each bottle of wine.”
The three-bottle Ojo Brilloso collection features original label artwork created by Eduardo Soto, who was one of Argyle’s 2020 Art of Sparkling scholarship recipients. Influenced by the artwork of the Mexican muralist movement, Soto’s three labels are part of a larger work portraying Argyle’s estate vineyards in winter, spring and during harvest. 800 collectible sets were produced in the 2019 vintage, and the wines are sold in a stunning three-bottle box, with cut-out picture windows showing the labels. To order the collection, please visit www.ArgyleWinery.com.
About Argyle Winery
As Oregon’s original and most acclaimed sparkling wine house, Argyle Winery has been creating wines in the Willamette Valley since 1987. What began as a conviction to grow world-class sparkling wine has grown to include an acclaimed portfolio of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling. Argyle farms more than 400 acres of estate vineyards in the Willamette Valley, and welcomes guests daily at the Argyle Tasting House, located in the same downtown Dundee space they’ve called home since the beginning. To learn more, visit ArgyleWinery.com.
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