Acting in Solidarity Defines Oregon Winegrowers
Oregon wineries band together to launch Rogue Valley wines with 100% of the net proceeds supporting stranded winegrowers; Oregon Governor Kate Brown Shows Support
The website is up and running at OregonSolidarity.com
March 1, 2019, SALEM, Ore. – Starting February 15th, wine lovers will be able to purchase the Oregon Solidarity wines made by King Estate Winery and Willamette Valley Vineyards, who teamed up last fall to help Rogue Valley winegrowers when their grape contracts were abruptly cancelled days before harvest by the California producer of Elouan, citing smoke taint from the season’s wildfires.
They were joined by Silvan Ridge Winery and The Eyrie Vineyards to collaboratively make a Rogue Valley AVA-labeled Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Rosé of Pinot Noir. The wines will be available in a pre-sell through the website www.oregonsolidarity.com, before the Rosé of Pinot Noir hits retailer’s shelves on March 1st, Chardonnay on May 1st and Pinot Noir on August 1st. The net sales proceeds from the wines will be donated to the Rogue Valley Vintners to help support vineyards in the region.
“The Oregon Solidarity wines exemplify the Oregonian spirit, bringing forth our best values by helping others during their time of need,” Oregon Governor Kate Brown explained. “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 Winery and Willamette Valley Vineyards purchased as much stranded wine grapes 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 purchase more than 140 tons of grapes at a cost of $323,750 from six growers, coordinating harvest and delivery to the four participating wineries. This unprecedented 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 wines. Additional states outside of the Pacific Northwest will also have allocations, such as Pennsylvania.
“We are thankful for the overwhelming support we have received from retailers and customers for the Oregon Solidarity wines,” explained 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.”