Clink! traces the history of Oregon wines from the earliest vineyards to legislative efforts to control alcohol during Prohibition to the resurgence of the wine industry in the 1960s and finally to what the future may bring for these thriving Oregon businesses.

The traveling exhibition features 12 colorful banners with photographs and text illustrating the history of the flourishing Oregon wine industry. Two iPads provide digital interactive experiences to complement the graphics. Visitors may scroll through and view wine-related objects dating back to the 19th century through a digitized artifact catalog. A virtual AVA map with touch screen capability gives wine enthusiasts the chance to explore the major winegrowing areas of Oregon and learn about typical wine varietals grown in each part of the state.

Along with the Click exhibit The History Museum will feature throughout March and April Columbia Gorge Wineries and host several events including wine tastings, craft nights, and speakers.

Clink! Exhibit Grand Opening and Wine Tasting Gala

On February 28, from 6-8 p.m., The History Museum, 300 Port Marina Drive, Hood River, will host a special evening where the public may experience exhibit viewing, wine tasting, live music, dancing, light refreshments and receive a museum logo wine glass. This event is to be a fun evening as well as a fundraiser for The History Museum. General Admission is $35, or $30 for current Museum Members. Tickets for the event may be purchased at Waucoma Bookstore and at The History Museum. Ticket reservations may be made by calling The History Museum at 541-386-6772.

Read the source article at Hood River News

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Geology freaks get excited. There’s a new-ish wine region in Oregon, and it’s not what you think. Though the region is technically 100% located in Oregon, you won’t find your typical Oregon wines here. Meaning no Pinot Noir or Pinot

Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.vindulgeblog.com

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Forbes Welcome page — Forbes is a global media company, focusing on business, investing, technology, entrepreneurship, leadership, and lifestyle.

Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.forbes.com

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Early this year, this curious statistic made its way through the wine news cycle: The state with the highest price-per-bottle ratio in 2014 was not Califor

Sourced through Scoop.it from: punchdrink.com

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Where: Oregon’s Willamette Valley. WHY: Because 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Pinot Noir planting in the Willamette Valley, which the whole region celebrates during the annual Memorial Weekend in the Wine Country event (5/23–5/25; willamettewines.com).

Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.seattlemag.com

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A pioneer in the Ribbon Ridge AVA, Chehalem Winery was founded in the early 1980s to craft elegant Pinot noir and progressive Willamette Valley whites. Now, as part of Oregon Wine Month in May, they’re taking a progressive approach to giving with their inaugural Making a Case for Giving campaign.

Chehalem will give away at least 100 cases of wine, worth up to $40,000, to charities and non-profits via a simple application process.

From now until June 15th – Chehalem invites qualified charities and not-for-profits to make their case for a wine donation and explain how they plan to use it to inspire giving.

“Giving back is in Chehalem’s DNA,” says Harry Peterson-Nedry, founder and co-owner. “In the 30+ years we’ve been in business, we’ve committed ourselves to supporting and contributing to the communities around us, and Oregon Wine Month is the perfect time to boost charities’ fundraising efforts using Oregon wine.” Chehalem plans to make this an annual May tradition.

The Chehalem Winery family

So, who qualifies for consideration? Applicants must be a non-profit organization located in the state of Oregon, or greater Vancouver, WA metro area and submit their 501(c)(3) along with a completed application. Chehalem will review and consider all applications and contact the winners beginning mid-June. To view the application and apply, click here.

Aerial view over Chehalem winery and Corral Creek vineyard, Willamette Valley, Oregon

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Tucked away in Southern Oregon’s serene Applegate Valley, Bill and Barbara Steele have accomplished something that hasn’t yet been done in the wine world. As well as offering outstanding Rhône varietals such as Viognier, Marsanne, and deep reds like Syrahs and Grenache, their Cowhorn Vineyard and Garden tasting room has achieved the first ever Living Building Challenge Petal Certification in the wine industry. The Steeles first conversations around the project began nearly three years ago, and the final product was unveiled in the spring of 2017.

What’s Living Building Challenge Certification Mean?

By definition, the Living Building Challenge is a rigorous standard set forth by the International Living Future Institute which seeks to reconcile “humanity’s relationship with the natural world.” On the Cowhorn project itself, Living Future wrote, “Through early discussions, it became clear that the Living Building Challenge was the only approach to sustainable building that would achieve their goal of leaving the land better than the way the owners found it…and it was designed to be a reflection of not only the great wines produced on the vineyard but of the values at its roots.”

What’s Living Building Challenge Certification Mean to Cowhorn, and Winemaking?

As a Demeter-certified Biodynamic farm, sustainability is critical to Cowhorn’s business model. In a July broadcast interview with KTVL News 10, Bill said “We’re trying to do things as cleanly as possible, smallest footprint, and clean and healthy, and that’s why we chose biodynamic farming, and that’s why we chose Living Building Challenge, they’re both akin.”

The rigorous standards of the certification demand that the tasting room produces more energy than it uses and supply all its own water needs through an onsite closed-loop system for at least 12 consecutive months after taking occupancy. The installment of a 16-kilowatt rooftop photovoltaic system in February made this possible. Also, the vast majority of building materials came from within 600 miles of the facility, and only Forest Stewardship Council®– certified wood was used in building construction. As well as wood, the cork, glass, steel and other natural building materials bring outdoor elements inside. Finally, Construction waste was massively reduced.

The tasting room now mirrors Cowhorn’s approach to farming with the materials selected handpicked for their simplicity, natural beauty and chemical make-up. Not to mention the full disclosure of everything that the tasting room has built into it reflects Cowhorn’s disclosure of its ingredients, which the duo feel is critical in their winemaking.

Said Bill: “My wife and I are very proud that it was done in southern Oregon… First of its kind. It wasn’t done in Washington, it wasn’t done in California. We had a tremendous group of anywhere from 50 to 75 subcontractors in the area that came together to build this building.”

See more photos and project description.

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Program recognizes restaurants that feature a diversity of Oregon wines, varieties and regions

The votes have been cast, the results have been tallied, and City Winery Restaurant Group has emerged the winner of the 2018 Oregon Wine A-List Wine Program of the Year.

The Wine Program of the Year winner sets a standard of excellence for an Oregon wine restaurant program with its depth and breadth of Oregon selections, participation in Oregon Wine Month, and educational opportunities for staff and clientele alike. City Winery exemplifies these qualifiers as it has a well-curated, diverse selection of producers and both traditional and uncommon varieties of Oregon wines. They also host numerous Oregon wine events and make a house wine from Oregon grapes, which helps to increase visibility of the state on their house wine list, all done on a large scale.

As well as one Wine Program of the Year winner, there are 129 restaurants on the 2018 Oregon Wine A-List, spanning from Portland to New York City and Stockholm to Tokyo. The nomination window was open to the public from January to October, and all nominations were evaluated on the criteria of Oregon-based restaurants offering customers at least 30% of their wines or 30 producers from Oregon, and restaurants outside of Oregon having wine lists with 10 producers or 10% of the total list comprised of Oregon wines.

Says Oregon Wine Board president Tom Danowski, “The fantastic thing about our A-List restaurant program is that it shines a light on some of the world’s most passionate advocates for Oregon—the fine wine directors and restaurateurs—who go out of their way to showcase Oregon wines on their lists. We feel they should be rewarded for introducing more Oregon wines in the country’s top markets and we want to say thank you for the support.”

Michael Dorf, CEO and Founder of City Winery

With five locations—Chicago, Boston, NYC, Atlanta and Nashville—City Winery is headed by founder and CEO Michael Dorf and is a fully functioning winery (the first in NYC) and fine dining establishment hosting concerts, food and wine classes, and private events. Dorf and City Winery’s national wine director Rachel Driver Speckan are particularly pleased about the designation of City Winery as 2018 Oregon Wine A-List Program of the Year. “Both Rachel and I are so delighted with this honor,” said Dorf. “Putting on a wide variety of Oregon wines with the deep terroir differences between winemaking areas of the state, and showcasing all the delicious flavors Pinot noir has to offer, make our wine lists sing. We love turning our customers on to what we feel is the most exciting wine region in America.”

The Oregon Wine A-List Awards program is a partnership between Oregon Wine Press and Oregon Wine Board. It was founded in 2015 to recognize restaurants around the world that display deep appreciation, enthusiasm and support for Oregon wines as seen in the diversity of regions and varieties on their wine lists. To see the full 2018 A-List, make a nomination for the 2019 A-List and for more information, please visit www.oregonwinealist.com.

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Your opportunity to taste Oregonian expressions of the classic Rioja grape from 24 producers is almost here. Join the Oregon Tempranillo Celebration’s Grand Tasting on January 21 from 1-4 p.m. for fine wine, plentiful tapas and your own keepsake glass.

Enter OWB25 at checkout and receive $25 off the ticket price.

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Tempranillo takes its name from the Spanish word “temprano,” which means “early,” a reference to the fact that the variety ripens sooner than other grapes in Spain where Tempranillo is king. It buds late and only needs a relatively short growing season, with hot days and cool nights to preserve the fruit’s acidity. The thick skinned, deep blue-black berries are high in color and extract. Oregon Tempranillo can be enjoyed young and fresh or it can be made into elegant wines with great structure and aging potential. Come taste for yourself January 21.

A number of New World producers are doing Tempranillo. But if we’re going to go off the beaten path, we’re going with Southern Oregon and Rogue Valley as the terroir there lends to wines that can be just as rich and peppery as their Spanish equivalents.    – Wine Folly

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The Forbes Magazine article Bubbles Along The Willamette: Oregon’s Sparkling Wine Renaissance is like a metaphorical popping of the cork for Oregon’s burgeoning sparkling wine industry. Author Joe Micallef, himself a domestic sparkling wine judge and a Champagne judge Europe, proclaims the Willamette Valley to be in the midst of a sparkling wine renaissance.

In his words: “Now a second wine revolution is in the offing. Sparkling wine is about to join Pinot noir as one of the Willamette Valley’s distinctive and iconic wines.”

Micallef profiles several sparkling producers in the article, including Argyle Wines, Stoller Family Estate, Soter, Roco’s founder Rollin Soles, and mobile producer Radiant Sparkling Wine Co.

Read the full story here.

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