Chilling With Whole Cluster

Date: Tue, Aug 9, 2011 Winery Blogs

Summer has finally arrived and the heat is starting to set in. Our vines are basking in the sun rays and our tasting room guests are swarming our decks with glasses of our Pinot Gris, Dry Rosé, and Riesling. These are some of our crisp, cool wines that really quench your thirst on these hot summer days.

Something often overlooked and actually a really great idea is to chill, our specialty, a Pinot. Our Whole Cluster Pinot Noir happens to lend itself perfectly to chilling due to its unique and delicious styling. In fact, in a recent CNN.com article, Ray Isle asked, "Why don't people drink red wine cold?"

"Some Pinots don’t chill well—more robust versions, for instance a good percentage of what California produces. But find a delicate, lighter style, and Pinot tastes great chilled down. Oregon’s a good place to look; among the best choices there is the floral 2010 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir."

Here's a quick link to the whole CNN.com article, it's a pretty "cool" write-up... pun intended. :) Chilled Reds

Cheers to keeping it cool this summer!

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"Why I Love Oregon Pinot Noir" Contest Winner Announced!

Date: Thu, Jul 14, 2011 Winery Blogs

We've justconcludedour annual “Why I Love Oregon Pinot Noir” contest.We asked Pinot Noir lovers from around the country to tell us “Why I Love Oregon Pinot Noir.” The most touching entry was chosen to win an all-expense-paid trip to Oregon Wine Country and Willamette Valley Vineyards.



Contest Winner, Catherine Wilkinson of AZ.

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Blind Tasting Competition Results!

Date: Fri, Jun 3, 2011 Winery Blogs

Congratulations to Heidi Moran for winning our 2011 Annual “Pinots from Around the World” Blind Tasting Competition!

The tasting took place during our Memorial Day Weekend Open House. Guests were given a Pinot Noir lesson from our Eastern Regional Sales Manager, Mandie Silver. Mandie is a Certified Wine Specialist and flew over 3,000 miles to share her knowledge and expertise. Guests and industry partners sipped, swirled, and sniffed trying to match four Pinot Noirs to their respective regions, including Willamette Valley, California, New Zealand, and France. Of the 400 who participated, only 5 contestants matched all four wines. Heidi was drawn at random selection for the grand prize and has now won an afternoon with our Winemaker, Forrest Klaffke, followed by a Winemakers dinner for 10 guests at our Estate Winery in Turner, Oregon. Debra Welter, Paul Welch, and Christie Lathrop are the runners up and have received a special three pack of our award winning Pinot Noir.

The competition happens annually during Memorial Day Weekend, mark your calendar for next year, you could be the next winner!

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Michelle Jaymot - Our Employee of the Month

Date: Thu, May 26, 2011 Winery Blogs

Congratulations Michelle Jaymot for going above and beyond

every day here at WVV!

May marks our very first 'Employee of the Month' at WVV. When nominations were made, Michelle stood out as a natural choice to receive the brand new award.


Steve Caldwell, CFO said, "This commendation is for the outstanding work performed by Ms. Jaymot who, with a minimum of guidance, took the initiativeto improve and simplify the purchasing process of wine for our distribution division, Bacchus Fine Wines. The process she created will greatly improve accuracy of the ordering process to minimize 'out of stocks' while maintaining the maximum profit margins. Ms. Jaymot shows a dedication to her tasks on a daily basis that are quite often above and beyond my expectation. I am very pleased that she was selected by the management team as Employee of the Month for May."

Michelle taking a break to smile for the camera...her favorite!

Name: Michelle Anne Jaymot
Residence: Salem, OR
Years of Service at WVV: 2 years, 7 months
Position: Accountant/Accounts Receivable


What do you like best about your day to day work at WVV? The daily variety. Every day I get to solve a new puzzle and that keeps it interesting.


How did you come to work for WVV? My car brought me here...HA! I moved up to Oregon from Napa, California were I was born and raised. WVV was the first company to take a chance on this native Californian......or as we like to be called in Napa, 'Napkins'.


What is your role here at WVV? I am a staff accountant doing mostly A/R work but also have a hand in Inventory, Fixed Assets, & Compliance.


How do you turn a hard day into a great day? During baseball season I go home and watch my Giants win (hopefully). I like to read or do crafts. Right now I have undertaken painting the entire interior of my house. Thanks to the fumes I am now down about 10 brain cells.


What's your favorite beverage of choice? Dr. Pepper followed closely behind by water......I am a woman of sophisticated tastes.


What do you listen to on your headphones at work? Almost anything and everything except for rap and country.


Facebook or Twitter? Facebook! I don't really get the tweet thing yet.


Tell us your favorite quote? Hmmm, I don't really have one.


Do you have any animals? Two cats (Mew & Mia) who walk a tight line between love and absolute frustration on a daily basis.


What's your favorite restaurant? Red Hen Cantina down in Napa. Best... Mexican...Food...EVER!!!


Who is your favorite co-worker and why? No favorites here... I love all my co-workers. Each person I work with brings a smile to my face in one way or another on a daily basis. As we spend most of our waking hours at work, it helps to have a fun environment to come to each day.


In recognition of Michelle's hard working efforts, she has chosen to enjoy lunch or dinner at a Salem favorite, The Best Little Roadhouse.


Cheers to you and all you do Michelle! We appreciate you!

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What Would You Do With 2.5 Million All Natural Corks?

Date: Tue, May 10, 2011 Winery Blogs

International fashion and lifestyle retailer Anthropologie and the Cork Forest Conservation Alliance (CFCA) have paired together with all 153 Anthropologie stores in the US and UK in an effort to increase awareness and promote the preservation of one of the planet's most important ecosystems, the Mediterranean cork forests.

With the help of CFCA, over 1.75 million corks were donated to the project. WVV donated the time of our warehouse staff and volunteers to sort and package more than 400,000 corks for the promotion. Kendall-Jackson, well known Napa Valley winery sponsored the shipment of more than 1.5 million corks to the retail stores. WVV is proud and encouraged that this video will help spread the word about natural cork and the commitment that Anthropologie has made to our planet.

Below is a video of the Anthropologie visual team at three Anthropologie stores sharing a behind the scenes video of how the creative, beautiful window displays from some of the 2.5 million corks were created for the 153 locations. The three retail locations featured in this video are Rockefeller Center in New York City, Washington DC, and Portland, OR.



“We are honored that for the first time in Anthropologie’s history they have devoted window display space to a partner organization, philanthropic or otherwise,” CFCA executive director Patrick Spencer said. “Anthopologie’s customers tend to be creative, environmentally and socially responsible—it’s a great fit for us.”

WVV was the first winery in the world to use cork certified through the Rainforest Alliance to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) standards. All cork collected here at the winery is recycled into high value products like our shippers which are used to ship wine out to customers. Please consider recycling your corks by dropping them off in any of our 4 tasting rooms or to find other recycling locations, visit:http://www.corkforest.org/.

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Uncorked Wine Auction May 14th - Benefiting Family Building Blocks

Date: Mon, May 9, 2011 Winery Blogs

The Pinot Noir is ready to pour, the Chef's are gearing up to deliver some decadent delights, the auction lots are enticing, and there are still a few tickets left for purchase to attend the 4th annual Uncorked Wine Auction. The event, which will be held next weekend, aims to bring hope and opportunities to more than 650 children who are in need.


After months of planning the big event is almost here. Anticipation of sunny weather is on all our minds for Saturday's dinner but more importantly, it's about the money raised to help keep families together. The evening will begin with a Silent Auction and Wine Tasting Reception with delicious appetizers prepared by guest Chef's including: Chef Melbie Smith - Roth's Fresh Markets, Chef Bernard Malherbe - The Crooked House Bistro, Chef Christopher Rayburn - Jonathan's, Chef J. Steven Brockman - Salvador Mollys and Chef Steve B. Morton - Morton's. Following the close of the Silent Auction, the gourmet multi-course dinner will be served. WVV is proud to be the wine sponsor for this event which will feature our 2008 Founders' Reserve Pinot Noir paired with the dinner. We'll also be pouring our 2008 Tualatin Estate Pinot Noir, 2008 Willamette Valley Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir and our 2009 Pinot Gris. Following dinner the live auction will begin.

The auction lots are fabulous this year including a trip for 6 to the 2012 Kentucky Derby; a fly fishing get-away; a condo stay on the island of Kona, HI; and a spa weekend at the Allison Inn & Spa - just to name a few. Of course no evening is complete without music and dancing to help with the celebration. The Dusty 45's will keep the night alive as we all get our groove on and enjoy this fabulous evening.


Uncorked Wine Auction
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Zenith Vineyard
5:00 PM

Tickets & Info:Uncorked Wine Auction
Individual tickets and tables of 10 are available for purchase.

The Evening's Program
5:00 PM
Wine Tasting Reception with Featured Winemakers, Guest Chefs & Silent Auction
6:25 PM
Silent Auction Closes
6:30 PM
Gourmet, Multi-Course Dinner Paired with Premier Wines
7:30 PM
Live Auction featuring World Class Wines & Luxury Adventures
8:30 PM . . . until Your Mom Calls Post-Auction Celebration & Dancing - The Dusty 45's


We look forward to this amazing event and hope you'll join us for an evening dedicated to children and keeping families together!

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Salmon-Safe Recognizes Jim Bernau of Willamette Valley Vineyards with the First Ever “Hero of Salmon” Award

Date: Fri, May 6, 2011 Winery Blogs

Salmon-Safe recognized Jim Bernau of Willamette Valley Vineyards with the very first “Hero of Salmon” design award for the implementation of his high impact Salmon-Safe SIP•SAVE campaign in print, retail, web, and vehicle wraps. The award was first announced on April 15th at the LIVE (Low Input Viticulture Enology) Annual Meeting at the Northwest Viticulture Center in Salem, OR.

The physical award is a unique and one-of-a-kind, wall mountable, salmon sculpture created from recycled Oregon highwaysign material.

Dan Kent, Executive Director of Salmon-Safe recalls, “The first time I saw one of those billboard-sized Willamette Valley Vineyards Salmon-Safe truck wraps on I-5 near Portland, I knew that we were reaching a new audience with a message about how wine growers our helping restore our salmon watersheds. Willamette Valley Vineyards has been a pioneer in moving the Oregon vineyard industry towards greater ecological sustainability over the past decade. The "Hero of Salmon" award recognizes their commitment to communicating their Salmon-Safe leadership to inspire even more agricultural and urban landowners to do their part to restore wild salmon.“

Founded by Pacific Rivers Council in 1995, Salmon-Safe is an independent environmental certification nonprofit. Salmon-Safe has joined with LIVE to become a leading U.S. certifier of ecologically sustainable viticulture with more than 250 Oregon and Washington vineyards achieving certification. Salmon-Safe works to keep our urban and agricultural watersheds clean for native salmon to spawn and thrive.

We look forward to showcasing this very special award for all to see when they visit the winery. Cheers to Salmon-Safe!

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'Why I Love Oregon Pinot Noir' Contest has Officially Begun

Date: Sun, May 1, 2011 Winery Blogs

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Long Awaited Raptor Project Coming to Life

Date: Mon, Apr 25, 2011 Winery Blogs

Last week marked the beginning of a new journey for WVV as we hung the first of 6 barn owl nesting boxes and 6 kestrel nesting boxes around the vineyard. Talks of adding these special feathered friends has been a long time coming and a dream of Jim Bernau's for a very long time. After a visit from Louise Shimmel, Executive Director, Cascades Raptor Center in Eugene, things really started to come together and a plan was formulated for future owl and kestrel homes around the vineyard.

Randy Hillyer and Joe Perez shake hands after the successful installation of a kestral nest box.

Joe Perez, one of our all-star volunteers, agreed to build the 6 owland kestrel boxes. As of this week, 2 owl nesting boxes and 2 kestrel boxes have been built and placed around the property. The program has received such positive feedback from employees and guests alike we are now in planning-mode to possibly add nesting boxes at our Tualatin Estate and EltonVineyards. Thank you Joe for all your hard work. You are truly a master of woodworking.

The kestrel weighs around just 4 ounces and is the smallest falcon in North America. A kestrels typical hunting behaviour is to hover at a height of around 30-60ft over open country and swoop down on prey consisting typically of mice, bats and large insects. Kestrels do not build their own nests, but use nests built by other species which is one reason they have adapted well to nest box programs. We are eager towatch these beautiful animals flourish here at the vineyard.

To learn more about the Americal Kestrel visit: Click Here

The Barn Owl is pale, long winged, long legged and bares a short squarish tail. A healthy female weighs in around 19 ounces while the males are often about 10% lighter in weight. The face is light in color and resembles a heart shape with black eyes giving the flying bird an odd yet startling appearance. The owl is nocturnal but often becomes active shortly before dusk. It is not uncommon to see a Barn owl during the day but this is only the case when looking for a new home. These owls prefer to hunt by flying slow and low over an area of open ground, hovering over spots that conceal potential prey. They may also use fence posts or perches in trees to ambush prey. On average an individual Barn Owl will eat 1-2 rodents per night. A pair of owls and their young typically will consume more than 1,000 rodents per year.

To learn more about the Barn Owl visit:Click Here

The grand idea for the WVV raptor project started as a means to keep rodent populations down within the vineyard. Rodents will sometimes dig down around the vines which can cause root damage. With the effort to keep our vines healthy, we are finding that people are both interested and supportive of adding more wildlife in and around the vineyard for sheer enjoyment so this project is a win-win for everyone.

There have been a number of people involved in this very special project and WVV wants you to know how much we appreciate you!

We want to extend a huge THANK YOU to Louise Shimmel from the Cascade Raptor Center for her guidance and continued support in helping us get off on the right foot with our project. Her contact information is listed below if you have questions regarding a raptor project.

Louise Shimmel
Executive Director, Cascades Raptor Center
Eugene OR
541-485-1320
www.eRaptors.org

Stay in touch with Cascades Raptor Center:
On our Blog - the Talon: http://eraptors.wordpress.com/
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/raptortweets
Become a CRC fan on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/eRaptors

Kudos and a big THANK YOU to Joe Perez, our amazing friend and volunteer at WVV. He is truly talented and gifted in the art of woodworking and we could not have done this without him. The nesting boxes he has built are beautiful.

If you'd like to build your own Barn Owl nesting box visit:Click Here
If you'd like to build your own kestrel nesting box visit:Click Here

We hope to have our new feathered friends in their homes sometime in late spring or early summer. Stay tuned for more updates as the WVV raptor project unfolds.

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Upcoming Events - Mark Your Calendars!

Date: Wed, Apr 13, 2011 Winery Blogs

Willamette Valley Vineyards Wine & Truffle Tasting with Extreme Chocolates - Saturday, April 23rd

Be the first to experience Extreme Chocolates Oregon Flagship Truffle, "Wine Country" comprised of dark chocolate, blackberry, andBrandy. Join us for thisfestive eventon Saturday, April 23rd from 12:00 p.m. - 5 p.m. andtake partin the release ofCarrie Wong's newest truffle creation.

Wong, a Chocolatier and Owner of Extreme Chocolates, will beavailable to chat about everything chocolate and wine in addition to giving whole truffles to each of the first 400 guests to arrive.

As you head out wine tasting for the weekend be sure to stopand visit the Wine Center to enjoy the wonderful array of chocolates & wines, available to take home for the holiday weekend.Pick up a special treat to gift,shareor selfishly indulge.

Where: Willamette Valley Vineyards - Wine Center

300 NE Third Street McMinnville

When: Saturday, April 23rd, 2011

12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Phone: 503-883-9012

Extreme Chocolates, LLC began its journey in 2001, with the sole purpose of providing superb desserts and confections to the discriminating clientele of fine restaurants and luxury hotels in the Willamette Valley and greater Portland Metro Area. Extreme Chocolates provides hand craft gourmet desserts and fine chocolates to wholesale clients. Chocolates, Spices, Extracts and Sauces are available through their websiteExtreme Chocolates.

TUALATIN VINE 2 WINE -Saturday, April 23rd

Attendees will sample Pinot Noir and other fine wines from vineyards located in the North-Central Willamette Valley, as well as gourmet foods, desserts, and fine chocolates from local-area venues. All guests will receive a complimentary restaurant Riedel wine glass. Guests can also purchase a bottle of wine from our 'Wall of Wine' or buy a raffle ticket for fabulous gifts.

Our guest speaker is noted Geologist and Professor of Geology at Portland State University, Dr. Scott Burns. He will explore how powerful prehistoric floods shaped the Pacific Northwest and provided the Willamette Valley with the perfect landscape for today's wines.

The $35 entrance fee will go to support and enrich the capabilities, resources, and services of the Tualatin Public Library.

Event Date & Time:
Saturday, April 23rd, 2011
7:00pm - 9:30pm

Location:
The Tualatin Public Library
18880 SW Martinazzi Ave
Tualatin, OR 97062

Purchase tickets locally at:
The Tualatin Chamber of Commerce
Umpqua Bank-Tualatin Branch
West Coast Bank-Tualatin Branch

Purchase tickets online at:
Vine 2 Wine Tickets or
Tualatin Library Foundation

ASTORIA CRAB, SEAFOOD & WINE FESTIVAL
Friday, April 29th - Sunday, May 1st

You'll enjoy a great spread of northwest cuisine, myriad arts and crafts, a selection of Oregon and Washington's finest wineries, a fantastic beer garden and fun entertainment The Rotary Club of Astoria will be serving its traditional crab dinner all weekend long (price TBD based on Market Value) in the exhibit hall where you can enjoy live music all weekend.

Limited parking is available near the Fairgrounds and costs $5 a car.

Festival Date & Time:
Friday, April 29th, 4:00 pm - 9:00pm
Saturday, April 30th, 10:00am - 8:00pm
Sunday, May 1st, 11:00am - 4:00pm

Admission Rates:
Friday: $8.00
Saturday: $10.00
Sunday: $5.00

Children under the age of 12 are free. However, we recommend that families enjoy the quieter times at the Festival on Saturday morning and Sunday.

Location Info:
Clatsop County Fairgrounds - Astoria, Oregon

For more event information:
Astoria Crab, Seafood & Wine Online Information



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Wine Fact of the Day~

Date: Wed, Apr 13, 2011 Winery Blogs

In an effort to share interesting facts about wine, we'll be bringing you fun factoids you may or may not know about wine and the history behind it. Enjoy~

Foot treading of grapes is still used in producing a small quantity of the best port wines.

Do you have some interesting facts to share about a favorite varietal? Send them our way!

FYI- We don't use this technique for our Quinta Reserva Port Style Pinot Noir:) but we sure have fun at Grape Stomp...coming September 2011!

To order your Quinta Reserva Port Style Pinot Noir Click Here.

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Wine Press Northwest names WVV "Oregon Winery of the Year"

Date: Wed, Mar 30, 2011 Winery Blogs

It's been a great couple of weeks here at WVV as we continue to celebrate our most recent accolade - being named "Oregon Winery of the Year" by Wine Press Northwest.

Andy Perdue, Editor-in-chief of Wine Press Northwest noted, "With over 350 possible candidates in Oregon, we make sure we are careful in our selection and that the winery is worth the award. This was an easy decision this year as Willamette Valley Vineyards has been a leader in the industry for decades with their sustainability efforts and high quality Pinot Noir."

The "Oregon Winery of the Year" honor is a culmination for a year of recognition for WVV. The Rainforest Alliance presented our Founder Jim Bernau the Sustainable Standard-Setter Award this past June for the winery's long-time support of conservation work. This past October, Governors Atiyeh, Roberts, Kulongoski and Kitzhaber presented Jim Bernau with the 2010 Governors' Gold Award for the winery's achievement and support for Special Olympics.

Recognition for our sustainability practices and world class Pinot Noir is finally coming full circle. We look forward to the future of continuing to craft delicious classic, cool-climate wines...especially our finicky favorite - Pinot Noir.

To view the 2011 Spring article on "Oregon Winery of the Year" clickhere.

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James Beard Event Held in Portland

Date: Wed, Mar 23, 2011 Winery Blogs

James Beard Awards 2011

Willamette Valley Vineyards was one of4 wineries toattend and pour at the James Beard dinner held in James Beard's hometown, Portland, OR on the evening of March 20th. The Multnomah Athletic Club hosted the event that drew food savvyfolks from near and far.The dinner was a kick-off event for the annual James Beard Foundation Awards, the nation's most prestigious recognition program honoring professionals in the food and beverage industry.

The event kicked off at 4pm with folks lining up to enter the ballroomwherethe delicious, beautifully prepared foods were offered.There was something for everyone including meat dishes, vegetarian specialities and of course desserts to make your mouth water.No detail was left undone, making the presentation of each dish absolutely perfect.

WVVwas proud to be serving our delicious sips along withWidmer Bros, House Spirits, Sokol Blosser, Hawks View Cellars and Anne Amie Vineyards for the crowd of about 650 attendees.

Click here for the official press release: 2011 James Beard Foundation Awards Nominees Announced


ABOUT THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION:
Founded in 1986, the James Beard Foundation is dedicated to celebrating, preserving, and nurturing America's culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of our culinary excellence. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, James Beard, who died in 1985, was a champion of American cuisine. He helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts. Today, the Beard Foundation continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, scholarships to culinary schools, and publications, and by maintaining the historic James Beard House in New York City's Greenwich Village as a "performance space" for visiting chefs.

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2011 Wine, Pear & Cheese Jubilee

Date: Fri, Mar 4, 2011 Winery Blogs

Delicious wine, an abundance of amazing cheeses and perfect Oregon pears await you at this year’s Wine, Pear & Cheese Jubilee. Join us here at the winery on Saturday and Sunday, March 12th and 13th from 11am to 6pm. Enjoy live music by Andrew Kendoll and decadent treats sure to make your mouth water.

Experience the art of cheese making from the people at Willamette Valley Cheese Company, Rogue Valley Creamery, Rivers Edge Chevre, Fraga Farms, Juniper Grove Farms and more. The Oregon Pear Bureau will be showing off fun recipes and sharing tastes of a variety of pears. Bring your friends and enjoy a relaxing afternoon exploring the nuances of these special pairings. Try a smoked Gouda or garlic herbed Brie with any of our Pinor Noir wines. Check out this great website for Pinot & cheese pairings, Oregon Wine & Cheese Pairing. Our friendly, wine savvy staff will pour, swirl and share some sips with you as you find the perfect wine to compliment your favorite pear and cheese choices.

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