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Paddles Up! Willamette: The Pinot Noir Auction Announces Official Lots to Be Sold at April 6th Trade Event

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(February 26, 2019; Portland, OR)—The Willamette Valley Wineries Association announced today the lineup of Auction lots for the fourth annual Willamette: The Pinot Noir Auction, which will take place on April 6th at the Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg, OR. The Auction will offer 86 one-of-a-kind Willamette Valley Pinot noir lots from the 2017 vintage, as well as six Willamette Valley Chardonnay lots, made in collaboration by current and former Auction chairs.

“We started The Pinot Noir Auction in 2016 because we believe Willamette Valley Pinot noir stands alongside the world’s best, and this quality is on full display with the 2019 Auction lots,” says co-chair Eugenia Keegan, Oregon General Manager for Jackson Family Wines. “The 2017 vintage continues a five-year run of outstanding quality and is perhaps the most classic representation of the Willamette Valley in many years. These Pinot noirs will be known for their complexity, vibrancy and longevity.”

“Willamette: The Pinot Noir Auction provides an exciting opportunity for members of the trade to obtain rare and unique wines from one of the wine world’s fastest- growing regions,” says Shirley Brooks, 2019 Auction co-chair and VP of Sales and Marketing for Elk Cove Vineyards.

The Auction lots span all seven of the Willamette Valley’s nested AVAs. The newest AVA, The Van Duzer Corridor, was established in December 2018 and will be represented with lots by Coelho Winery, Left Coast Estate and Van Duzer Vineyards. Other highlights includes wines made from historic Willamette Valley vineyard sites Hyland Estates, Durant Vineyards and Winderlea Vineyard & Winery; celebrated winemakers like Véronique Drouhin (Drouhin Oregon Roserock), Brianne Day (Day Wines) and Rollin Soles (ROCO Winery); and collector favorites such as Domaine Serene, Shea Wine Cellars and St. Innocent. The 2019 Auction will welcome 18 producers who will be presenting lots for the first time, including Twomey Winery and Failla Wines, both newcomers to Oregon.

The producer of last year’s top-selling lot, Antica Terra, will return with a 5-case lot called “Alder Creek” from its 11-acre Antica Terra vineyard. This lot is the only wine made purely and wholly from the Antica Terra estate. To make the wine the Antica Terra team borrowed a practice used by small producers in Burgundy, where small rocks are dropped into barrels of wine made from Grand Cru vines to eliminate headspace and guarantee the exclusive sourcing.

Reflecting the Willamette Valley’s long tradition for collaboration, this year’s Auction will offer six collaborative Chardonnay lots made by current and former Auction chair wineries with selected partner wineries. Among these, Adam Campbell (Elk Cove Vineyards), Alex Sokol Blosser (Sokol Blosser Winery) and Luisa Ponzi (Ponzi Vineyards) collaborated to create the “Three’s Company” Chardonnay celebrating three pioneering families in the Willamette Valley. A collaboration between Gran Moraine and The Eyrie Vineyards, titled “Harold and Maude,” combines the youth and energy of Gran Moraine with the legendary finesse of Willamette Valley’s founding Eyrie Vineyard.

All wines are produced in quantities of just five, 10 or 20 cases, and available exclusively to licensed members of the wine trade in attendance at the Auction. Auction attendees are licensed wine sellers, including retailers, restaurateurs and wholesalers, invited personally by participating wineries. Full descriptions of all lots can be found online at: www.willamettewines.auction.

All proceeds from the Auction support the marketing, branding and education efforts of the Willamette Valley Wineries Association. Licensed members of the wine trade who are interested in attending may visit the website: willamettewines.auction. Members of the press who are interested in attending may complete a Media Credential Request Form (willamettewines.auction/press/).

About Willamette Valley Wineries Association 

The Willamette Valley Wineries Association (WVWA) is a non-profit industry association dedicated to achieving recognition for Oregon’s acclaimed Willamette Valley as a premier Pinot noir–producing region. Currently, the WVWA has nearly 250 members representing wineries and tasting rooms throughout the Willamette Valley region from Portland to Eugene. To learn more about The Willamette Valley Wineries Association visit: willamettewines.com

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