Two brands from noted winemaker Ashley Trout will be on display as part of entertainment events in advance of the 89th Academy Awards
WALLA WALLA, Wash. (Feb. 1, 2017) – Get ready, Oscar! Hollywood is about to meet Walla Walla wine.
Two Walla Walla wineries, March Cellars and Vital Wines, will be pouring wines for Hollywood royalty during the festivities leading up to the 89th Academy Awards Sunday, Feb. 26, in Hollywood.
March and Vital were invited to participate in a pre-Oscars gifting suite on Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, said Ashley Trout, winemaker and founder of March Cellars and Vital Wines. Trout and her team will pour the wines for several hundred celebrities, entertainment industry executives and tastemakers who are expected to attend the event.
This is the first time that a Walla Walla winery has been invited to attend and pour wine at the events leading up to the Oscars, Trout said.
“We were honored to be invited to participate in this year’s Academy Awards events,” Trout said. “When the invitation came in, we jumped at the chance to show Hollywood what March, Vital and Walla Walla wines are all about.”
The Academy Awards often honor films and performances that take risks and celebrate a sense of purpose, and Vital and March align perfectly with those ideals, Trout said.
“Vital Wines is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of those less fortunate and it’s a mission that has resonated within Washington’s wine community,” Trout said. “March is dedicated to the pioneers who risked everything to help settle the West. Both of those attributes are celebrated annually by the Oscars.”
Trout launched Vital Wines in March 2016 and several months later, launched March Cellars. Both wineries are located in Walla Walla.
Vital is a community-driven, non-profit winery dedicated to providing better healthcare for vineyard and winery workers in the Walla Walla Valley. is the first effort of its kind designed to support seasonal vineyard and winery workers in Washington’s booming $5-billion wine industry.
March Cellars is Ashley Trout’s paean to the toil and tumult of the American West and the indefatigable spirit of those who are drawn toward it.
“In the 1800s, when people were moving west across the prairies and mountains, March used to be the last month someone could head west and expect to make it there alive,” Trout said. “Like those who came before us, we believe that beautiful things come from risk and hardship. We try to infuse that spirit into the wines of March Cellars.”
Trout said she is excited to show off Washington State wines during the height of the Oscars excitement in Southern California.
“I know that the wine drinkers among the Hollywood crowd are going to be blown away by Washington wines if they aren’t already familiar with them,” she said. “I think the mission of Vital and the elegance of March will resonate with our guests at our event, and I can’t wait to share the wines with them.”
About March Cellars
For settlers of the American frontier, the trip westward often balanced on the finest line between discovery and despair. March Cellars pays homage to the toil and tumult of the American West, and the spirit of those who are drawn toward it. March Cellars is guided by the belief that beautiful things come from hardship and risk.
To honor this spirit, March features stunning, black and white photography of the American West on its labels. For information, please visit www.marchcellars.com.
About Vital Winery
Vital Winery is a community-driven, non-profit winery dedicated to providing better healthcare for vineyard and winery workers in the Walla Walla Valley. All profits from the sale of Vital Wines goes to SOS Health Services of Walla Walla.
Vital Wines has received donations from some of the best vineyards, bottling companies, distributors and service providers in the Pacific Northwest. The winery launched in 2016 and aims to produce 500 cases annually. For information on Vital Wines, please visit www.vitalwinery.com.
