Oregon Wine Event to Bring 20+ Wineries Together, Benefit Wine Industry Nonprofit, Our Legacy Harvested
PORTLAND, Ore. (March 15, 2023) – Over 20 Oregon wineries have joined together to announce the inaugural “Malbec in the City!” event to celebrate World Malbec Day, bringing the best Oregon malbecs to the public. The event will be held at Castaway Portland from noon to 5 pm on Sunday, April 30 and benefit Our Legacy Harvested.
The first malbec event in the country, Malbec in the City! will explore unique malbec wines with an eclectic array of tastings, food pairings, tango dancing, live music and more. Over 30 Oregon malbec wines will be available, including the first white malbec and the first dry sparkling rosé ever released in the United States, both by JP Valot of Valcan Cellars. All participating wineries will offer pours of their malbec wines with grapes grown in Oregon, with notable brands including Abacela, Gonzales Wine Company, Leah Jørgensen Cellars, Sweet Cheeks Winery, Willamette Valley Vineyards, Valcan Cellars, and more.
Tickets are available now, including food, tastings of all wines being poured, entertainment and more, with tiers including:
- VIP ($100 each) – includes early event access starting at noon
- Early Bird – available now through March 31 ($65 each) – includes event access starting at 1 p.m.
- Regular – available from April 1-30 ($75 each) – includes event access starting at 1 p.m.
The event will benefit Our Legacy Harvested, a nonprofit founded in 2020 dedicated to educating, advancing and empowering the BIPOC community at any career level within the wine industry. Founded by Tiquette Bramlett, the first Black woman hired to oversee a winery in the country, OLH works to welcome and better represent the diverse world of wine drinkers and enthusiasts. The long-term goal of OLH is to build a permanent campus, used to host pop-up events, fundraisers, dinners, educational seminars, and to foster the growing and evolving BIPOC wine community, partnering with tasting rooms, cellars and vineyards
Wineries participating include the following, with more to be announced in the coming weeks:
- Abacela – 2019 Malbec, 2020 Malbec Umpqua Valley
- Famille Valot – 2020 “Cesar” 70% Malbec 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2021 “ Francisco” 70% Malbec 30% Cabernet Franc
- Gonzales Wine Company – 2021 White Malbec and 2021 Gold Vineyard Malbec Rogue Valley
- J Scott Cellars
- Leah Jørgensen Cellars – 2017 Petillant Un-Natural Sparkling Malbec, 2018 Malbec Rogue Valley
- Melrose Vineyards – 2020 Malbec Umpqua Valley
- Naumes Suncrest Winery
- Peter William Vineyard
- RoxyAnn Winery
- Ryan Rose Wine – 2018 Malbec Rogue Valley
- Sarver winery – Crater View Vineyard Malbec
- South Stage Cellars
- Sweet Cheeks Winery – 2020 Malbec Applegate Valley
- Two Hawks Winery
- Valcan Cellars – 2021 Piquette of Malbec, 2021 Pet Nat of Malbec Red, 2021 Carmín Sparkling Malbec Red, 2021 Malbec traditional Method Red, 2021 Pet Nat of White Malbec, 2021 White Malbec, 2020 Rose of Malbec, 2020 Black Malbec
- Weisinger Family Winery – 2019 Malbec Rogue Valley
- Willamette Valley Vineyards – 2018 Griffin Creek Malbec Rogue Valley
Malbec in the City! is being brought to life by Argentinian born Oregon winemaker Juan Pablo “JP” Valot of Valcan Cellars. Valot’s work with so many different varieties of grapes distinguishes him from most Willamette Valley producers, but his malbec wines set him apart even further. He is the first producer to release a white malbec in the United States, which he did with a 2019 vintage. There are only a handful of winemakers in the entire world who currently make a white malbec. He also recently created red and white sparkling malbecs using three different techniques – piquette, pétillant naturel and the traditional method used in Champagne.
“This lesser known varietal, originated in France, beloved in Argentina, a hidden gem in Oregon.” Says JP Valot, of Valcan Cellars. “I want people to experience Oregon malbec in all its forms, from white, pink and red to sparkling. Whatever you can do with malbec grapes, you will see it at Malbec in the City! Plus, we will be celebrating various cultural elements of malbec through tango dancing, music and food.”
About Malbec in the City!
Malbec in the City is the first Malbec event in the United States, bringing together Malbec producers with grapes grown in Oregon. The inaugural annual event will be held on Sunday, April 30, 2023, at Castaway Portland and will benefit Our Legacy Harvested, a nonprofit empowering the BIPOC community in the wine industry. For more information visit the Malbec in the City! website and follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
About Our Legacy Harvested
Our Legacy Harvested mission is to educate, advance and empower the BIPOC community at any career level so that tasting rooms, cellars and vineyards may be welcoming to, and may better represent, the diverse world of wine drinkers and enthusiasts. Founded in 2020 by Tiquette Bramlett, Our Legacy Harvested works with individuals to advance their knowledge and expertise in the wine community. Our Legacy Harvested values partnering with wineries to ensure tasting rooms, cellars, and vineyards better reflect the diverse world of wine they represent.
