Wineries celebrate Oregon Wine Month with an event showcasing Oregon’s growing reputation as a producer of premium Sauvignon Blanc
Dayton, Ore. (March 23, 2023) – Durant, home to the Durant Vineyards Winery & Tasting Room and Oregon’s only commercial olive mill, is collaborating with nine other Oregon wine country wineries to host “Sauvage: An Exploration of Oregon Sauvignon Blanc” on Saturday, May 20. This Sauvignon Blanc-focused educational event and tasting will highlight Oregon’s growing reputation as a producer of high quality Sauvignon Blanc, and features the following wineries: Durant Vineyards, Sokol Blosser Winery, Patricia Green Cellars, Division Wine Co., Iterum Wines, Andrew Rich Wines, J. Christopher Wines, Matzinger-Davies Wine Company, King Estate Winery and Laurel Ridge Winery. The event is part of ongoing statewide celebrations for Oregon Wine Month, which takes place throughout the month of May.
The Sauvignon Blanc-focused event, which will take place at Durant Vineyards in Dayton, will offer the option of attending one of two sessions (12-2pm and 3-5pm) where guests will enjoy a progressive tasting focused solely on Oregon Sauvignon Blanc. In addition, the wines will be accompanied by delicious fare that has been curated by Durant Culinary Directors, Chefs Eric Bartle and Sara Kundelius, to pair specifically with Sauvignon Blanc. Guests will receive a beautiful glass designed to showcase the varietal’s characteristics, as well as a stylish tote for wine purchases.
“Even though Oregon is primarily known for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc is a noteworthy rising star, with more wineries starting to produce that varietal,” said Durant owner Paul Durant. “Here at Durant, we started grafting Sauvignon Blanc in 2016 because we were so impressed with the wines coming out of Patricia Green Cellars, Andrew Rich and J. Christopher. ‘Sauvage’ offers a deep dive for wine enthusiasts to learn more about the grape and how Oregon’s Sauvignon Blancs are unique due to the terroir and climate, and how they’re informed by the winemaking style of the Pacific Northwest.”
Sauvignon Blanc as a varietal is generally known for its bright acidity and crisp finish, with most of production coming out of New Zealand and California. In Oregon, Sauvignon Blanc tends to be more fruit forward, with a good balance of acidity and complexity. However, with relatively few wineries producing the varietal — compared to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay — Oregon Sauvignon Blanc is still more of a niche wine. However, climate change has improved ripening conditions for the grapes, which is drawing more wineries into Sauvignon Blanc production.
“Sauvage: An Exploration of Oregon Sauvignon Blanc” is priced at $75 per person, and tickets are on sale now – details and reservations are available here.
About Durant
Founded in 1973 in scenic Dayton, Ore., Durant includes Durant Vineyards Winery & Tasting Room, charming accommodations at the one-bedroom Garden Suite and two-bedroom Stonycrest Cottage, and Oregon’s only commercial olive mill, Durant Olive Mill. As pioneers in Oregon’s wine-making industry, the Durant family has become renowned for bright Pinot Gris, lively Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Brut, and food-friendly Pinot Noir. In 2008, Durant founded Durant Olive Mill, consisting of 17 acres of olive trees and a state-of-the-art Italian olive mill. Durant Olive Mill is the premier purveyor of Oregon milled extra virgin olive oil and home to the annual Olio Nuovo Festival. Year-round, visitors are invited to stroll the grounds to see the beautiful gardens, hedges and koi pond, peruse the artful garden pottery for sale and admire the fragrant plantings of rosemary, lavender and other herbs. For more information or to purchase Durant goods online, visit: https://durantoregon.com/.
