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Sokol Blosser Fact Sheet SOKOL BLOSSER WINERY PO Box 399 5000 NE Sokol Blosser Lane Dundee, OR 97115 Phone: 503.864.2282 Toll Free: 800.582.6668 Fax: 503.864.2710 sokolblosser.com | evolutionwine.com MANAGEMENT AND KEY SALES & MARKETING PERSONNEL Alex Sokol Blosser, Co-President Alison Sokol Blosser, Co-President Susan Sokol Blosser, Founder Russ Rosner, Winemaker Lee Medina, Brand Ambassador Sara Manucy, Brand Ambassador Jenny Mosbacher, Brand Ambassador Rod Wyatt, Director of Finance Michael Brown, Director of Consumer Sales and Marketing Jeff Knapp, Hospitality Manager OWNERSHIP Sokol Blosser family: 100% WINERY & VINEYARD LOCATION 87 acres planted in the Dundee Hills AVA, 30 miles SW of Portland, in Yamhill County, in the northern Willamette Valley, Oregon. Tasting Room open to the public 10:00 am to 4:00 pm daily. Picnic area and walk-thru showcase vineyard. CURRENT RELEASES 2010 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2010 Estate Cuvée Pinot Noir 2011 Willamette Valley Pinot Gris 2012 Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir Evolution White 16th Edition, NV Evolution Red 2nd Edition, NV ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATIONS Salmon-Safe, 1996 US Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), 2002 USDA Organic by Oregon Department of Agriculture, 2005 Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine, 2009
Transcript
Page 1: Sokol Blosser Complete Media Kit.pdf - Sokol Blosser Winery

Sokol Blosser Fact Sheet

SOKOL BLOSSER WINERY

PO Box 399 5000 NE Sokol Blosser Lane

Dundee, OR 97115 Phone: 503.864.2282 Toll Free: 800.582.6668

Fax: 503.864.2710 sokolblosser.com | evolutionwine.com

MANAGEMENT AND KEY SALES & MARKETING PERSONNEL Alex Sokol Blosser, Co-President

Alison Sokol Blosser, Co-President Susan Sokol Blosser, Founder

Russ Rosner, Winemaker Lee Medina, Brand Ambassador Sara Manucy, Brand Ambassador

Jenny Mosbacher, Brand Ambassador Rod Wyatt, Director of Finance

Michael Brown, Director of Consumer Sales and Marketing Jeff Knapp, Hospitality Manager

OWNERSHIP Sokol Blosser family: 100%

WINERY & VINEYARD LOCATION 87 acres planted in the Dundee Hills AVA, 30 miles SW of Portland, in Yamhill County,

in the northern Willamette Valley, Oregon. Tasting Room open to the public 10:00 am to 4:00 pm daily.

Picnic area and walk-thru showcase vineyard.

CURRENT RELEASES 2010 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2010 Estate Cuvée Pinot Noir

2011 Willamette Valley Pinot Gris 2012 Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir

Evolution White 16th Edition, NV Evolution Red 2nd Edition, NV

ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATIONS Salmon-Safe, 1996

US Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), 2002 USDA Organic by Oregon Department of Agriculture, 2005

Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine, 2009

Page 2: Sokol Blosser Complete Media Kit.pdf - Sokol Blosser Winery

Sokol Blosser Management

Alex Sokol Blosser, Co-President

Alex Sokol Blosser, son of Sokol Blosser’s founders, Susan Sokol Blosser and Bill Blosser, grew up working in the family vineyards and winery. After starting college in Texas, he realized his heart lay back on the family farm, so he returned to Oregon to finish his college degree and acquire more wine industry experience. In 1998, after working in neighboring vineyards and with a Portland wine wholesaler, Alex started full time at Sokol Blosser, simultaneously working for the president, his mom, Susan, while earning his MBA degree. When he achieved his MBA, Alex became Vice President of Sales at Sokol Blosser. In addition to his sales duties, Alex takes time every year to work harvest, and also oversees vineyard and winemaking activities. Now a Co-President with his sister Alison, Alex actively participates in the Oregon wine industry, including spearheading the project to develop six new American Viticultural Areas in the northern Willamette Valley in 2002. Alex currently serves on the board of the Willamette Valley Wineries Association. Alex has twin boys, Nikolas and Avery.

Alison Sokol Blosser, Co-President

Alison Sokol Blosser, daughter of Susan Sokol Blosser and Bill Blosser, remembers being small enough to climb into the press to help her father clean it during harvest. She decided that while the actual winemaking wasn’t her thing, the family vineyard and winery were in her blood. After getting her MBA at the University of Washington and spending three years working in public relations and marketing communications with startups and consumer branding giants, such as Nike and Nordstrom, she came home to Sokol Blosser in 2004 as Director of Marketing. Now a Co-President, Alison works with Alex to plan the strategic future of the business and also oversees marketing, sales, and administrative functions, including accounting, finance and human resources. Alison is involved in the Oregon wine industry as a board member of Oregon Pinot Camp as well as a member of Women for Winesense. She represents the state of Oregon as a board member for WineAmerica, the national wine industry association which “encourage(s) the dynamic growth and development of American wineries and winegrowing through the advancement and advocacy of sound public policy” and she is also a founding board member of the Dundee Hills Winegrowers Association.

Page 3: Sokol Blosser Complete Media Kit.pdf - Sokol Blosser Winery

Alison has a son, Dario, and a standard poodle, Twix. She recently married Javier Zamora, Assistant General Counsel for NIKE, which is based in Beaverton, Oregon.

Nik Blosser, Chairman

In addition to his Chairman duties at Sokol Blosser, Nik Blosser is Co-founder and President of Celilo Group Media, Inc. a Portland, Oregon-based media company with the mission of expanding markets for sustainable products. Celilo’s primary media property are the Chinook Book consumer guides, which include print and mobile green coupon guides in Portland, Seattle, Denver, California’s Bay Area and Minneapolis.

Nik has been a leading voice in the sustainable business arena for the past decade in the Pacific Northwest, shaping both political and business perspectives around the economic opportunities surrounding sustainability. He is an expert on green marketing, integrating sustainable business sectors, and using policy to address environmental and sustainability issues. Celilo Group Media’s publications have been recognized with several awards including the 2007 Cecil D. Andrus Leadership Award for Sustainability and Conservation, the first ever Aveda Environmental Award for the magazine industry, a Best Award from the City of Portland, A Founder of the Northwest Award and several Utne Independent Press Award nominations.

In addition to his responsibilities leading Celilo Group Media, Nik is also co-founder of the Oregon Business Association and serves on the Board of Directors. He was appointed by two Oregon governors to serve on the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission, where he most recently served as Vice Chair. Nik received his Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree in aeronautical engineering and English from Stanford University. Nik and his wife, Deborah Kafoury, live in Portland with their three children: Alexander, Jacob and Anna.

Susan Sokol Blosser, Founder Susan Sokol Blosser, wine industry pioneer, community activist, environmental advocate, and author, is a contemporary Oregon icon. Known for her leadership of Sokol Blosser Winery, she was a forerunner in instituting environmentally friendly business practices and practicing the triple bottom line concept of people, planet, profit. With its certified organic vineyard, the first LEED (U.S. Green Building Council’s certification) certified winery building in the U.S., and business practices based on the Natural Step model of sustainability, Sokol Blosser Winery made social responsibility and its environmental ethic priorities, while pursuing its vision of making fabulous wines. For its leadership, Sokol Blosser Winery has received multiple honors, including Sunset Magazine’s 2007 Green Winery of the Year, the State of Oregon’s 2008 Governor’s Award for Sustainability in the Small Business category, and Oregon Business Magazine’s 2009 100 Best Companies to Work For and 100 Best Green Companies to Work For awards. Susan holds a B.A. from Stanford University and an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service from the University of Portland, citing her entrepreneurship within the context of environmental and social responsibility. Other awards include Lifetime Achievement Awards from Women for WineSense and the Oregon Wine Board. Her memoir, At Home in the Vineyard: Cultivating a

Page 4: Sokol Blosser Complete Media Kit.pdf - Sokol Blosser Winery

Winery, an Industry, and a Life, was published by the University of California Press in 2006, and her business philosophy, Gracious & Ruthless: Surprising Strategies for Business Success, appeared in 2008.

In 2008, she turned the presidency of Sokol Blosser Winery over to her children, stepping back with the title of Founder. In 2011, Susan started a public benefit nonprofit, the Yamhill Enrichment Society (YES) to work on issues in the arenas of arts and education, food and agriculture, history and community.

Russ Rosner, Winemaker Russ Rosner, a graduate of the University of California at Santa Cruz, started in the wine industry in the Santa Cruz area and gradually worked his way north. He became a devotee of Pinot Noir during his years at Robert Mondavi Winery, 1983-1993, where he was part of a team of enologists experimenting with Pinot Noir vinification techniques. He was also in charge of the Mondavi barrel program. In 1998 he moved to Oregon as Sokol Blosser’s winemaker and began rebuilding its wine program. He introduced better grape handling technology and equipment, and new winemaking techniques. In 2002 he oversaw the design and construction of an underground barrel cellar, the U.S. Green Building Council’s first LEED certified winery building, providing for the first time the ability to age Sokol Blosser’s Pinot Noir barrels under optimal storage conditions. He took over the fledgling Evolution program, building it into a wine that receives its own fan mail, and created Sokol Blosser’s proprietary red wine, Meditrina. Russ is married to winery co-founder, Susan Sokol Blosser. They live in a house on the vineyard with their cats Leeleeloo, Squeak, and Emma, and a pond full of koi.

Page 5: Sokol Blosser Complete Media Kit.pdf - Sokol Blosser Winery

Passionate About Pinot: Sokol Blosser’s Philosophy

Where does great Pinot Noir grow? Where intellect and intuition meet. Where instinct and a meticulous nature commingle. Pinot Noir isn’t a grape for every place, nor for every winery. It doesn’t allow for cutting corners or letting the details slide. It reveals all, about vineyard, vintage, winemaking technique – ultimately, about one’s willingness to engage it in lifelong study.

For more than 35 years – since before there was an Oregon “wine industry” – the Sokol Blosser family have been learning about Pinot Noir, about how it best grows on their small parcel in the Dundee Hills, and what it takes to capture the brilliance of the fruit and the essence of the land. This resolute quest for excellence is also expressed in their environmentally friendly winemaking techniques, a core value for Sokol Blosser ever since the first vines were planted in 1971.

At Sokol Blosser, growing grapes organically and embracing sustainability in all winery operations is a way of life. It’s no mere coincidence, however, that over the years such practices have the happy consequence of enhancing the excellence of their Pinot Noir. In addition to the official recognition given to Sokol Blosser’s environmental practices, its wines have consistently won recognition for their quality. Being good to the earth – farming, buying and building through the lens of The Natural Step – is really about paying attention to and respecting the details. There is no other way to make great Pinot.

“Farming is as much an art as science. Knowing my hillsides and understanding the needs of my vines to produce great fruit are behind every decision I make. We farm organically

and it makes us better, more careful farmers. During the growing season, I am in the vineyard as much as possible. It is never the same. It changes constantly and I need to be

there to see how it is doing.” – Alex Sokol Blosser

“We use a winter cover crop to hold the soil in place during winter rains and build up the soil. I carefully choose what species I want to combine for a cover crop that will perform the best

for my land. We plant it in the fall, let it grow as long as we can in the spring, then cut it, let it dry, then work it into the soil. This is an important part of our organic fertilization program.

I can’t leave a cover crop permanently in place because it would compete with the vines for water, since we do not irrigate them.” – Alex Sokol Blosser

″When the Pinot Noir clusters start to turn color, I monitor them closely to see how evenly they are ripening. If they aren’t ripening evenly, I send the crew in to cut off the green

clusters. I also look to see if the vine has produced new, secondary clusters, and send the crew in to cut them off. As the clusters mature we taste them every few days, aware that the decision

when to pick is one of the most critical we make. The winemaker and I make that decision together.” – Alex Sokol Blosser

Page 6: Sokol Blosser Complete Media Kit.pdf - Sokol Blosser Winery

Certified Green: A Leader in Environmentally Friendly Practices

“We feel a sense of social responsibility in conducting our business and our lives the way we do. This is the only way we could imagine doing it. Not only are our methods healthier for the soil, the vines, and those of us who work in the vineyard, they also lead to better wines.”

– Susan Sokol Blosser, Founder

USDA Organic In September 2005, after a three-year transition period, Sokol Blosser Winery received full USDA organic certification. This certification recognizes that the winery’s farming practices meet federal National Organic Program standards and means Sokol Blosser’s estate wines beginning with the 2005 vintage can legally be labeled “made with organic grapes.” We are certified through the Oregon Department of Agriculture. www.oregon.gov/ODA/CID/organic.shtml

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) In December 2002, Sokol Blosser became the country’s first winery to earn the prestigious LEED 2.0 Silver Level certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for its barrel cellar, designed and built according to advanced sustainable building practices. www.usgbc.org/leed

Salmon Safe

Sokol Blosser was the first winery certified under the Salmon Safe program in 1996, instituted to recognize farming management practices that protect and restore salmon habitat. In the vineyards this means planting cover crops to prevent soil erosion, using natural methods to control pests and carefully managing water use. www.salmonsafe.org

Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine In 2009, Sokol Blosser became certified by Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine (OCSW), which focuses on the shared principles third party certifiers to guarantee that the wine in that bottle was made using responsible agriculture practices, responsible winemaking practices, and that both of those processes were certified by an independent third party. www.ocsw.org

Page 7: Sokol Blosser Complete Media Kit.pdf - Sokol Blosser Winery

Sokol Blosser Winery Timeline 1966 Bill Blosser and Susan Sokol graduate from Stanford in June and get married in August. 1970 In December, Bill and Susan have their first child, Nik, and purchase their first piece of

land to start a vineyard. 1971 The Sokol Blossers clear the land and plant winegrape cuttings in a nursery row. 1973 Bill and Susan build a home in a corner of the vineyard, the first home of their own. 1974 In January, their second son, Alex, is born. 1977 Construction is finished on Sokol Blosser Winery in time for its first vintage. 1979 Sokol Blosser wines win international recognition at the International Wine & Spirits

Competition in London with six wines, including several golds. In December, the third child, Alison, is born.

1980 Vineyard acreage expands to 72 acres. Bill leaves his planning job to be the winery’s full

time president and Susan starts managing the vineyards. 1983 Sokol Blosser Vineyards honored by the U.S. Soil and Water Conservation District because

of Susan’s work with experimental cover crops to control erosion on hillside vineyards. 1991 Bill Blosser returns to planning and Susan becomes president of Sokol Blosser. “The French Paradox” airs on CBS’s Sixty Minutes. 1993 Mystery writer Robert B. Parker publishes Paper Doll, which mentions Sokol Blosser:

“I was alone in a cell about 8 by 10 feet in the cellar of the courthouse…I wondered if anyone was going to give me supper, and decided that they weren’t. They wanted me to be isolated and hungry and in the dark down here while my resolve atrophied…I thought about football…Mel Torme…The Four Seasons in New York, and Sokol Blosser Pinot Noir….”

1995 Oregon Business Magazine lists Sokol Blosser winery as one of the top 100 best companies

to work for in Oregon. Sokol Blosser is the only winery and the smallest company listed. 1996 Sokol Blosser is the first winery to be certified “Salmon-Safe”, a program launched by the

Pacific Rivers Council to publicize products produced without using pesticides and causing runoff that would harm salmon.

Continued…

Page 8: Sokol Blosser Complete Media Kit.pdf - Sokol Blosser Winery

1997 To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Sokol Blosser inaugurates a new label design. The same

year, the winery joins Low Input Viticulture and Enology (LIVE), a new international sustainable viticulture program run through Oregon State University.

1998 Alex Sokol Blosser comes back to work at Sokol Blosser and Russ Rosner joins as

winemaker. Small lot bottlings of individual blocks of Pinot Noir introduced with the 1998 vintage.

1999 New grape handling equipment, including press, destemmer, and sorting line upgrade

production. Last vintage of Chardonnay produced at Sokol Blosser and Chardonnay vines are pulled out.

2000 Thirty new acres of Pinot Noir planted, using Dijon clones 777,667, 115, as well as the

Pommard clone. 2001 May 15th, 2001 issue of The Wine Spectator features Sokol Blosser and its Pinot Noir

renaissance. 2002 Underground barrel cellar becomes the first winery building in the country to receive the

prestigious U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. Sokol Blosser starts its official organic certification transition.

2004 Alison Sokol Blosser joins the family business. 2005 Dundee Hills becomes an official American Viticultural Area and Sokol Blosser releases the

first wine in Oregon to be labeled with the new appellation: Sokol Blosser 2002 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir. In September, Sokol Blosser receives full USDA organic certification for its 72-acre estate vineyard.

2006 Sokol Blosser celebrates its 30th harvest and Susan’s first person history, At Home in the

Vineyard: Cultivating a Winery, an Industry, and a Life, was published by the University of California Press.

2007 A 25kW photovoltaic solar panel system, which furnishes 33% of the business’s total production energy needs, went live. The family also made its first land purchase in 30 years – 20 acres of neighboring Dundee Hills land called Blackberry Block.

2008 After over a year of slowly taking over daily operations from Susan, the transition from first

to second generation continues with Alex and Alison becoming Co-Presidents on January 2, 2008.

2009 Sokol Blosser becomes certified by Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine (OCSW). 2011 Sokol Blosser celebrates its 40th year in business. 2012 Construction begins on new Tasting Room, designed by Allied Works, on September 10th,

2012.

Page 9: Sokol Blosser Complete Media Kit.pdf - Sokol Blosser Winery

The Lighter Side of Sokol Blosser

Evolution White

Evolution White is Sokol Blosser’s proprietary blend of nine different white varietals. Sokol Blosser has created something that appears simple — easy drinking, relaxing — but in reality is quite complex. Producing a proprietary blend like Evolution is a combination of art and science. Our Winemaker, Russ Rosner, says, "In over twenty years of winemaking this is by far the hardest wine I've had to make. It's like mixing nine different colors of paint and trying to end up with a rainbow instead of a muddy brown.” It's a lot of hard work but it also takes a little luck to get just the right combination. In this case, the combination includes Pinot Gris, Müller-

Thurgau, White Riesling, Semillon, Muscat Canelli, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Sylvaner. The grapes come together and create a flavor greater than the sum of its parts. Wine is made to be consumed with food, and the kind of foods that we're eating today — lighter foods with more complex flavors — need a wine that parallels that complexity. People always joke around, asking whether Sokol Blosser created this blend on purpose or if they just blended leftovers and it happened to work. That is where Sokol Blosser got the idea of “Luck verses Intention” that is used on the label.

Evolution Red

For years, fans of our Evolution White have been clamoring for us to blend its red companion. Actually, clamoring is putting it nicely. Did they forget, we wondered, the lessons taught in 8th grade science? Evolution takes time. So when the time was right and a wine had evolved which would stand apart from the cluster of existing red blends, we pounced. It was inevitable. This Syrah-based blend is complex, velvety, juicy and nothing short of exquisite. It’s a friend to grilled meats, barbecued

chicken, Italian red sauce dishes, pizza, cioppino and even a fine ratatouille. In a nutshell, ERed is the worthy evolution of Evolution and most certainly worth the 13 year wait. Another giant step forward in wine. Pour. Sip. Evolve. Repeat. Like it says on the label… It’s about time.

Page 10: Sokol Blosser Complete Media Kit.pdf - Sokol Blosser Winery

The New Tasting Room at Sokol Blosser Winery, Designed by Allied Works Architecture, Takes Shape in Oregon’s Dundee Hills

Oregon’s First Winery Building with International Design Pedigree Set to Elevate The Tasting Experience This Summer

Exterior Rendering, front view of The New Tasting Room by Allied Works Architecture for Sokol Blosser Winery

DUNDEE, OREGON (March 25, 2013) Sokol Blosser, an Oregon wine pioneer and a leading producer of Oregon’s world class pinot noir, pinot gris and other fine wines, is preparing for a record number of visitors to its Willamette Valley estate this summer when wine and contemporary architecture take center stage. Following groundbreaking only last fall, the New Tasting Room, designed by Portland’s award-winning Allied Works Architecture, is taking shape and now visible from Oregon State Highway 99. “Foundations are set, primary walls are framed, the roof & weatherproofing are completed and the project is on schedule to meet its summer 2013 debut,” says Brad Cloepfil, Founder and Principal Architect of Allied Works Architecture.

Groundbreaking, September 2012: (l to r) Alex Sokol Blosser,

Alison Sokol Blosser, Brad Cloepfil, Susan Sokol Blosser

Page 11: Sokol Blosser Complete Media Kit.pdf - Sokol Blosser Winery

In keeping with its long-term business and agricultural values, the Sokol Blosser Winery Tasting Room has been designed with environmental sustainability as a priority. Following the legacy begun with Susan Sokol Blosser, who founded the winery and built the first LEED certified winery building in the U.S., her children Alison and Alex Sokol Blosser, now co-Presidents, have aligned The New Tasting Room with Living Building Challenge, the new gold standard for building certification. This makes The New Tasting Room the first winery in the U.S. to support the values of, and, strive to fulfill, the most rigorous performance standard for the built environment. The Living Building Challenge is a program initially launched by the Cascadia Green Building Council (a chapter of both the US Green Building Council and Canada Green Building Council). The International Living Building Institute was created by Cascadia in May 2009 to oversee the Living Building Challenge and its auxiliary programs. In April 2011, the International Living Building Institute was renamed the International Living Future Institute, and became the umbrella organization for both the Living Building Challenge and the Cascadia Green Building Council.

1978 - Susan & Bill Sokol Blosser reviewing plans with son, Alex, for Oregon's first tasting room 2012- Alison & Alex Sokol Blosser reviewing plans inside The New Tasting Room, set to open in July 2013

Certain to appeal to wine lovers as well as followers of design, architecture and sustainable building, the tasting room promises a dynamic visitor experience. The design of the new Tasting Room pays homage to the source of its bounty, with details that invite guests to seamlessly experience the vineyards and landscape. The building’s low profile lends the appearance of being a single level when in fact the structure is built both above and below ground, emulating the character of the grapevines while allowing for wine storage in a naturally cool cellar. The exterior is united with the interior in part by the use of striated wood cladding, a motif derived from the vineyard rows and the region’s vernacular agricultural buildings. The wood will also surface all interior walls, floors and ceilings.

Sokol Blosser Vineyard- Andrea Johnson Photography

Sokol Blosser is one of Oregon’s most popular winery destinations. As a wine country pioneer, Sokol Blosser has been an integral part of the community effort that has placed the state’s and Willamette Valley’s wine industry squarely on the map. In the space of one generation and in its fourth decade, the modern Oregon wine industry is now a nearly $3 billion industry. A recent study by the Oregon Wine Board revealed that the economic impact of its wine industry has nearly doubled to $2.7 billion since 2005, despite the country’s economic hardships during this time. Oregon has garnered a worldwide reputation for top flight Pinot Noir, with its Willamette Valley considered the number one destination for Pinot Noir in America. Taking note of these oenophile credentials, the book sequel to the pinot noir-popularizing film “Sideways” chose to include and end its story in Willamette Valley.

Page 12: Sokol Blosser Complete Media Kit.pdf - Sokol Blosser Winery

America’s First LEED Certified Winery Building: The Sokol Blosser barrel cellar

The results of this increasing popularity are tangible. “We outgrew the capacity of our original tasting room and the conditions began to compromise the personal hospitality and engagement between our visitors and staff,” says Michael Brown, Sokol Blosser’s Director of Consumer Sales and Marketing. “It wasn’t long before, we realized it was time to plan a new visitor center and tasting room and begin our search for an architect who understood our priorities in sustainability, respect for the land, and our desire for the building to create an inspired experience.” Beyond The New Tasting Room with its planned personalized wine and food experiences, Sokol Blosser’s hospitality experience includes touring its vineyards by foot or custom built, environmentally sensitive ATV. All of these will be available this year at Sokol Blosser and its 87 acres of vineyards. When the building is complete, wine and design/architecture enthusiasts visiting Sokol Blosser Winery can expect an immersive experience that embodies and celebrates the artistry of its wines, the transformative power of design and the beauty of the Oregon landscape.

Terrace Rendering, The Main Room of The New Tasting Room

with views of Yamhill County in Willamette Valley by Allied Works Architecture for Sokol Blosser Winery

Wine Tourism and Architecture Wine tourism, a relatively new sector of travel, began in the U.S. in the mid-60’s. Travel to wine country connects visitors with wine in all its facets – from the beautiful countryside at its source to the vintners and winemakers whose talents distinguish each vintage. Architecture has become an important element in the development of wine tourism in the world’s top wine growing regions. Taking a cue from the museum playbook, emerging markets around the globe have invested in world-class architecture to showcase their world-class wines. In locations as diverse as Argentina, Austria and New Zealand , wineries have welcomed such design notables as Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Santiago Calatrava, Richard Rogers, Norman Foster and Mario Botta. The pairing of wine with stimulating architecture serves not only to enhance the sensory pleasures and depth of appreciation of wine tasting but also attract a wider, architecture-savvy audience. In the U.S., this phenomenon has its roots in Napa Valley when, in the late 1980’s, Michael Graves’ postmodern design for Clos Pegase Winery was described by media as a place of design pilgrimage and America’s first monument to wine as art. Following in its steps was the Scott Johnson design for

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Opus One; Herzog & De Meuron’s for Dominus; and Quixote Winery by Austrian architect, Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Sokol Blosser Winery is pleased to join the ranks of this esteemed community.

Exterior Rendering, The Front Porch of The New Tasting Room

by Allied Works Architecture for Sokol Blosser Winery

About Sokol Blosser Winery For more than 40 years, before there was an Oregon wine industry, the Sokol Blosser family has been growing grapes and creating exemplary wines. Located on a certified organic 120-acre property in Oregon’s Dundee Hills sub appellation, Sokol Blosser has consistently captured the terroir of the region as expressed through the brilliance of its estate fruit. This resolute quest for excellence is also inherent in its environmentally-sensitive winemaking techniques, a core value for Sokol Blosser since the planting of its very first vines 1971. The winery produces Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and small quantities of Single Block Pinot Noirs under its Sokol Blosser brand name. It also produces a white blend and red blend under the Evolution brand name. “We feel a sense of social responsibility in conducting our business and our lives the way we do. This is the only way we could imagine doing it,” notes Susan Sokol Blosser, the winery’s founder. “Not only are our methods healthier for the soil, the vines, and those of us who work in the vineyard, they also lead to better wines.” The winery is now under the care of sister and brother co-presidents, Alison Sokol Blosser and Alex Sokol Blosser. Sokol Blosser Winery is entering a new millennium of winemaking, tasting and sustainability in hiring Allied Works Architecture to design Sokol Blosser’s state of the art tasting room. The project is set for completion in July, 2013. Please visit www.sokolblosser.com to shop online, for tasting room hours and more information about this award-winning vineyard. # # # Media Contact Burditch Marketing Communications Paul Burditch, Brian Garrido [email protected], [email protected] 415-874-9696 Additional images and renderings are available upon request.


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