[From original press release.]
SECOND ANNUAL BARREL AUCTION FAST APPROACHING
Willamette Valley’s Exclusive Trade Event to Spotlight Remarkable Vintage
On March 31 and April 1, Willamette: The Pinot Noir Barrel Auction returns for its second year. The wine trade affair, orchestrated by the Willamette Valley Wineries Association (WVWA), showcases rare wines from some of Oregon’s most notable vintners.
Unique Pinot noirs from 69 producers are available to trade buyers in five, ten, or twenty case lots. These exclusive offerings are not what you might find at your favorite bottle shop or tasting room. Bidders must be licensed members of the wine trade, so the only way for a consumer to acquire one of these incredibly rare wines is through the retail shop or restaurant with the highest bid.
“In truth, there is no other auction source in the world for the most sought-after bottlings of Pinot noir, outside of Burgundy’s Hospice de Beaune, than the Willamette Pinot Noir Barrel Auction,” said Josh Bergström, auction steering committee founding chairman.
All wines in the 2017 auction are exclusively Pinot noir from the much-anticipated 2015 vintage. Warm, consistent growing conditions that year allowed for slow and steady ripening, and the resulting wines are beautifully balanced and poised to age wonderfully.
A Pinot noir from Antica Terra is among the featured wines, a single-barrel lot so revered that the winegrowing crew couldn’t bear topping it with standard wine, so they used small rocks from Alder Creek instead. Adelsheim Vineyard’s lot is made entirely with fruit from Adelsheim’s oldest own-rooted Pommard vines at Bryan Creek. A favorite barrel from the legendary Bethel Heights Vineyard Southeast Block as well as the Cuvée Mystère Pinot noir from Isabelle Meunier’s LAVINEA are among the offerings.
On Friday, March 31, Adelsheim Vineyard, Alexana Estate, and Penner-Ash Wine Cellars will host welcome events featuring wine from the auction wineries paired with favorite local cuisine. The following day, the main event will take place at The Allison Inn, Oregon wine country’s premiere resort.
Last year, the event raised $476,000 from the sale of 66 unique Pinot noir lots, and over $600,000 in total. Proceeds benefit the WVWA’s marketing and branding efforts.
For additional information, including a list of all participating brands, please visit willamettewines.auction and follow #wvauction.
About the Willamette Valley Wineries Association:
The WVWA is a non-profit industry association dedicated to achieving recognition for Oregon’s acclaimed Willamette Valley as a premiere Pinot noir-producing region. Currently, the WVWA has more than 220 members representing wineries and tasting rooms throughout the region, from Portland to Eugene. For more information, please visit willamettewines.com, call 503-646-2985, or follow on Twitter & Instagram @wvwines and on Facebook.
