Taking a page from a chapter in her own life, Brianne Day — the winemaker behind Day Wines — recently opened a cooperative tasting room in Yamhill County. Day Camp features a total of 11 small wine producers under one roof who share the many tools of the trade that go into crafting palate-pleasing wines.
“Cooperative living, in general, is efficient as opposed to every household having their own everything,” Day explains. “I lived on a cooperative, of sorts, for a year. Seeing the model in place is just more efficient and always made sense to me for a winery.”
Guests are greeted with a concept that mirrors Day’s focus on natural wines. The patio is laid out in an orderly manner to mimic a vineyard; reflecting the designs of Portland’s Fieldwork Design and Architecture. Open spaces orient toward the picturesque Dundee Hills, and natural lighting is emphasized through a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. Copper is a central theme from the tasting bar, to light fixtures and outdoor planters. Cedar embellishments in the ceiling and main tasting room wall are carried outside to another accent wall, and more containers that feature native plants to soften the space.
The sipping experience at Day Camp is laid back exploration. Daily flights are chosen from a rotation of Day Wines’ extensive portfolio, with one pour from the flight highlighting another in-house producer. Scheduled wine bar takeovers showcase the talents of the other cooperative members — including Fossil & Fawn, R. Maloof, Montebruno Wine, Jackalope Wine Cellars, Granville Wines, Script Cellars, Adega Northwest, Burner Wines, Yamtunk Wine Company and William Marie Wines.
All these creative minds in one place is a coup for wine lovers. Over 30 wines by the bottle are available to enjoy on site or stock up for your own soirée. Day — herself an eclectic, funky and adventurous winemaker — pays particular attention to create a space that promotes socializing. After Memorial Weekend, visitors can enjoy the extensive patio adorned with comfortable lounge chairs, a gas fire pit and lawn games like bocce ball and corn hole.
“I don’t think wine should take itself too seriously,” Day says. “I want to encourage people to stay a while and enjoy themselves and not be pressured into buying.”
At Day Wines, it’s all about throwing pretense out the window. “People always say to me ‘I don’t know anything about wine.’ I say, ‘What do I know about film making; but I still go to the movies.’ I don’t want it to be stodgy at all.”
