The new, sustainably-built production facility features many important firsts, including the world’s first carbon-neutral concrete.
Dayton, Ore. (January 24, 2023) – Remy Wines has opened a new winemaking facility in the Willamette Valley, a 5,000-square-foot, adaptive-reuse winery featuring the world’s first carbon-neutral concrete floor.
A project stitched with high standards for accessibility, sustainability, and community involvement, the new production facility was built using reclaimed and repurposed materials from an onsite pole barn. Relying on salvaged wood and metal, as well as fixtures and doors still in good condition, local McMinnville High School students were invited to help with the build as part of their coursework in woodworking, welding, and construction fundamentals.
The winery also became an incubator for a new, open-sourced carbon negative concrete that has the potential to transform the construction industry.
When Remy Wines Owner and Winemaker Remy Drabkin discovered that the production of commercial concrete is responsible for 7 to 9% of the world’s CO2 emissions, she challenged her building partners–John Mead at Vesuvian Forge with Bioforce Tech and Lafarge Labs–to explore alternatives. The result was a completely new concrete, dubbed the Drabkin-Mead Formulation, that not only decreased carbon emissions to zero but actually sequestered carbon during production. The formula achieves its carbon-neutral state through the use of biochar, a carbon-rich substance made from pyrolyzed (burned) organic municipal waste.
The floor was poured at Remy Wines in July 2022—the first commercial application for the Drabkin-Mead Formulation. The concrete remains open-sourced so it can be replicated around the world, thereby decreasing our global carbon footprint.
“Our slab sequestered over five tons of CO2 emissions,” concludes Drabkin. “What’s amazing with what we’ve done, other than inventing carbon sequestering concrete, is that our slab was only approximately 10% more expensive than a conventional concrete slab would have been. It’s the only project of its kind in the world.”
In keeping with the winery’s dedication to equity and accessibility, Remy Wines took special care in creating features of the winery build aimed at workplace health and safety. A unique feature, Remy Wines’ Equity Bathroom is the first of its kind for the company. A fully ADA-accessible, all-gender restroom, the facility features an exterior entrance for vineyard stewards to have access to regularly-maintained, temperature-controlled restrooms at all times (outdoor Porta Potty toilets are currently industry standard). The Equity Bathroom is now the sole restroom option for all Remy Wines’ employees and guests, ensuring a highly comfortable, safe, and clean facility for all.
Remy Wines welcomes guests to their Farmhouse Tasting Room adjacent to the newly-completed winery. The Tasting Room accepts visitors seven days a week between 12 pm and 5 pm. Guests must make an advanced appointment to visit on Mondays and Tuesdays. Reservations are highly encouraged Wednesday through Sunday.
Remy Wines Winery and Farmhouse Tasting Room
Location: 17495 NE McDougall Rd. Dayton, OR 97114
Phone: (503) 864-8777
Hours: Daily, 12 pm – 5 pm. Reservations are required Mondays and Tuesdays and strongly encouraged Wednesday through Sunday
About Remy Wines
Founded in 2006 by native Oregonian and queer winemaker, Remy Drabkin, Remy Wines is a Willamette Valley winery rooted in service to the community. Much like its visionary founder, Remy Wines honors Old World winemaking traditions with a fresh, progressive voice and undeniable flair. Remy Wines boasts an impressive portfolio of Italian-style wines made primarily with Oregon fruit and a welcoming, unpretentious Farmhouse Tasting Room in Dayton, Oregon. Remy Wines hosted the world’s first Queer Wine Fest in June 2022 and will produce the second annual event on June 24, 2023.
