Join us Saturday, February 26, 2022 for the
SEMINAR 2020
Born of Flood & Fire:
Chardonnay from Ancient Soils
Saturday, February 22, 2020 | 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
The verdant, vine-covered hillsides and lush farmland we know as Oregon wine country belie the region’s cataclysmic beginnings. Millions of years of colossal floods and raging fires, earthquakes and eruptions, a continental shift, and a shifting ocean created what we see today. Erosion has softened the craters and smoothed the lava flows, yet the soil left behind still has a story to tell. Join our moderator and winemaker panelists as they discuss these geologic events, how they impact the vines, and ultimately, the Chardonnay in your glass.
GRAND TASTING 2020
Exploring Chardonnay from Ancient Soils
Saturday, February 22, 2020 | 3:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Join us for a walk-around tasting of more than 50 Oregon Chardonnays from our 2020 Featured Wineries. Following our Grand Seminar theme of Born of Flood & Fire: Ancient Soils of Oregon, wines will be organized by soil type. Interact with winemakers in this uniquely formatted tasting and enjoy light Chardonnay-friendly hors d’œuvres, all in the warm atmosphere of The Allison Inn & Spa.
Ticket Options:
Two ticket options are available:
Seminar & Grand Tasting
Join us for Born of Flood & Fire: Chardonnay from Ancient Soils – a seminar exploring Oregon soils. Afterwards, explore the diversity of Oregon Chardonnay while sampling over 50 wines from our 2020 Featured Wineries at our Grand Tasting.
Grand Tasting
Explore the diversity of Oregon Chardonnay while sampling over 50 wines from our 2020 Featured Wineries, accompanied by light hors d’œuvres.
Admit One
$170.00Seminar & Grand Tasting Package
Purchase TicketsSaturday, February 22, 2020
1:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Questions?
Contact Us.
Admit One
$85.00Grand Tasting
Purchase TicketsSaturday, February 22, 2020
3:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Questions?
Contact Us.
ABOUT THE OREGON CHARDONNAY CELEBRATION
The Celebration educates both industry members and consumers about the varietal in a non-competitive environment. The event begins with a seated topical seminar and tasting followed by the Grand Tasting, a walkaround sampling of over 50 Oregon producers, one of the region’s largest varietal-specific tastings. Attendees have a choice of participating in both the seminar and Grand Tasting or the Grand Tasting only.
Formerly known as The Oregon Chardonnay Symposium, the Oregon Chardonnay Celebration delves deep into what makes Oregon Chardonnay unique, each year focusing on different aspects of the varietal and its place in the state. Bringing together pioneers and the current generation of Oregon producers, the Oregon Chardonnay Celebration provides a lens through which we can view the past, present, and future of Oregon Chardonnay.
2020 GRAND SEMINAR
MODERATOR
Eugenia Keegan | Jackson Family Wines
Eugenia Keegan’s over 40-year tenure in the wine business is a continuing story of decades of dedication to winemaking, executive, and community leadership positions in three important regions: Napa Valley, Sonoma County, and Willamette Valley. She is currently general manager for Jackson Family Wines’ Oregon properties, where she oversees the winemaking programs for Gran Moraine, Penner-Ash Wine Cellars, WillaKenzie Estate, and Zena Crown Vineyard, as well as Willamette Valley winemaking for Sonoma-based Siduri and La Crema. Born fifth generation to a family with deep roots in the Russian River Valley, Eugenia began her career with Joseph Swan Vineyards as a cellar and vineyard worker in 1976. She then headed to France, where she worked harvests in Burgundy, first at Pousse d’Or in Volnay and later at Etienne Sauzet in Puligny-Montrachet. Upon returning to California in 1982, she held a series of executive positions over the next 20 years at Hop Kiln Winery in the Russian River Valley, Bouchaine Vineyards in Carneros, and Vine Cliff Winery in Oakville. During this time, she also established her own label, Keegan Cellars, specializing in single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. Eugenia’s travels took her in 2003 to Oregon, where she ventured into the world of wine distribution with the founding of Tsarina Wines, a small fine wine distributor based in Portland. In 2006, Tsarina merged with the Henry Wine Group of Oregon, and she continued as co-owner and president until 2009. While Eugenia was on sabbatical in 2010, France called again, this time Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Roussillon, where she worked three consecutive harvests and in 2012 purchased two small vineyards in Roussillon. Upon returning to Oregon, Eugenia served as general manager of The Four Graces for two years before joining Jackson Family Wines, first as a consultant. She was named Gran Moraine winemaker in 2014, and then pivoted to a new role in 2016 as general manager, overseeing the winemaking programs for all JFW Oregon wineries. She also plays an essential role in the Willamette Valley and larger Oregon wine community and has served as chair of the board of directors of the Oregon Wine Board, president of the Oregon Winegrowers Association, president of the Willamette Valley Wineries Association Board, and co-chair of Willamette: The Pinot Noir Auction. She has also held positions on the Chemeketa Community College Wine Studies advisory committee and the LIVE board of directors. Eugenia lives in Willamette Valley with her longtime partner, David Adelsheim.
2020 GRAND SEMINAR
PANELISTS
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Adam Campbell
Adam Campbell | Elk Cove VineyardsA fifth-generation Oregon farmer, Adam grew up in the 1970’s on a 40-acre vineyard and winery in the foothills of the coast range in Yamhill County. He joined the family business full time in 1994, heading up a new vineyard development project that has grown Elk Cove Vineyards holdings to 400 planted acres on six separate Estate properties. With over 300 acres of vines on Marine Sediment soils in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, Elk Cove has extensive plantings of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. As a winemaker, Adam insists on extremely low yields from these meticulously farmed Estate vineyards to give him excellent raw material, thoughtful winemaking methods provide the rest. Adam also has a passion for sustainability including a solar energy project at the winery, bio-diesel for all farm vehicles & use of organic farming methods. Adam has served on the Board of Directors for the International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC), Oregon Pinot Camp (OPC), Oregon League of Conservation Voters (OLCV) and the Salud Pinot Noir Auction. He also has a Political Science degree from Lewis and Clark College.
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Kevin Chambers
Kevin Chambers | Koosah FarmKevin Chambers has been riveted by fine wine since he experienced the 1978 Forgeron Riesling, produced near Elmira, OR. Soon after, while studying for his degree at the University of Oregon, he took a part-time job working at Of Grape & Grain (Oregon’s second retail fine wine operation). Kevin has worked in the Oregon wine industry ever since. After serving in marketing, sales and management positions at some of Oregon’s largest wineries, he purchased Oregon Vineyard Supply and Results Partners in late 1997. Kevin sold those businesses to the employees in 2009, and stepped down as CEO in 2012. In 1990, he purchased the property that would become Resonance Vineyard west of Carlton, OR. He and his family sold that vineyard to Maison Louis Jadot of Beaune, France in 2013. They took the proceeds and purchased land high in the Eola-Amity Hills to develop Koosah (Koo-saw) Farm, a permaculture vineyard and orchard operation exploring the microbiome extremes of elevation, slope, rock, wind and clonal variety to create new specimens of Oregon Chardonnay and Pinot noir.
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Luisa Ponzi
Luisa Ponzi | Ponzi VineyardsAfter working and completing her post-graduate studies at the CFPPA in Beaune, France, second generation winemaker Luisa Ponzi returned to the Willamette Valley in 1993 to begin her career at Ponzi Vineyards. The Ponzi family has had the rare opportunity of farming the same land for fifty years. The 150 acres are situated on five sites located on the eastern slope of the Chehalem Mountains AVA. The soil here is classified as exclusively Laurelwood; composed of a fractured basalt base and windblown sedimentary on top. Luisa is a primary figure in the establishment of the Laurelwood District AVA, recognizing the importance of soil type and geology to winemaking in the region. She feels Laurelwood is ideal for the quality cultivation of Pinot noir and Chardonnay. Her love affair with Chardonnay began while in Burgundy and continued with her pioneering work with Dijon clones in 1993. Luisa consistently produces cellar-worthy cuvees with each vintage. With twenty-six vintages under her belt, an eye for innovation, and a supreme understanding of winemaking, Luisa has paved the way for world-class Oregon Chardonnay.
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Rollin Soles
Rollin Soles | ROCO WineryOne of the original founders of Oregon’s first Chardonnay collective, the Oregon Chardonnay Alliance, winemaker Rollin Soles has produced Chardonnay from the Willamette Valley for 34 years. He has seen a viticultural revolution in this varietal, and has made three (Wine Spectator’s) TOP 100s for his Chardonnays alone. Soles’ wines relate the expertise of having made wine across the world from Switzerland to Australia – before he founded Argyle Winery in 1987. He has an undergraduate degree in microbiology and a Masters in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis. Today Soles focuses on his passion project, ROCO Winery that he started with his wife Corby in 2003. Since then ROCO Winery has distinguished itself as an outstanding producer of Oregon Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and sparkling wine. ROCO’s Wits’ End Vineyard, located in the Chehalem Mountains, illustrates Soles’ meticulous farming practices and his dedication to sustainability.
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Vince Vidrine
Vince Vidrine | Irvine & Roberts VineyardsIn all his wines, Vince seeks balance between the clarity of terroir and the precision of style. A graduate of OSU’s Enology and Viticulture program, he has had the opportunity to make chardonnay in many different places in the world, in many different styles. Vince spent most of his career at wineries in the Willamette Valley, and is now excited to work with vines planted in an undiscovered region where he sees the potential to create unique, memorable wines. His goal at Irvine & Roberts Vineyards is to craft wines of quality that reflect the soil, climate, and vintage. When not working in the cellar or walking the vineyards, Vince can be found on the slopes of nearby mountains, floating through the river valleys, or enjoying food and drinks from other talented producers in the region.
2020 GRAND TASTING
FEATURED WINERIES
CHARDONNAY IN THE NEWS
“Oregon Chardonnay is right on track to be a pacesetter for Chardonnay in the US. It hasn’t got the stylistic baggage of the other major regions and there’s a freedom to set an unencumbered modern course. The clincher is that Pinot is so all-consuming for most producers that Chardonnay hasn’t reached full potential in Oregon yet. It’s on the way, and that’s exciting for makers and consumers alike.” ~ Nick Stock, Australian Wine Pro Talks Oregon Tasting
November 1, 2019 Oregon Wine Press
“The move toward un-oaked, Chablis-styles of Chardonnay definitely is why Oregon winemakers at both ends of the Beaver State continue to champion Chardonnay. That’s natural considering Oregon’s internationally acclaimed work with Pinot Noir and increased interest in methode Champenoise sparkling wines.” ~ Andy Perdue and Eric Degerman, Northwest Wine: Chardonnay evolves deliciously throughout Pacific Northwest
October 22, 2019 Great Northwest Wine
“Oregon’s Chardonnay production continues to soar, and is rapidly gaining a reputation as the next big thing to come out of the Oregon wine industry.” ~ Joseph V. Micallef, Oregon’s Wine Industry Continues Its Record Setting Pace
September 13, 2019 Forbes
MAKE IT A WEEKEND
Stay at The Allison Inn & Spa
Enjoy an extended wine country experience. The Allison Inn & Spa offers a special rate of $300.00 plus tax per night for guests of the Oregon Chardonnay Celebration. Offer based on availability. Please contact the hotel directly by telephone at 503 – 554 – 2525 to make your reservations. Reservations must be made by Friday, January 17, 2020.