2020 was a year like no other (we all know this), but the year was especially difficult for wineries in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. First sucker-punched by the pandemic, many small producers had to completely change their business models to adapt to the ever-changing restrictions put upon the food and wine industry. Then came the fires.

For a relatively young grape growing region like Oregon, smoke from wildfires is a new threat, one that could spoil an entire year's crop. The fear of the unknown lead many winemakers to abandon their fruit contacts and give up on the vintage altogether. One winemaker that kept all of her fruit in 2020 was Brianne Day, the owner of Day Wines in Dundee. Her commitment to the longevity of her partnerships with the thoughtful growers she works with speaks volumes to those of us that value the ethos of community and sustainability Brianne so elegantly embodies.

We are thrilled to offer three examples of courageous winemaking — each truly made under fire — and excited to invite you to join us for an exclusive virtual tasting with Brianne on the evening of April 15th (exact time TBD). 

JOIN THE TASTING

We'll be drinking wines from Brianne's Vin de Days line, where she focuses on making wines that can fit in on anyone's dinner table. A play on the French Vin de Pays (country wine), these are joyful, immediate wines that deliver spectacular fruit and focus without compromise, and without breaking the bank. 

To mitigate the potential impact of the fires, Brianne took a lighter-handed approach to her already low-intervention style of winemaking, with shorter times on skins and gentler macerations, and the results of what could have been a tragic vintage have turned into some seriously delicious wines that are perfect for early drinking.

If you're curious about how winemakers approach challenges like the 2020 vintage, please join us on April 15th. It will be an illuminating, delicious evening, and one you won't want to miss. 

Cheers,

Kirk

kirk@vanderbilt.wine

VIEW DAY WINES