Winter in the vineyard doesn’t mean our crews take a break until spring — and the vines don’t either.
It may look like little is happening during the dormancy phase, but beneath the surface, the vines have been working hard to tolerate and acclimate to the cold days of winter.
After harvest, the vines’ roots begin to grow, soaking up nutrients from the soil.
And although cold temperatures can harm crops, grape vines are extremely resilient. Water and nutrients in the vines move into the trunk and roots when temperatures drop. Storing these carbohydrates helps prevent the freezing of the plant tissue and gives the vines the energy they need for bud break come spring.
While the vines do a lot of self-maintenance, pruning is an important part of the grape-growing process that helps prepare the vines for future fruit development.
During the colder months, our vineyard stewards are hard at work pruning and maintaining the dormant vines. This week, they finished pruning vines at our Estate in the Salem Hills and are anticipating bud break.
Pruning and Preparations
Vineyard Manager Efren Loeza started working at Tualatin Estate Vineyard as a teenager and eventually joined Willamette’s team when it merged with Tualatin Estate in 1997.
Efren learned about vineyard management and specifically pruning from pioneering viticulturist David Foster. He brought that knowledge to our multiple vineyards spanning more than 500 acres.
Pruning is a crucial component of vine management as the decisions our vineyard stewards make when pruning will impact the next year’s growth.
At Willamette, we utilize different styles of trellises to maximize quality grape growth. This paired with intentional pruning and maintenance decisions gives us plentiful harvests.
Watch the video below featuring Efren and Founder & CEO Jim Bernau to learn more about vine maintenance.
Winemaking is a science and an art. That unusual combination led Willamette’s Enologist Alexis Doyle Langer to pursue a career in winemaking.
“What is fascinating about winemaking is that you let the analysis guide you, but you still rely on sensory input to make decisions,” Alexis said. “I can make a wine analytically perfect, but if the consumers don’t like it, it doesn’t matter. It’s a science and an art at the same time.”
Alexis is one of Willamette’s many women working in wine. March 25th, National Women in Wine Day, is a time to acknowledge Alexis and all of the incredible women who make up our winery’s busy staff.
Learning the ropes
Alexis dreamed of being a distiller in Scotland. She attended Oregon State University to study food science and, through that program, ended up working in the wine lab. At that point, she fell in love with the art and science of winemaking.
While in school, she worked at Bluebird Hill Cellar in Monroe and helped with everything from vineyard management to cellar work to the tasting room.
“It was a good opportunity to see all sides of the winemaking process,” Alexis said.
Following graduation, she worked a harvest in California and returned to Oregon, where she took a job as a lab technician at Willamette.
Alexis quickly moved up in the company and became lab manager and later our enologist.
“I was tenacious and saw where there were needs and filled them,” she said. “I really grew into the position.”
A year into her work as our enologist, Alexis is excited about what each day brings.
“Winemaking is tough work,” she said. “But I still wake up excited to do my job. I’m very passionate about wine, educating others and furthering my understanding. I like that there are new challenges every day.”
Supporting each other
Alexis said she was fortunate enough to have many women who helped her achieve her goals.
It started with her mom. Alexis said her mom encouraged her to be hardworking, driven and passionate and taught her that success meant trying your best. These qualities helped her quickly climb the ranks at Willamette.
Through Oregon nonprofit Women in Wine, Alexis met Emily Terrell, Associate Winemaker at Brittan Vineyards. Emily became a mentor to her. Having a fellow woman winemaker show her the ropes inspired Alexis and helped her gain a better understanding of the wine industry.
Now, it’s her turn to be a mentor to others.
“I’m in a position where I get to help foster those relationships, open doors for women and guide them in the wine industry,” she said.
Lifting other women up is something Alexis believes is an essential part of being a woman in wine. She said encouraging and supporting other women, especially helping them overcome self-doubt, is crucial.
“Building that diversity and understanding where people are coming from will advance winemaking for future generations,” she said.
About Willamette’s Women in Wine
At Willamette Valley Vineyards, we celebrate and support women in the wine industry to inspire change. Roughly 58.2% of our staff and 56% of our leadership team are composed of passionate women dedicated to shaping the Oregon wine industry. Willamette's female staff is also some of its most tenured; 44% of our employees with 5 or more years at the company are women.
This year, celebrate National Women in Wine Day by enjoying a limited collection curated by some of our female leaders, including Alexis.
Try your hands at crafting your perfect wine during a red blending experience at Willamette Valley Vineyards.
Blending experiences are available at the Estate in the Salem Hills, Willamette Wineworks in Folsom, California, and our Vancouver Tasting Room & Restaurant. These venues offer guests a unique opportunity to learn about wine and take control of the winemaking process.
“It breaks it down to a personal experience,” Vancouver Winery Ambassador Julian LaRocca said. “People get to feel a connection to what they’re doing.”
The prototype for the blending system was created and installed at Willamette Wineworks and later modified for the other locations by David Markel, Willamette Valley Vineyards Research and Development Manager.
Each location is slightly different, with regional varietals available for blending a unique cuvée. At the Estate in the Salem Hills, wine enthusiasts can learn about and taste seven different Pinot Noir clones. At Willamette Wineworks, guests blend Natoma wines made in California.
In Vancouver, guests blend 5 Walla Walla AVA wines.
The blending system in Vancouver is the newest of the three, debuting in 2023. This location features five varietals grown on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla AVA. Guests can create their blend using Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.
“The Blending System elevates the Tasting Room to be more of a complete experience,” Julian said. “It brings you closer to the wine and makes this more than just a restaurant.”
The Experience
A Winery Ambassador leads participants in learning about each varietal, sharing stories about the different grapes and where they grow.
At the Estate in the Salem Hills, guests can create their perfect blend using seven different Pinot Noir clones.
Attendees taste each wine, noting what flavors and aromas they experience. Next, guests create their ideal blend using the dials on the blending system to determine how much of each varietal they want in their wine.
Julian said there are no rules, but he suggests not trying to blend an equal amount of each varietal. He added that the group activity can be fun, competitive and memorable.
“A huge part of wine is the group aspect,” Julian said. “It’s about community.”
Winery Ambassadors take note of each participant’s blend so they can purchase a carafe or glass of their blend any time they visit the Vancouver location.
Guests who try out the blending experience at the Estate can purchase a carafe of their blend and take home a bottle of their creation. At Willamette Wineworks, participants can purchase a glass or growler of their favorite blend.
Celebrate Washington Wine Month with a Blending
Those looking to pair their blending experience with a special evening can reserve a spot at our Washington Wine Month Celebration and Métis release party in Vancouver on Sunday, March 24th, at 5 pm.
Before crafting your blend, you’ll taste our newly released 2021 Métis Red Blend. Tickets are $55 per person or $50 for Wine Club Members and $45 for Owners.
Julian said his favorite part is watching attendees take ownership of their wine.
“It’s special seeing people share their blend with friends,” he said. “The people that made the wine get to explain it as they share it.”
Throughout February, wine enthusiasts are invited to celebrate Oregon truffles with Willamette Valley Vineyards.
Willamette’s Tasting Room & Restaurants locations in Lake Oswego, Vancouver, Happy Valley and Bend will feature truffle add-ons throughout the month, and the Estate in the Salem Hills is hosting a Gala Truffle Dinner as a part of the Oregon Truffle Festival (OTF). Tickets for the dinner are sold out, but guests can find a waitlist here.
The OTF is a nonprofit that seeks to educate the community and grow the Oregon truffle industry.
With the truffle harvesting season running through the rainier months, February is the traditional time to celebrate these delicacies.
What makes truffles special
For Executive Winery Chef DJ MacIntyre, though, truffles should be celebrated all year.
“One of the reasons I came down to Oregon was for truffles,” said DJ, who graduated from the University of Oregon and worked for Chef John Howie in Seattle before joining Willamette’s team in 2015. “I love mushrooms in general, and truffles take on a whole new realm of what they can do.”
Oregon is home to a variety of truffles that are equal in quality to their European counterparts, he said. Varieties of Oregon truffles include winter white, spring white, black and brown.
“There is a high quality of truffles the majority of the year, which allows chefs in the area to play with the flavors and Northwest ingredients,” DJ said. He added that the complexity of the taste and smell of truffles makes them extremely versatile.
Executive Winery Chef DJ MacIntyre
Pairing truffles and wine
Cooking with truffles can be as simple as sprinkling fries with truffle oil or as complicated as infusing eggs and cream for a decadent carbonara. Ingredients with a fat or oil base will pick up the aromas and flavors of truffles well.
Dishes featuring truffles pair perfectly with Willamette wines. For example, the earthiness in some truffles lends itself well to pairing with our Pinot Noirs.
“‘If it grows together, it goes together,’” DJ said, quoting a principle of wine and food pairings. Because of this, truffles can pair well with many Pacific Northwest ingredients.
When pairing a truffle dish with wine, DJ said it's important to consider the different flavors and qualities of the wine.
Oregon white truffles have more of a funky, garlicky taste, while black truffles are a little bit on the sweeter side. So a dessert featuring the sweeter, fruitier notes of a black truffle pairs well with our Domaine Willamette Brut Rosé and its strawberry and honeydew with citrus notes. Meanwhile, a white truffle-infused meat dish with more garlicky flavor would pair well with an earthy Pinot Noir.
The Oregon Truffle Industry
Willamette’s interest in the Oregon truffle industry goes beyond wine and food pairings.
“We're trying to build awareness that we have something that is a unique food product that comes from Oregon,” DJ said.
Oregon truffles grow naturally beneath Douglas fir trees. Hazelnut farmers can now innoculate their trees with truffles, an advancement in farming technology that could give them a secondary crop from their orchards and help increase the availability of Oregon truffles.
To help showcase the connection between wine and food, the root systems of cork oak trees planted at sparkling winery Domaine Willamette are inoculated to grow French black truffles.
Oregon Truffle Festival Founders Charles Lefevre and Leslie Scott with a pair of truffle hunting dogs.
Founder Jim Bernau and Willamette also support OTF and its legislative work. For instance, Willamette encourages truffle hunting by dogs as opposed to raking for truffles. DJ said dogs can smell ripe truffles and leave the unripe ones underground. Meanwhile, raking can disrupt topsoil, harm root systems and yield immature truffles.
The main goal is to educate the community and encourage best practices so Oregon can produce top-level truffles.
“The word is spreading,” DJ said. “Each of us is passing that torch so Oregon shines bright.”
Guests at the Estate in the Salem Hills can now take a seat at the Chef’s Counter for a tasting experience filled with wine, small plates and plenty of conversation. This communal experience offers guests a unique opportunity to interact with our Winery Chef as their food is prepared and plated.
“Guests rarely get a one-on-one interaction with their chef,” Winery Chef Jarred Henry said. “You don’t see that experience at a typical restaurant.”
The Chef's Counter communal experience seats eight guests.
Attendees can also engage with other wine enthusiasts at the eight-person counter nestled in the Estate Tasting Room as they enjoy a four-course small-bites menu. Current pairings include seasonal seafood with elevated wines and a Bananas Foster dessert paired with 2019 Domaine Willamette Brut. Please note substitutions and modifications may not be available.
Reservations are $60 per person or $45 for Owners and Club Members. The Chef’s Counter experience is available Monday through Friday at 2 pm and lasts around an hour and a half.
Your ticket cost will be credited to a 4-bottle purchase of featured wines or a 6-bottle purchase per couple.
What to expect
Chef Jarred said he’s excited for guests to try the unique pairings. The winter menu features Dungeness crab, halibut and more, paired with a mix of bold and lighter wines. The menu will change seasonally.
“I wanted to focus on textures and play on different temperatures of food and wines to create an intriguing movement on the palate,” he said.
Winery Chef Jarred Henry puts the finishing touches on dishes at the Chef's Counter.
The Chef’s Counter will offer an intimate setting for guests to learn more about the food and wine they’re enjoying.
A Winery Ambassador will guide attendees through the tasting experience and share stories about the featured wines. Guests will also have a passport to fill out tasting notes.
“We were looking for a really fun, energetic and engaging experience for our guests to interact with the Chef and Winery Ambassador,” Hospitality & Guest Experience Manager Kaylin Ray said. “It’s intended to spark conversation. I’m excited about the liveliness and energy it’ll bring to the Tasting Room.”
A lasting impact
The Chef’s Counter experience is more than just a tasting — it’s an educational opportunity too. Guests can take what they learn at Willamette with them to their next party or dinner.
“We’re going to walk guests through the pairings and they’ll be able to take that knowledge with them as they pair wines with special dishes at home,” Kaylin said.
The Chef’s Counter is approachable, she added. It’s perfect for both new and experienced wine enthusiasts.
With seasonal and local ingredients at the forefront, guests can also learn how our terroir influences both the dishes and wine.
“You’re not going to get this one-on-one experience anywhere else in the Willamette Valley right now,” Kaylin said. “It’s an opportunity to talk to the Chef, make friends, socialize and learn from top-tier ambassadors.”
Thank you for your continued support of Willamette Valley Vineyards throughout 2023. Your steadfast commitment to Willamette allows us to tell the Oregon story through sustainably grown and crafted wine.
Exciting growth, strides in sustainability and a plentiful harvest filled the winery's 2023 calendar. Please read more about some of the year's highlights below.
We wish you and yours a joyful 2024.
Cascade Raptor Center (one of our partners in sustainability) rescued an injured red-tailed hawk from Interstate 5 on Christmas Day 2022 and released her at the Estate in the Salem Hills after her rehabilitation. The hawk is named “Jory” after the red Jory soil at the vineyard and the hawk's tail color. Club Members have since spotted her flying past the Willamette Room.
As a part of our ongoing partnership with the Oregon Truffle Festival, we hosted a Truffles & Bubbles Sparkling Dinner at Domaine Willamette. Attendees enjoyed the state's best truffles with our award-winning sparkling wines. In 2024, wine enthusiasts will enjoy a truffle dinner on Saturday, February 24th or Sunday, February 25th at the Estate in the Salem Hills.
To celebrate Women's History Month and the contributions of Elton Vineyard Founder Betty O'Brien, we hosted multiple Women in Wine pairing dinners in her honor. Guests enjoyed a Cookies & Wine Pairings Guide in March as a nod to Betty's former work as Executive Director of the Santiam Girl Scouts. Betty celebrated her 80th birthday and Elton celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2023.
Our 2022 Domaine Willamette Méthode Traditionnelle Brut went into tirage, a critical step in making sparkling wine. Tirage is a secondary fermentation where the base wine is combined in the bottle with sweet dosage and yeast and sealed with a crown cap to create pressure and bubbles. After aging for 30 months on their lees, the bottles are disgorged and enclosed with their traditional corks and wire cages.
In honor of Oregon Wine Month, we recognized the Oregon Wine Pioneers who have helped make Willamette what it is today. This included Founder and CEO Jim Bernau, Elton Vineyard Founders Dick and Betty O'Brien and Tualatin Estate Vineyard Founder Bill Fuller. We also honored Traute Moore (pictured), a founder of Quail Run Vineyards who passed away this year. The fruit for our Griffin Creek wines is grown at Quail Run Vineyards in Southern Oregon's Rogue Valley. Now, Traute's son Michael manages the vineyard.
Our vineyard team planted the new Jory Claim Vineyard with Pinot Noir vines this year. The vineyard is located near the Estate in the Salem Hills and is visible from the tasting room. The vineyard will be LIVE (Low Input Viticulture & Enology) and Salmon-Safe certified like the rest of our estate vineyards.
The site was part of the Jory Family's original homestead, pioneered in 1848 after the family came west on the Oregon Trail. Jory is also the name of Oregon's State Soil, known for providing the exceptional drainage that helps grow high-quality Pinot Noir grapes and produce lush wines of bright red fruit and subtle minerality.
The 2022 Whole Cluster Rosé of Pinot Noir was awarded 94 points and a gold medal at the 2023 Sunset International Wine Competition. Judges remarked on the wine's outstanding color, floral bouquet and honeysuckle notes.
Willamette stockholders celebrated the winery's 40th Anniversary during our annual Owners Weekend and Shareholder Meeting. The festivities included pairing dinners, tours and a historic group photo of our wonderful Owners at Domaine Willamette.
The biodynamic clock at Domaine Willamette is a working clock that reflects favorable agricultural activity based on the phases of the moon. The clock – located in the Wine Shop at Domaine Willamette – serves as an interpretive element for the biodynamically-farmed Bernau Estate Vineyard. This year, Bernau Estate Vineyard officially earned the Demeter Biodynamic Certification.
Portland Business Journal honored Domaine Willamette with its Landmark Award and recognized the uniqueness of the winery’s design and its contribution to its community. Wine Enthusiast Magazine also honored Domaine Willamette, listing the sparkling winery as one of eight must-visit wineries in the Willamette Valley AVA.
The Vancouver Tasting Room & Restaurant opened a Red Blending Experience featuring five bold Walla Walla varietals. Using a unique system invented for Willamette Wineworks in Folsom, California, and modified by Research & Development Manager David Markel, the Blending Systems can be found at Willamette Wineworks, the Estate in the Salem Hills and on the Vancouver Waterfront.
Established in 1973 by Bill Fuller and his business partner Bill Malkmus, Tualatin Estate Vineyard is one of Oregon’s oldest and most respected vineyard sites. In 2023, Bill Fuller celebrated the 50th anniversary of Tualatin Estate Vineyard, the release of his Vintage 48 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and his 86th birthday.
Willamette's summer stock offering was oversubscribed, surpassing its funding goal ahead of schedule. Initially aiming to raise $3.53 million by the end of the year, the winery exceeded expectations, receiving applications for around $4.34 million before October 1st.
Founder and CEO Jim Bernau celebrated the 2023 harvest with a virtual toast with our vineyard and winemaking team, Owners and Club Members. Harvest started at Bernau Estate Vineyard with picks of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay that will be used in our sparkling wines. The first picks of Pinot Noir for still wines started a week later. The Bernau Estate Vineyard in the Dundee Hills is ideal for growing grapes for sparkling wine due to the fruit developing aroma and flavor at earlier levels of maturity. This allows for high levels of flavor and low levels of ripeness in the grapes, which is the perfect combination for sparkling wine.
Vineyard stewards, staff and Owner volunteers gathered at Domaine Willamette to bury a cache of cow horns filled with manure as a part of the biodynamic farming practices followed at Bernau Estate Vineyard. Come spring, the manure will be a rich, dark, earthy matter used in sprays to deliver nutrients to the ground under the vines.
Vineyard Manager Efren Loeza was honored at the ¡Salud! Auction for his many years of work with the organization. Efren has become an advocate for ¡Salud!, connecting vineyard workers to vital services and caring for the next generation of vineyard steward leaders.
Stephen Paisley, Willamette’s “Bee Guy,” and Facilities Coordinator Randy Hillyer removed nearly 11,000 cocoons during the annual mason bee box cleaning. These bees play a crucial role in encouraging biodiversity and maintaining a healthy bee population since they are some of the most efficient pollinators. Mason bees are easy for our crew to handle since they don't produce honey.
The 2019 Domaine Willamette Méthode Traditionnelle Brut and the 2019 Griffin Creek Cabernet Franc won gold at the Global Fine Wine Challenge. The contest includes wines from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States.
Mo’s Seafood & Chowder Festival is making a triumphant return to Willamette Valley Vineyards this January.
Willamette hasn’t hosted the classic event since 2020, and wine enthusiasts and crab lovers alike have felt its absence.
“With the three-year hiatus, we’ve missed out on people visiting from out of town who would come annually,” Estate General Manager Spence Fogarty said. “For many local Club Members, this has been one of the most sought-after events we host. It's a staple in January.”
Fresh crab pairs perfectly with Willamette's Pinot Gris.
The festival returns to our Estate in the Salem Hills on January 26th-28th. Seafood and wine will take center stage as attendees delight in delicious chowder bowls and other fresh seafood paired with our classic Oregon wines, including the 2022 Pinot Gris.
Tickets are available for purchase online. Admission is $40 per person or $30 for Club Members and Owners. Tickets include a glass of wine, a $15 wine credit, a Riedel glass to take home, live music and access to the event. A variety of Mo’s seafood and sides will be available for purchase.
“We created this event many years ago as a partnership with another local Oregon brand,” Spence said. “The event brings the amazing offerings of the coast to the Willamette Valley for us to share that story with our customers and guests.”
Mo’s North Coast Regional Manager Billie Jo Edmonds said her heart was filled with joy when she learned the event was coming back in 2024.
“My favorite part is the interaction we get with everyone,” Billie Jo said. “We bring in such a diverse group of individuals who make the event so fun.”
The Seafood and Chowder Festival is Mo's biggest event of the year.
What to expect
This year’s festival is the 24th iteration of the event. As usual, Louie, the giant inflatable crab, will tower over the Estate and be a great photo-op for attendees. This family-friendly event has something for everyone.
“If you’ve never been, you don’t know what you're missing,” Billie Jo said.
Mo’s will prepare food for purchase like shrimp skewers, clam chowder, oyster shooters and a crab dinner. Guests who purchase a case of wine will receive a whole crab to enjoy at the festival too.
With the Oregon crab season opening just last week, the seafood should be particularly tasty this year.
“It looks like it's going to be a really good season,” Billie Jo said. “I’m expecting big, fat, juicy crabs this year.”
Louie the inflatable crab is a great place for kids and adults alike to take photos.
The festival is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the bounty that Oregon provides from both the ocean and the land as it highlights wonderful seafood and wine pairings. While Pinot Gris is at the forefront, many of our wines — both white and red — can complement fresh seafood.
Although the pandemic put a hold on the popular event, Spence said it’s expected to return with a full crowd.
“We look forward to celebrating this event for many years to come,” he said.
Give back to your community this holiday season when you join Willamette Valley Vineyards in collecting items for local food banks through the annual Willamette Cares Food Share program. In return, you’ll earn a card for a two-for-one seasonal wine tasting to gift to a friend.
Willamette Cares Food Share is part of a region-wide effort to combat hunger. Support our neighbors in need by donating non-perishable food items at the Estate in the Salem Hills, Tualatin Estate Vineyard, McMinnville Tasting Room, or our Vancouver, Lake Oswego and Happy Valley Tasting Room & Restaurant locations. Donations can also be made at Willamette Wineworks in Folsom, California.
Look for the collection barrels at participating tasting rooms through December 31st. Donations will be distributed to local food banks to help support families in need after the holidays.
The Turner Fire District will also have two metal barrels in our Estate Tasting Room for their toy drive.
“The Willamette Cares Food Share started in 2014 as a way for the wine industry to come together on a philanthropic project,” said Emily Nelson, Associate Director for the Willamette Valley Wineries Association. “We knew that many wineries were already engaged in supporting their local food banks, so we wanted to unify the efforts and help promote at the regional level.”
What to donate
This year, guests who donate six or more items will receive a two-for-one-tasting flight certificate to gift to a friend.
Examples of most-needed items include:
Community impact
Supporting charitable organizations not only allows us to support the community but also gives our guests and Owners a chance to make a difference too, Estate General Manager Spence Fogarty said.
“We find that we have a lot of members and guests who want to help out,” he said, adding that guests often feel a sense of pride knowing they can help those in need through their favorite winery.
“Supporting the community has always been a defining element in the Willamette Valley wine region,” Emily said.
To find out more about the program click here.
This December, some Willamette Valley Vineyard volunteers are getting in the holiday spirit by acting as “elves” in the community.
Volunteers team up with members of Willamette’s National Sales Department and visit local stores to stock shelves and displays, tidy up the wine aisle, dust bottles, fill wines in the cold box and more. The program started as a way to support our community partners by providing them with some extra hands during a busy time of year.
Industry Relations Manager Suzanne Shultz said a little help can go a long way during the holidays. She added that many clients have expressed their gratitude for the annual outing.
“We get a lot of responses,” Suzanne said. “There’s a lot of confusion and shock, and they ask if we’re really there just to help them. It’s terrific and a great act of goodwill.”
The volunteers don’t just tidy up our winery’s bottles — they clean up the entire wine section and help customers pick out bottles, too.
Willamette Owners Aurora and Gary Clabaugh said acting as elves is a great way to connect with the community.
Aurora Clabaugh first volunteered as an "elf" in 2022 with her husband Gary.
Gary Clabaugh said making connections is the best part of volunteering.
“It’s a way to volunteer, get out there and meet people,” Gary said. “We can share our experiences with others too.”
Owners looking to volunteer next year can apply through Oregon Wine Enthusiasts or email stock.offering@wvv.com for more information. The elves usually go out on the days before Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve.
“It’s nice to try to spread some Christmas cheer and have fun,” Aurora said. She added that it’s great meeting other owners, too.
The yearly tradition is one way Willamette Valley Vineyards aims to positively impact the community.
“It’s about supporting those who are supporting us throughout the year,” Suzanne said. “It’s not much, but it’s a little something we can do to say thank you.”
One of the unique ways Willamette Valley Vineyards practices sustainable vineyard stewardship is through our mason bee program. These insects play a crucial role in encouraging biodiversity and maintaining a healthy bee population.
This November, Randy Hillyer, Facilities Coordinator at the winery, and Stephen Paisley, Willamette’s “Bee Guy,” cleaned the mason bee boxes before storing them for the winter. This process included removing nearly 11,000 cocoons from 240 wooden trays and placing the cocoons in a refrigerator so the bees remain dormant until the spring.
Mason Bee Cocoons
Cleaning the bee box cocoons and trays is crucial to maintaining mason bee populations. Removing pests, mold, pollen, wasps and other materials from the trays ensures the bees have a clean, safe place to live and lay eggs. Washing the cocoons gives the bees a better chance of thriving in the spring.
Stephen and Randy will return the bees to their bee houses in late March or early April. Until then, the bees are hibernating inside their cocoons. As the temperature warms, the bees will emerge and get busy pollinating nearby plants and flowers.
Bees at the vineyard
Stephen Paisley, Willamette Valley Vineyards "Bee Guy"
Randy Hillyer, Willamette Valley Vineyards Facilities Coordinator
Since 2019, Stephen and Randy have been working on managing the mason bees and helping bolster pollinator populations.
Willamette first introduced mason bees at four locations in 2019, including Tualatin Estate Vineyard, Elton Vineyard, Bernau Estate Vineyard at Domaine Willamette in the Dundee Hills and the Estate Vineyard in the Salem Hills.
Stephen, a self-described “mason bee enthusiast,” brought the idea to Willamette Valley Vineyards after encountering mason bees for the first time about eight years ago at Jackson Bottom Wetlands in Hillsboro. He was fascinated by the insects.
“What’s really cool about mason bees is they’re native to the valley,” Stephen said, adding that it might surprise some that honey bees are not native pollinators.
About mason bees
Mason bees come in a blueish color and sort of resemble a large fly, Stephen said. This type of bee is known for its efficient and productive pollinating abilities. Unlike honey bees, mason bees are solitary — they don’t live in a hive. They are classified as hole-nesting bees because they build their nests in natural holes they find in their environment or, in this case, man-made holes.
Mason Bee Cocoons
Like other bee species, mason bee populations are declining. Stephen’s idea to reintroduce mason bees into the vineyards is an effort to support healthy populations of native pollinators.
Benefitting the environment
Our vines are self-pollinating, so the bees don’t directly impact our crop. However, bees are a crucial part of our everyday lives.
Mason bees are extremely efficient pollinators, making them a key component to farms and gardens everywhere.
“If we lost the pollinators, we’d lose half of our food,” Paisley said.
This spring, wine enthusiasts can take a close-up look at the mason bees in our vineyards when the boxes return and the bees emerge from their cocoons to help the surrounding environment flourish.
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