Willamette Valley Vineyards (WVV), Oregon’s only publicly traded wine company, has launched a new wine center in downtown McMinnville.

Jim Bernau, Founder and President of Willamette Valley Vineyards, stands in the doorway of their new visitor's center in McMinnville. © CWK Photography 2009

The Willamette Valley Vineyards Wine Center, which opened to the public the weekend prior to Thanksgiving, intends to serve as an informational hub for Willamette Valley wine visitors. The wine center features concierge staff members who will be available to help visitors plan their visit with tour route suggestions, local tour and tasting reservations, and offer dining and lodging recommendations. The center hopes to bring tourism to the city of McMinnville as well as to the surrounding region.

In addition to help planning the trip, the wine center will also provide an educational experience for the consumer. Daily complimentary reserve and comparative wine tastings are offered as guests are encouraged to explore the center’s displays, including AVA maps, soil samples, information on sustainable growing practices, and rolling images of the valley projected on a nine-foot by five-foot screen. Wifi is available and comfortable couches and chairs fill the space. The center structural elements are made with reclaimed woods.

The only similar operation around is Ponzi’s Wine Bar in Dundee, but that facility functions primarily as a wine tasting room, minus the educational and tourism element that is also a focus for WVV.

WVV is also using its new center to help expand its base. Customers are asked if they would like to be contacted and every person who agrees gets a follow up phone call from WVV; these folks want to create relationships with all customers.

WVV has also just completed expansion of quality vineyards. They have purchased 80 acres in the Eola-Amity Hills, up the hill from the respected Elton Vineyard, which they currently farm and use. They have also leased 106 acres nearby for 34 years, wanting to increase production upwards of the 125,000 cases they now produce. These vineyard land acquisitions cost the company $1.5 million. WVV also has an option to purchase the Elton vineyard after the O’Brien’s (owners) death, with the money going to OSU and wine-related enterprises.

Ultimately, WVV seeks to make wine from each AVA in Oregon. They currently buy about 20 percent of what they need (mostly Pinot noir) and hope this acquisition will replace what they currently purchase.

The winery has also purchased land in Carlton to build a new winery for the Elton Vineyard. They will call the wine and winery Elton as well. That construction project is likely three years away.