Sokol Blosser Winery, a sustainable and organic grower, celebrates 50 years

Oregon’s Sokol Blosser Winery, founded in 1971 by Bill and Susan Sokol Blosser and now under second-generation leadership, will mark 50 years of growing and making signature Willamette Valley wines in 2021, according to a news release from the company.

In December 1970, Bill and Susan Sokol Blosser purchased five acres of land in the Dundee Hills (a former prune orchard), and soon thereafter planted it to Pinot Noir and other varietals, according to the news release. By 1980, the Sokol Blossers had expanded their holdings to 72 acres and today the winery farms 105 acres of estate vineyards under vine.

The company owns an organically-certified vineyard and has received a number of recognitions for sustainable growing practices. Here are some highlights of its 50 years, according to the news release:

• Sokol Blosser opened the first purpose-built winery tasting room in Oregon in 1978.
• Sokol Blosser was first recognized for its environmental stewardship in 1983 by the U.S. Soil & Water Conservation District.
• Sokol Blosser was the first winery in the world to have a LEED-certified winery building in 2002 for its underground barrel cellar.
• Sokol Blosser’s Estate Vineyard received full USDA organic certification in 2005.
• The second generation took the reins in 2008 as co-presidents. Today, Alison Sokol Blosser is CEO and Alex Sokol Blosser is Winemaker.
• In 2013, Sokol Blosser opened a stunning new tasting room designed by Brad Cloepfil from Allied Works Architecture which raised the bar for hospitality and wine country experiences in the Willamette Valley.
• In 2015, the winery received coveted B Corp Certification for its high standards of social and environmental performance and accountability.
• Sokol Blosser introduced Oregon’s only nationally distributed box wines in 2020, with Evolution Pinot Noir and Lucky No. 9 White now available in 1.5- liter boxes.

“It’s a privilege to farm these vineyards and create wines that reflect the exact hillsides where our parents started 50 years ago,” head winemaker Alex Sokol Blosser said in the release. “Our wines have improved year after year, and it’s a testament to our parents’ original belief that the Dundee Hills and Willamette Valley would indeed be a fine place to grow grapes and make wine.”