DUNDEE, Ore. – December 2, 2020 – Argyle Winery is excited to announce the debut of its new Ojo Brilloso program, which features the release of three limited-production, single-vineyard Pinot Noirs from Argyle’s Knudsen, Spirit Hill and Lone Star vineyards. Created to honor the knowledge, skill and passion of Argyle’s vineyard team, each of the three wines was made in collaboration with the vineyard supervisor overseeing their respective vineyard. Building on the philosophy behind the Ojo Brilloso program, which strives to acknowledge and empower vineyard workers, Argyle has partnered with three leading non-profits, and will be making a significant commitment in terms of time, resources and charitable contributions to the important mission of each organization. This includes ¡Salud! A project of OHSU Health Hillsboro Medical Center’s mission to provide healthcare to Oregon vineyard workers, AHIVOY’s mission to provide education and professional development to Latinx and Hispanic vineyard workers in the Willamette Valley, and The Roots Fund’s commitment to scholarships, wine education and job placement for Black, Indigenous and LatinX members of the wine community. The three-bottle Ojo Brilloso set is available online at argylewinery.com for $135.
What is Ojo Brilloso? This was the question Viticulturist Geoff Hall found himself asking when he joined Argyle in 2017. As he began learning about Argyle’s renowned 400-acre estate vineyard program, he would often hear members of his team say ‘Ojo Brilloso’ (ō-hō bree-ō´-sō), which loosely translates to ‘nice observation.’ Hall quickly realized that these ‘nice observations’ reflected his team’s intimate knowledge of the vineyards, and were building blocks of Argyle’s success, which in turn inspired the Ojo Brilloso program.
For the debut 2018 vintage of Ojo Brilloso, Argyle highlighted the talents of its three vineyard supervisors: Francisco Ponce – Spirit Hill Vineyard, Jose Sanchez – Knudsen Vineyard and Hector Cabrera – Lone Star Vineyard. Each was asked to select a small Pinot Noir block that they would personally steward throughout the growing season to create a wine that embodies their connection to the vineyard, and the pride they take in their work. The wines were then produced in collaboration with Argyle’s acclaimed winemaker Nate Klostermann.
“There are no great wines without a great vineyard team,” say Viticulturist Geoff Hall. “I’ve learned so much from my vineyard coworkers. The idea behind Ojo Brilloso is to recognize their contributions by showcasing the work that they do and putting it in a bottle. I know how proud Francisco, Hector and Jose are of these wines, and what it means to them to be able to go home and say, ‘I helped to make this wine.’ I also know that they take pride in the fact that we have dedicated Ojo Brilloso to being a positive force for change in our industry.”
To amplify Ojo Brilloso’s message of empowerment and inclusivity, Argyle will be evenly dividing a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the wines between ¡Salud! A project of OHSU Health Hillsboro Medical Center, The Roots Fund and the Asociación Hispana de la Industria del Vino en Oregon y Comunidad (AHIVOY). These organizations are leading the way in actively working toward a more diverse, equitable and inclusive wine industry. The donation to ¡Salud! will support their mobile health clinics, which are more valuable than ever during the pandemic, and AHIVOY will be able to fund educational scholarships for vineyard workers. In addition to an annual cash donation to The Roots Fund, Argyle will be offering two harvest internships annually to The Roots Fund applicants. As part of the Ojo Brilloso program, Argyle is also planning additional ways to partner with these organizations through collaboration and encouraging educational opportunities to Argyle’s employees through AHIVOY.
Conceived as a three-bottle set, each bottle of Ojo Brilloso features original label artwork created by Eduardo Soto, who was one of Argyle’s 2020 Art of Sparkling scholarship recipients. Deeply influenced by the artwork of the Mexican muralist movement, each of Soto’s labels is part of a larger work portraying Argyle’s estate vineyards in winter, spring and during harvest. Sold in a stunning three-bottle box, with cut-out picture windows showing the labels, just over 800 collectible sets were produced in the 2018 vintage.
Ojo Brilloso will be an ongoing program, as will Argyle’s partnerships with ¡Salud!, AHIVOY and The Roots Fund.
About Argyle Winery
Argyle Winery has been creating wines in the Willamette Valley since 1987. What began as a conviction to grow world-class sparkling wine has grown to include an acclaimed portfolio of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling. Argyle farms more than 400 acres of estate vineyards in the Willamette Valley, and welcomes guests daily at the Argyle Tasting House, located in the same downtown Dundee space they’ve called home since the beginning. To learn more, visit ArgyleWinery.com.
