When Bill Blosser and Susan Sokol Blosser planted their first vines in 1971 in the Dundee Hills, there was virtually no wine industry in Oregon. With a lot of hard work and determination, the young couple turned an abandoned prune orchard into a thriving vineyard. Their first vintage of Pinot Noir, produced in 1977, was a success.
If you subscribe to the theory that it is always good to know what, exactly, is in your wine, you will be happy to know that in 2002 Sokol Blosser became the first winery in the United States to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification. Last year, the winery became certified by OCSW (Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine). Many of their wines are made with organically grown grapes.
NOTE: According to the Organic Consumers Association, a wine can be labeled “Organic” and bear the USDA organic seal when it is made from organically grown grapes and provides information about who the certifying agency is. In addition to using only organic fruit, wine in this category cannot have any added sulfites. They may contain only naturally occurring sulfites. Even though some of the Sokol Blosser wines are made with organic fruit, additional sulfites may be added which prevents the wines from being labeled “Organic.”
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