The 2020 wildfires in Oregon’s Willamette Valley destroyed over 1 million acres and left multiple vineyards with vine damage that would eventually lead to smoke-tainted wine. Rather than lose money on the flawed wine, some wineries instead turned their tainted grapes into spirits while others, like Durant Vineyards, went in a more grill-oriented direction.
The Dayton, Ore. vineyard transformed 800 cases of its smoke-tainted Pinot Noir into a barbeque sauce, which took Durant’s culinary director, Eric Bartle, approximately two months to perfect. Made in partnership with the Lake Oswego-based food manufacturer Paradigm Foodworks, the sauce shines a spotlight on the Pinot Noir grapes’ jammy notes and the undercurrent of smoke from the wildfires. According to the brand, the Pinot Noir Barbeque Sauce also delivers hints of allspice, clove, smoked chipotle chilis, and black pepper.
“Initially, we thought about making brandy from the impacted wine, which we could still do,” said Paul Durant, owner and CEO of Durant Vineyards, in an interview with The Drinks Business. “However, that’s not our area of expertise, whereas culinary development is truly something we excel at.”
The sauce is the latest addition to Durant’s lineup of culinary products, which also includes extra virgin olive oil — the vineyard also operates Oregon’s only commercial olive mill — along with several vinegars, sea salts, and spice blends.
So far, approximately 5,000 bottles of the sauce have been made, though 15,000 more could be produced from the winery’s remaining smoke-tainted wine. As Durant divulged in his interview, production of the condiment is expected to allow the vineyard to recover almost all of the wine’s production costs.
Retailing in 12-ounce bottles for $12, Durant Pinot Noir Barbeque Sauce is available on the vineyard’s website and at select retailers in the Willamette Valley region. 5 percent of the proceeds from each sale will be donated to the Dayton Fire District to help fund EMT training courses.
“I’m just glad we found a use for the wine and it is a fun pivot after what was a very stressful event in 2020,” Durant told The Drinks Business. “The 2020 wildfires had a huge impact on wineries across Oregon. For us, the fires were purely a smoke-related event. I count myself to be fortunate in that regard and my thoughts often turn to those who lost so much more.”
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