Local Oregon wine to be served at Obama table this weekend.

Pfeiffer Winery Pinot Noir

To be served

At Blair House

This Weekend

President-elect Barack Obama gathers friends and family for pre-inaugural

celebration with Pfeiffer pinot noir. 

Junction City –It’s a long way from a small, boutique winery in Junction City, Oregon to the Blair House on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C.  But a bottle of Pfeiffer 2007 Pinot Noir Blue Dot Reserve will sit on the table just across the street from the White House at the traditional presidential guesthouse hosting president-elect Barack Obama, his family and friends for a private pre-inaugural celebration Sunday evening.

Co-owner Danuta Pfeiffer with her husband and co-winemaker Robin Pfeiffer, says the opportunity to showcase their wine came serendipitously.  “It was a matter of a friend of a friend who happens to be from Oregon and one of Obama’s childhood pals.  He said he’s taking the wine with him this weekend and they’ll share it with dinner on Sunday before the inauguration,” Pfeiffer says.

“We’re hoping to hear back from the Obama’s,” Danuta says, “You never know.  But it’s a thrill to know Oregon pinot noir will be on the table.”

Pfeiffer Winery has a reputation in Oregon’s Willamette Valley as a boutique winery, making only 1,250 barrels of premium pinot noir and pinot gris.  Due to the small quantities, the wine is not sold in stores or restaurants and can only be purchased directly from the winery.  And just how good is the wine?  “It’s our latest release,” Robin Pfeiffer says, “We consider it and elegant, classic pinot noir and one of our best, with a clean, earthy aroma and a hint of cherries on the finish. It’s a new release and it will only get better with age.  But we don’t think it will last past Sunday.”

“It’s appropriate,” Danuta says, “that it’s still a young wine.  Just like this new administration, and the hope of the entire country, given a little time, the wine and this country will only improve with age.” 

The Pfeiffer’s are holding an Inaugural Celebration on Tuesday evening at their winery and will be toasting with their 2007 Pinot Noir Blue Dot Reserve.

Press Release

November 15, 2008

Contact:  Danuta Pfeiffer 541-998-2828

PFEIFFER WINERY

GOES SOLAR

First Lane County Winery Run by The Sun

Media Event and Photo Opportunity

Tuesday, November 18

11 A.M.-Noon

Pfeiffer Winery

25040 Jaeg Road

Junction City, Oregon

AES Presentation

Robin and Danuta Pfeiffer

Blachly Lane Representative

Junction City, — Not only wine grapes are run by the sun these days.  Pfeiffer Winery, located just west of Junction City is the only winery in Lane County and one of a handful across the state to be powered by the sun.

Owners Robin and Danuta Pfeiffer say their motivation to go solar is an extension of their “green” home they built 8 years ago. Robin Pfeiffer says, “We built a concrete home powered by ground, water and solar heat sources, and it just made sense to expand that idea of sustainability to the rest of the property.” 

The solar panels, installed by Advanced Energy Systems of Eugene, adorn the south-facing roof lines of Pfeiffer Winery and are expected to generate up to 27 kilowatts of electricity– enough to power not only the winery and their new tasting room, but the Pfeiffer’s residence as well. “What’s really a kick,” Robin Pfeiffer says, “During sunny days, we watch the meter run backwards—feeding back energy to Blachly Lane’s electric grid.”

“And,” Danuta Pfeiffer says, “The dials on the converter boxes indicate how many pounds of carbon we’re saving each day. That’s a big plus.”

The solar panels make electricity anytime there’s enough sun for a shadow to be visible.

Solar systems installed in 2008 enjoy a 30 percent federal tax credit, in addition to the 50 percent Oregon Business Energy Tax Credit. Pfeiffer Winery expects to have a five-year payback on its $216,000 investment. According to AES data, the system will save an equivalent of 800 tons of CO2, 2,400 planted trees or 81,800 gallons of gasoline.

A media event is planned for this Tuesday, November 18 from 11 to noon. 

The public is invited to view the solar panels during Pfeiffer Winery’s three-day Thanksgiving Weekend Open House.

# # #

Sunrise over Pinot Noir

We began harvest on October 1, 2008.  We are fortunate to have an “early harvest” vineyard and avoided the rain.  We should finish our major pick by October 8 with the last of the Pinot Gris.  Chardonnay will come after that and the Merlot by next week—if the birds don’t get it first! 

The pinot grapes are coming in at 23.5 Brix, sweet, full, deep and juicy.  This should give us some remarkable wine.

Danuta’s been managing the crush machine, standing on a ladder for 8 hours straight.  She walks like a drunken sailor on terra firma—and that’s without a whiff of wine!  Robin’s been handling the totes and forklifts, running across logistical challenges with pickers, trucks, a busted head gasket on our all-terrain forklift, and other assorted varieties of harvest eccentricities…all without a single harsh word, practically.

We’re blessed with dry, cool weather and an abundant harvest.

We are so excited!  Not only is our pinot noir gifted by the sun, but now our lives are too.  Within the next couple of weeks, Pfeiffer Winery will be the first in Lane County to be solar powered.  Solar voltaic panels will line the roof of our winery and will produce 25 KW of energy–enough to power the house, the winery and the tasting room!

We plan a big party with food and wine to baptize this new venture, and the re-opening of our candle-lit cavern tasting room.  We invite everyone to come out and see us.  Stay tuned for the Grand Opening date.