The Oak & Vine Society, one of Oregon’s premier wine clubs, held its annual Spring Tasting Reception Sunday, April 24, at McMinnville’s Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum. Nearly 100 attendees sampled the offerings of nine local wineries, fine food and live music by Dave Ferry. Oak & Vine Society is part of Linfield University‘s Evenstad Center for Wine Education.
“An electric atmosphere at the reception capped a year of growth for the Oak & Vine Society,” said Tim Matz, director of Evenstad Center. “In the past 90 days, we’ve doubled Oak & Vine membership. Those memberships directly support student scholarships at Linfield and will lead to more expansive benefits for members.”
Wineries that participated in the Spring Tasting Reception were: Yamhill Valley Vineyards, Elk Cove Vineyards, Coeur de Terre Vineyard, Rex Hill/AtoZ, Maysara Winery, Brittan Vineyards, Winderlea Vineyards and Winery, Brooks Winery and R. Stuart & Co. Winery. Current students majoring in wine studies at Linfield assisted throughout the event.
“We were very pleased with the participation, 97 society members attended along with the nine generous wineries and our first corporate member, Walsh Construction. It was a beautiful day of great wine, delicious food and wonderful music,” Matz said.
The Oak & Vine Society grants access to complementary wine flights and other discounts at 18 participating wineries, invitations to three exclusive wine receptions and a private tour of the Oregon Wine History Archive housed at the Jereld R. Nicholson Library on Linfield’s McMinnville campus.
Annual membership in Oak & Vine ranges from $50 for students to $150 for couples. Walsh Construction recently became Oak & Vine’s charter corporate member, additional corporate memberships are available.
“Linfield is uniquely-positioned to educate and champion the next generation of business leaders in the wine industry, and the Oregon wine industry more broadly,” Matz said. “The success the spring reception and growth of the Oak & Vine Society is only the beginning of a bright future.”
Membership in the Oak and Vine Society is open to any wine enthusiast older than 21. For more information on Linfield’s deep roots in the Oregon wine industry and other educational opportunities, visit Linfield’s Evenstad Center for Wine Education website.
The next Oak & Vine Society event is planned for July 17.
