ADVISORY BOARD

Jim Bernau, Founder/President, Willamette Valley Vineyards

Founder Jim Bernau is intense. He admits he drove his friends to distraction years ago, talking about the potential for Pinot noir in Oregon. As a small business lobbyist at the State Capitol, he helped the emigrating California winemakers pass legislation to develop an Oregon wine industry. This lit a path for Jim resulting in his planting in the South Salem Hills. The winery quickly grew into Oregon’s leading producer of wines selling at $15 and above only three years after its first release of Pinot noir.

He has contributed his expertise in governmental affairs over the years serving as the industry’s first Political Action Committee Chair, Legislative Committee Chair and as President of the Oregon Winegrowers Association. His contributions have earned him the industry’s Outstanding Service Award and most recently the Founder’s Award for his work on establishing the new Oregon Wine Board. His financial gift to Oregon State University established the first professorship in Fermentation Science.

Jim loves this land and has now lived at the vineyard for 23 years. When asked where he would most like to be, it is in the vineyard. He takes pride as a native Oregonian following the lead of the emigrating winemakers to build a world class Oregon winery by organizing the energy and resources of thousands of wine enthusiasts. What began as a small group of understanding fellow Pinot noir enthusiasts, the winery has grown to over 4,500 owners. Jim explains a consumer-owned winery is naturally oriented to the long term, sustainable interests of the community. His ground breaking work on conducting the nation’s first successful self underwritten public offering has led to a new fabric of federal and state laws facilitating small business capitalization.

Visionary drives Willamette Valley Vineyards
The 17 lengths of garden hose Jim Bernau hauled up and down steep slopes overlooking Interstate 5 in 1983 provided all the clues anyone needed that he was taking a very different approach to making wine in Oregon.
OregonLive.com -- Click here to read entire article -->>

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