Sokol Blosser Winery

Bill Blosser, a city planner, and Susan Sokol Blosser, an environmental writer and historian, purchased a former prune orchard in the Dundee Hills in 1971 and planted their first Pinot Noir vines that same year. The Blossers were part of the small founding cohort of commercial Willamette Valley wineries: David Lett at Eyrie (1965), Dick and Nancy Ponzi (1970), David and Ginny Adelsheim (1971), and Dick Erath (planted 1968, Knudsen-Erath founded 1972). Together they established commercial Pinot Noir as a viable Oregon industry decades before the modern global recognition of Willamette terroir. Construction of the main winery building began in 1976, and the first crush was in 1977. In 1978 the Blossers built what is recognized as Oregon's first dedicated winery tasting room, designed by Oregon architect John Storrs. Susan Sokol Blosser also documented Oregon's wine industry development from a founder's perspective in her book At Home in the Vineyard (2006), and she served on the Oregon Wine Board through the formative decades. The combination of original-cohort founding date, family ownership continuity through five-plus decades, and a public-facing tasting room established Sokol Blosser as both a working estate and an early Oregon wine tourism destination. Co-founders Bill Blosser and Susan Sokol Blosser remain involved with the estate their family founded, while day-to-day leadership has transitioned to the second generation.

• Bill Blosser (city planner) and Susan Sokol Blosser (environmental writer and historian) plant first Pinot Noir vines on former prune orchard in Dundee Hills, 1971
• Founding cohort alongside Eyrie (1965), Ponzi (1970), Adelsheim (1971), Erath (founded as Knudsen-Erath 1972); first commercial vintage 1977
• Built Oregon's first dedicated winery tasting room in 1978, designed by Oregon architect John Storrs
• Co-founders Bill Blosser and Susan Sokol Blosser remain involved; Susan Sokol Blosser is also an Oregon wine industry historian (At Home in the Vineyard, 2006)

Sokol Blosser's second-generation transition was structured as a multi-year succession plan. In 2008, Alex Sokol Blosser and Alison Sokol Blosser were named co-presidents, formally taking over from their parents. From 2008 to 2023, Alex led winegrowing and winemaking as co-president while Alison led the business side; in 2014 Alison was additionally named CEO, a role she held until 2023. In early 2023, Alison stepped down to spend more time with her family, and the estate announced a leadership change: Alex Sokol Blosser was named sole president of the winery and vineyard in February 2023, and Robin Howell was named lead winemaker. Robin Howell had joined Sokol Blosser in 2012 as enologist and took over sparkling wine production in 2018, giving her more than a decade of cellar experience at the estate before assuming the lead winemaker role. The 2023 Pinot Noir vintage is the first released under her direction. The family ownership and second-generation continuity distinguishes Sokol Blosser from peer original-Willamette estates that have sold to outside owners. Ponzi sold to Bollinger in 2021; Erath sold to Ste. Michelle Wine Estates in 2006; Beaux Freres sold to Maisons & Domaines Henriot in 2017. Sokol Blosser has remained family-owned through its full history.

• 2008: Alex Sokol Blosser and Alison Sokol Blosser named co-presidents as part of a multi-year succession plan; Alison additionally named CEO in 2014
• February 2023: Alison stepped down; Alex named sole president of winery and vineyard; Robin Howell named lead winemaker
• Robin Howell joined Sokol Blosser in 2012 as enologist, took over sparkling wine production in 2018; 2023 Pinot Noir vintage is the first released under her direction
• Family ownership preserved across two generations while peer original-Willamette producers transitioned to outside ownership (Ponzi to Bollinger 2021, Erath to Ste. Michelle 2006, Beaux Freres to Henriot 2017)

Sokol Blosser's contemporary identity is built around an unusually deep stack of sustainability certifications. The estate was certified as a B Corporation in 2015, joining a small early cohort of B Corp-certified wineries; it has since been recognized multiple times with B Corp Best for the World Environment awards. The vineyards are LIVE-certified (Low Input Viticulture and Enology, Oregon's sustainability standard) and Salmon-Safe. The underground barrel cellar, completed in 2002, was the first LEED-certified winery building in the United States. The cellar design uses earth insulation and gravity-flow winemaking to reduce energy and pumping requirements. The investment reflects Susan Sokol Blosser's environmental background and the family's positioning of sustainability as central to the brand rather than as a marketing add-on. The combined certification stack (B Corp, LEED, LIVE, Salmon-Safe) is paired with broader social-responsibility commitments including employee welfare and community engagement that B Corp certification requires. Sokol Blosser has been a vocal advocate for B Corp adoption across the Oregon wine industry and has used its certification recognition to support both consumer-facing marketing and trade distribution.

• Certified B Corporation since 2015; recognized multiple times with B Corp Best for the World Environment awards
• Underground barrel cellar completed in 2002 was the first LEED-certified winery building in the United States; uses earth insulation and gravity-flow winemaking
• Vineyards are LIVE-certified (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon-Safe
• Combined certification stack positions sustainability as central to the brand and supports distribution growth through sustainability-conscious channels

Sokol Blosser's premium tier centers on Dundee Hills Pinot Noir grown on Jory volcanic clay soils. The Estate Pinot Noir is the everyday estate red, drawing from across the vineyard and aged in moderate French oak. The single-block bottlings are made from selected barrels of specific blocks within the estate, and the lineup varies by vintage based on what each block delivers in a given year. Blocks that have appeared in the single-block program include Big Tree, Old Vineyard, Goosepen, Peach Tree, Twelve Row, Blackberry, Watershed, and Orchard. Big Tree Block is named for a large oak tree on the property and produces a Pinot Noir with notable structure and tannin. Old Vineyard Block is sourced from the original 1971 plantings, the estate's senior continuous vines. Goosepen sits next to Big Tree and tends toward a more open, accessible style without quite the tannic depth of its northern neighbor. The single-block bottlings are produced in small quantities and rotate by vintage. In 2021 Sokol Blosser purchased the Kalita Vineyard, adding meaningful new estate fruit. Whites in the estate range include Pinot Gris, Estate Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and the Estate Muller-Thurgau. Sokol Blosser was the first commercial producer of Muller-Thurgau in the United States, and the 2024 vintage is in current release; the variety remains a connection to the founders' original 1971 plantings.

• Estate Pinot Noir is the everyday Dundee Hills red on Jory volcanic clay soils; aged in moderate French oak
• Single-block program rotates by vintage; bottlings have included Big Tree (structured, tannic), Old Vineyard (from original 1971 plantings), Goosepen (more open style), Peach Tree, Twelve Row, Blackberry, Watershed, and Orchard
• Kalita Vineyard purchased in 2021
• Estate whites include Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muller-Thurgau (Sokol Blosser was the first commercial Muller-Thurgau producer in the US; 2024 vintage in current release)

Evolution was created by Susan Sokol Blosser in 1998. She was looking for a white wine that would match the Asian Fusion food trend of the late 1990s, and there were few white blends on the US market at the time. The flagship Evolution Lucky No. 9 White Blend (a blend of nine grape varieties) tapped into a category that would later become a significant segment of the wine business. Evolution has since expanded into a full multi-varietal line including Evolution Red, Evolution Pinot Noir, Evolution Chardonnay, Evolution Riesling, Evolution Sauvignon Blanc, and several sparkling wines. The brand also launched what was reported as Oregon's first boxed wine under the Evolution label. Evolution sits in grocery, big-box, and direct distribution channels at a value price point, while the Sokol Blosser estate-label wines occupy the premium tier. The combination of high-volume Evolution and premium estate Pinot Noir gives Sokol Blosser a two-tier commercial profile that few peer Willamette estates operate. Evolution funds investment in the premium program and supports the brand's scale (Sokol Blosser is the 6th largest wine producer in Oregon, with roughly 65,000 cases annually across the full portfolio and distribution in all 50 US states and 16 countries) while the estate Pinot Noir program preserves the family's founding identity as Dundee Hills pioneers.

• Evolution created in 1998 by Susan Sokol Blosser; designed to pair with the late-1990s Asian Fusion food trend
• Flagship Evolution Lucky No. 9 White Blend (nine grape varieties) tapped into the then-emerging white-blend category
• Line now includes Evolution Red, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, sparkling wines, and Oregon's first boxed wine format
• Two-tier commercial model: Evolution (value, grocery and big-box distribution) plus estate Pinot Noir (premium); Sokol Blosser is the 6th largest Oregon wine producer at roughly 65,000 cases annually