Sokol Blosser Winery

Bill Blosser, a city planner with no formal wine background, and Susan Sokol Blosser, an environmental writer and historian, purchased an 18-acre Dundee Hills property in 1971 and began planting Pinot Noir. The couple were among the small group of Willamette Valley pioneers who established commercial Pinot Noir production in 1965-1973: David Lett at Eyrie (1965), Dick Erath (planted 1968, founded Knudsen-Erath 1972), Dick and Nancy Ponzi (1970), David and Ginny Adelsheim (1971), and Bill Fuller and Bill Malkmus at Tualatin Estate (1973). The Sokol Blossers planted Pinot Noir, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Gris, and Riesling on their Dundee Hills slope. The Müller-Thurgau plantings reflected the early Willamette experimentation with German-Alsatian cool-climate varieties (a parallel to Charles Coury's similar experimentation in Forest Grove). The first commercial vintage 1977 launched Sokol Blosser as a mid-scale Willamette producer alongside the boutique-focused Eyrie and Adelsheim, the mid-market-focused Erath, and the Burgundian-trained DDO (which would come later in 1987). Bill Blosser and Susan Sokol Blosser both contributed to Oregon wine industry development through writing, lobbying, and Oregon Wine Board work. Susan Sokol Blosser's books on Oregon wine industry history (At Home in the Vineyard, 2006, and others) documented the formative years from a personal-and-professional perspective. The Blossers' commitment to family ownership and environmental sustainability informed the estate's identity through five decades.

• Bill Blosser (city planner) + Susan Sokol Blosser (environmental writer/historian) purchase 18-acre Dundee Hills property 1971; one of original commercial Willamette wineries alongside Eyrie, Ponzi, Erath, Adelsheim, Tualatin Estate
• Original plantings: Pinot Noir, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Gris, Riesling; Müller-Thurgau reflected early Willamette experimentation with German-Alsatian cool-climate varieties
• First commercial vintage 1977; mid-scale producer between Eyrie/Adelsheim boutique and Erath mid-market scaling
• Bill Blosser + Susan Sokol Blosser industry contributions: writing (Susan's At Home in the Vineyard, 2006), lobbying, Oregon Wine Board work; Bill Blosser died 2009

Sokol Blosser's defining contemporary identity is sustainability leadership. The estate has accumulated more sustainability certifications than any other major Willamette producer: B Corporation certification (2015, the first wine company in Oregon to earn B Corp status), LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology, the Oregon sustainability standard), and Salmon-Safe certification. The estate's farming uses cover cropping, integrated pest management, and minimum-intervention practices; organic conversion has been progressing through the 2010s-2020s without yet achieving full certification. The Sokol Blosser winery facility, completed in 2002, achieved LEED Platinum certification, one of the few LEED Platinum-certified wineries globally. The facility uses passive solar heating, gravity-flow winemaking (minimizing energy use), reclaimed water systems, and locally sourced building materials. The investment in environmental certifications reflects Susan Sokol Blosser's environmental-writer background and the broader Blosser family commitment to sustainability as a business identity. The B Corporation status (earned 2015 in the first Oregon wine cohort) requires demonstrating substantial commitments to environmental sustainability, social responsibility, employee welfare, and community engagement. Sokol Blosser maintains the certification through ongoing audits; the estate has been a vocal advocate for B Corp adoption across the Oregon wine industry. The combination of family ownership continuity, B Corp certification, LEED Platinum facility, LIVE + Salmon-Safe certifications, and explicit social-responsibility positioning differentiates Sokol Blosser from peer Willamette estates and supports the brand's distribution growth.

• B Corporation certification (2015): first wine company in Oregon to earn B Corp status; requires substantial commitments to environmental sustainability, social responsibility, employee welfare, community engagement
• LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology, Oregon standard) + Salmon-Safe certifications on estate vineyards; organic conversion progressing through 2010s-2020s
• Winery facility (completed 2002) achieved LEED Platinum certification: one of few LEED Platinum-certified wineries globally; passive solar, gravity-flow, reclaimed water systems, locally sourced building materials
• Combined certification stack (B Corp + LEED Platinum + LIVE + Salmon-Safe) differentiates from peer Willamette estates and supports distribution growth via sustainability-conscious consumer segment

Sokol Blosser transitioned to second-generation leadership in the 2000s with siblings Alex Sokol Blosser (CEO) and Alison Sokol Blosser (co-president and former CEO) leading the operation. Both grew up at the estate, completed academic training (Alison earned an MBA), and worked alongside their parents through the 1990s before formally taking leadership. Alex Sokol Blosser has emphasized winemaking continuity (overseeing the wine team) and operational leadership; he has been the public-facing CEO since the 2010s. Alison Sokol Blosser served as CEO before transitioning to co-president; she has emphasized brand development, sustainability commitments (driving the B Corp certification), and industry leadership roles including Oregon Wine Board work. The Blosser siblings' leadership through 20+ years has scaled the estate from boutique production to 80,000+ cases annually while preserving family ownership and sustainability identity. Susan Sokol Blosser continues as founder and senior advisor; her ongoing involvement provides generational continuity. The family ownership through 50+ years and two generations distinguishes Sokol Blosser from peer original-Willamette producers (Ponzi sold to Bollinger 2021, Erath sold to Ste. Michelle 2006, Beaux Frères sold to Henriot 2017). Sokol Blosser has been explicit about maintaining family ownership rather than seeking outside investment or sale.

• Second-generation leadership: Alex Sokol Blosser (CEO) and Alison Sokol Blosser (co-president, former CEO) lead estate since 2000s; both grew up at property, worked alongside parents through 1990s before formal leadership
• Alex emphasizes winemaking continuity and operational leadership; Alison emphasizes brand development, sustainability commitments (drove B Corp certification), Oregon Wine Board industry leadership
• Scaled from boutique to 80,000+ cases annually under second-generation leadership while preserving family ownership and sustainability identity
• Family ownership continuity distinguishes Sokol Blosser from peer original-Willamette producers transitioned to outside ownership (Ponzi/Bollinger 2021, Erath/Ste. Michelle 2006, Beaux Frères/Henriot 2017)

Sokol Blosser's wine portfolio includes both premium estate-grown Pinot Noir bottlings and the high-volume Evolution multi-varietal white blend. The Estate Pinot Noir (entry-level estate wine) is the brand's primary premium offering, sourced from Dundee Hills estate vineyards and aged in moderate French oak (typically 25-35 percent new); retail $30-40. Big Tree Block Pinot Noir is a single-vineyard bottling from a specific block named for the property's namesake oak tree. Old Vineyard Block Pinot Noir is sourced from the original 1971 plantings, the senior continuous Sokol Blosser block. The Müller-Thurgau bottling preserves the family's commitment to the cool-climate German variety originally planted in 1971; it's one of the few American commercial Müller-Thurgau programs. Pinot Gris and Estate Chardonnay round out the premium estate whites. The premium tier total production is approximately 15,000-20,000 cases annually. Evolution is the brand's largest-volume product and a national distribution success. Launched in 2002 as a multi-varietal white blend (typically 9 varieties including Pinot Gris, Müller-Thurgau, White Riesling, Semillon, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner, Gewürztraminer, Muscat Canelli), the wine became a Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and grocery-channel success in the 2010s-2020s. Evolution Red and Evolution Lucky 9 (sparkling) extended the line. The Evolution program's commercial success funded the estate's continued investment in premium Pinot Noir programs and sustainability certifications. Stylistically, Sokol Blosser sits in the accessible-and-consistent middle ground between boutique-luxury Willamette and mass-market commercial production. The Estate Pinot Noir is well-regarded but not pinnacle-collector-grade; the brand's broader business success rests on the combination of premium estate Pinot Noir with high-volume Evolution that distinguishes Sokol Blosser from any single-line peer producer.

• Premium estate Pinot Noir tier: Estate Pinot Noir (entry-level $30-40), Big Tree Block (single-vineyard, named for property's namesake oak), Old Vineyard Block (from original 1971 plantings)
• Estate whites: Müller-Thurgau (rare American varietal, preserves 1971 founding heritage), Pinot Gris, Estate Chardonnay; total premium tier ~15,000-20,000 cases annually
• Evolution multi-varietal white blend (launched 2002): typically 9 varieties; Trader Joe's/Whole Foods/grocery channel success; largest-volume Sokol Blosser product; Evolution Red and Lucky 9 sparkling extensions
• Stylistic position: accessible-and-consistent middle ground between boutique-luxury Willamette and mass-market commercial; combination of premium estate PN + high-volume Evolution distinguishes from any single-line peer producer