Oregon’s Willamette Valley might be best known for its Pinot Noir but few may realise how diverse its winemaking community is. Celebrating Hispanic Roots was an event aimed at setting the record straight with six Latinx winemakers from Atticus Wine, Beacon Hill Winery, Cramoisi Vineyard, Gonzales Wine, PARRA Wine and Valcan Cellars telling their stories and showing their wines, the best of which LM Archer tastes and recommends. Not only are the six speakers leaders in their own right but they are also advocates for the Latinx community, particularly for those who work on vineyards.

“It’s not often that you get to hear six bright, talented entrepreneurs speak in beautiful Spanish accents about how we can improve the wine industry… not just for growers and producers, but also for the undervalued community of Spanish speaking vineyard labourers.”-Katherine Cole

Oregon’s first annual Latin heritage celebration, ‘Celebrating Hispanic Roots: ‘Raices Unitas’ kicked off on October 1, 2020. Two virtual panel discussions, one in English, the other in Spanish, included winemakers Ximena Orrego of Atticus Wine, Carla Rodríguez of Beacon Hill Winery and Vineyard, Sofia Torres–McKay of Cramoisi Vineyard and Winery, Cristina Gonzales of Gonzales Wine Company, Sam Parra of PARRA Wine Company and Juan Pablo “JP” Valot of Valcan Cellars.