Domaine Serene Founders Pledge up to $500,000 for Red Blotch Virus Research

August 22, 2018 – Grace and Ken Evenstad, founding owners of Domaine Serene Winery, known for producing globally iconic Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Dundee Hills, have pledged up to $500,000 for a critical new research project.  The initiative takes aim at eradicating the Grapevine Red Blotch Virus - a clear and significant threat to vineyard properties and winemaking in the Willamette Valley and beyond. 

“The Red Blotch Virus is real and is already affecting vineyards throughout our region.  It is extremely important that we get out in front of this danger to mitigate any issues with wine quality in the future,” said Grace Evenstad, owner and co-founder of Domaine Serene. “As leaders of the industry, we felt compelled to fund the creation of this one-of-a-kind research team to find the cure for this ever-increasing threat to high quality winemaking.  It is our hope that others in the community will see the importance of this study and pledge matching funds to fulfill what is needed to eradicate Red Blotch and continue the focus on the highest quality possible for Oregon wines.”

Knowing that time is of the essence, the Evenstads have already pledged $300,000 thus far and are inviting industry members to contribute towards matching the first $500,000 in hopes to raise $1,000,000 in total for this comprehensive, multi-year study. 

“It is our sincere hope that the winemaking community will step-up and join us in our efforts to combat this serious threat to the vineyards in the Willamette Valley,” said Ken Evenstad, owner and co-founder of Domaine Serene.

The current funding has allowed the Evenstads to team up with top research scientists in various fields from Oregon State University and the USDA to fund the Red Blotch Study Team (RBST) comprised of many of the foremost researchers and scientists on the subject.  By leading the charge on this very important issue, this new multi-disciplinary study team is determined to better understand the characteristics of the virus, its possible transmission dynamics and the range of effects on vineyard health and their resulting wines.  This is a complex issue, so additional funding is crucial to fully understand the intricacies of the virology, vectors, transmission and their complex relationships, and effects on vine physiology, grape and wine quality.

This sizeable donation comes on the heels of the Evenstad’s $6 million commitment to endow the Evenstad Center for Wine Education and the Evenstad Chair in Wine Studies at Linfield College – creating the first institution in the country to offer an interdisciplinary liberal arts degree in wine studies.

For questions regarding access to the full research proposal, to pledge funds, or to help spread the word on this very important initiative, please contact Todd Bastian at Oregon State University by email at Todd.Bastian@osufoundation.org.

About Domaine Serene

Grace and Ken Evenstad founded Domaine Serene in the Dundee Hills of Oregon in 1989.  For the past 29 years, Domaine Serene, under the guidance of the Evenstads, has been focused on excellence in a never-ending quest to produce world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  Domaine Serene’s wines represent the achievement that is possible in Oregon, one of the finest regions in the world for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.