St. Innocent Winery and Belle Provenance Vineyard Combine Forces to Create a New Winery in Oregon's Eola Hills

01/06/06 St. Innocent Winery is pleased to announce a strategic alliance with Belle Provenance Vineyard, LLC. (formerly known as O'Connor Vineyard). St. Innocent Winery has purchased a 25% interest in the 133-acre Belle Provenance Vineyard and plans to build a low-input, gravity flow winery on site.

St. Innocent Winery's Winemaker and President, Mark Vlossak, made wines from the O'Connor Vineyard from 1989 through 1998 and is "thrilled to be working again with this beautiful site now known as Belle Provenance Vineyard." As a part of this alliance, Belle Provenance Vineyard will plant seven acres of Pinot Noir in two ideally sited blocks of the vineyard, with anticipation of a St. Innocent Winery, Belle Provenance Vineyard designated Pinot Noir.

Vlossak has traveled extensively in Burgundy and Alsace and has designed the winery with the traditional Burgundian principles of simplicity, minimal technology and use of gravity. An underground, 600-barrel cellar will feature separate levels for grape processing, fermentation and bottling.

Tim and Kari Ramey of Belle Provenance "are excited to be partnering with Mark Vlossak and St. Innocent Winery. Mark was instrumental in inspiring our love of Oregon Pinot Noir and our 2002 purchase of the vineyard."

Vlossak, who was named by THE WINE ADVOCATE as one of the Wine Personalities of the Year in both 2002 and 2004, will also make wine for Belle Provenance. "There is no one we respect more in the world of Oregon Pinot Noir," remarks Tim Ramey. "We could not be more thrilled to have him directing our winemaking."

Construction of the 10,000-case winery will begin in summer 2006, with completion slated for spring 2007. The facility has been designed with an elegantly appointed, 7,000 square foot wedding and events facility called Belle Provenance. "We will be able to accommodate groups of up to 350 people indoors with a spectacular vineyard setting," says Kari Ramey, the facility's manager. The winery, designed by Gregory Comito & Associates, Newark, New Jersey, "will use the same values we use in growing grapes: beauty, care and sustainability," said Vlossak and Ramey.