Happy New Year! We're kicking off 2016 with a great lineup of wines. In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we're featuring wines from three of the winemakers featured in the forthcoming documentary Red, White & Black — about minority winemakers in Oregon. In the United States, wine has historically been something enjoyed by higher-income communities — even the notion of the “wine snob” suggests a high-brow, typically white, audience. That’s in contrast, of course, to wine’s historical roots as a basic agricultural staple that’s for everyone.

I’m so excited about Red, White & Black. When it is completed, it’ll be a contemporary history of these trailblazing pioneers in the wine industry. But more than that, it will be a film that inspires a new generation of winemakers. It will open hearts and open doors to a more diverse pool of talented winemakers.

Not only are their stories worth sharing, their wines are worth drinking. This month, we’re featuring four wines — from three winemakers featured in Red, White & Black.

All three of these wineries are based in the Willamette Valley and are focused on growing traditional Willamette Valley varietals. That means that our selections include two Pinot Noirs and two Pinot Gris this month. A bit of a departure for us — we usually like more geographical and varietal diversity, too! — but these four wines are great representations of the Valley and of what people can do when they explore their passions.