Cultivating the Success of Oregon’s Small Wineries

Credit: Carrie Wynkoop

The reputation of wineries in Oregon’s Willamette Valley is often tied to a single variety: pinot noir. The climate in the valley is mild enough to create long, fruitful growing seasons for the grapes, which, coupled with rich soil and just enough rain, produces some of the best varieties of light-bodied red in the world. 

“My dirty little secret is that I don’t really like pinot,” says Carrie Wynkoop BA ’99, founder and CEO of AVP Wine Collective. “There’s so much going on in this state that’s cool and interesting in wine. Last year at AVP, we processed 28 different varietals. Only a tiny percentage of those were pinots. That’s exciting to me.”

In fall 2022, Wynkoop came up with the concept for AVP Wine Collective, a full-service production hub that provides both community and mentorship to budding winemakers. AVP serves entrepreneurs who might otherwise find it hard to navigate the confusing, capital-intensive waters of the industry. In summer 2023, she secured a loan and moved into AVP’s 60,000-square-foot storage facility in Southeast Portland.

Wynkoop says choosing to attend Lewis & Clark was an “instantaneous” decision after coming to tour the campus from her hometown of Olympia, Washington. “Twenty-five years later, and I’m still in Portland.”

After stretches of working in higher education, nonprofits, and political consulting, she began taking wine education classes for fun.

As her involvement in the wine world deepened, she had a “lightbulb moment” of inspiration that led to her first business, Cellar 503. Using a wine subscription model, Wynkoop curated bottles from small regional producers to share with her customers. Cellar 503 became a darling of the local wine scene and grew successfully for more than a decade.

In AVP’s first year in business, Wynkoop partnered with 10 wineries. All are returning for a second harvest, and she plans to bring on another half dozen this year. To further its mission, the company recently began an annual incubator program that will waive all production fees for two novice winemakers for one year, working toward the goal of achieving greater diversification within the wine industry.

“Oregon is known for its pinot noir, but what’s most interesting about the state is the collaboration here,” Wynkoop says. “It’s important to me that we train the next generation of winemakers. Those local roots of adventure and excitement are still here.”