See what one of Oregon’s premier wineries—and a leader in sustainability—is doing to support local bee and pollinator populations.
When two things we love come together, like local wine and sustainability, we can't help but get excited. Our friends and long-time partners at Stoller Family Estate not only produce incredible award-winning Oregon wines in the renowned Dundee Hills AVA (American Viticultural Area) of the Willamette Valley, but they do it sustainably.
As a (fellow!) B Corp with LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) certification, Stoller has long been a steward of environmental sustainability. To further their efforts, they joined a dozen Oregon vineyards participating in Bee Friendly Wine, a collaborative program that promotes biodiversity and habitat for local pollinators.
The Bee Friendly Wine program started in 2022 as a pilot project, building on Oregon State University's research to create an inventory of bee populations statewide known as the Oregon Bee Atlas.
Utilizing the Bee Atlas database, Corinne Gosnell, Head of Corporate Gardens at Stoller, established a pollinator pathway in the winery's heirloom orchard by planting a swath of blooming perennials that allow native Mason bee population to flourish. These unique pollinators are essential to the Willamette Valley ecosystem, local crops, and the beautiful landscape we call home.
The Stoller Family Estate also helps create habitats for some of Oregon's endangered species, such as the Fender's Blue butterfly and the Taylor's Checkerspot butterfly.
"We understand that insect survival and diversity require water, nesting habitats, and a long seasonal range of blooming crops for them to feed upon," says Corinne Gosnell. And Stoller has created just that.
If you're interested in building a pollinator garden at home, Corinne recommends planting azaleas, mock oranges, heirloom roses, lilies, sage, salvias, nepeta, Agastache, and asters.
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