![]() ![]() It’s something that we’re embarking on as a new adventure, and we want to bring this culture of wine to the Asian-American community.”ĭespite the fact many of these wineries are relatively new, they’re already making waves. “Many of our families immigrated between the 1970s and 1990s and wine isn’t something that’s central to our history. “My grandparents would have been prohibited from owning land in Oregon due to the Alien Land Laws.” Given that turnover in farm ownership is remarkably slow, it’s easy to see how decades of blocking land ownership to Japanese and Chinese farmers could have impacts even generations later.Īnother factor that limited AAPI involvement in the wine industry? “A lot of us in the Asian-American community haven’t really grown up with wine,” notes Lois Cho, chief executive officer and founder of CHO Wines and executive director of the festival. “I’ve just expanded our estate vineyards,” muses winemaker Jessica Mozeico, who is half-Japanese and co-founded Et Fille Wines in 2003 with her father. ‘There Aren’t Enough of Us’: 5 Questions With Fah Sathirapongsasuti It’s important to recognize the historical context for why that is: In 1923, Oregon passed the Alien Land Law, which banned Japanese and Chinese nationals from buying and leasing land in Oregon. Of those several hundred wineries in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, less than 10 are AAPI owned. Much like how those early Pinot pioneers had to clear a completely new path, so do today’s AAPI wine professionals. In a mere six decades, Oregon’s Willamette Valley became home to more than 700 wineries. Those innovators had the vision to grow wine grapes in a state where apples, cherries, filberts and Christmas trees were the norm, and it paid off. In some ways, the story of the region’s AAPI wine community mirrors that of Oregon’s early Pinot Noir pioneers of the 1970s and 80s. A Look at the AAPI Wine Community In Oregon Jessica Mozeico, winemaker of Et Fille Wines / Image Courtesy of Carolyn Wells-Kramer But the makeup of the state’s wine community is starting to change as AAPI individuals forge new paths and change the narrative of who gets to participate in the wine industry. Historically, local laws made it difficult for members of the AAPI community to enter the wine industry in Oregon. The happening is the latest signal that a major shift is afoot in this corner of the world. Proceeds from the event will be donated to Our Legacy Harvested, a non-profit that facilitates internships for BIPOC individuals in Oregon wine country. Taking place at Stoller Estate in Dayton, the first-of-its-kind event will feature five AAPI-owned Willamette Valley wineries and 10 AAPI chefs. History will be made on May 20 and 21 with the inaugural Oregon Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Food & Wine Festival.
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