Willamette Valley Vineyards- Corks

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contacts:
Kim Beeler / 503.908.0808

Consumers can now recycle wine corks

(Turner, Ore. – March 10, 2009) – It just got easier for Oregon and Washington state wine consumers to recycle cork from their bottles.

Willamette Valley Vineyards (WVV) was the first winery in the world to receive certification from the Rainforest Alliance for using 100 percent Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified cork. With the new Cork Re-Harvest program, it becomes the first winery to launch a cork recycling program with zero increase to its carbon footprint.

WVV Founder and President Jim Bernau said the new program is needed to sustain the cork forests of Portugal, Spain, and other cork producing countries. Part of the program’s goal is to raise awareness of the sustainability of the Mediterranean cork forests.

“The cork forests are second only to the Amazon Rainforest in their importance to the world’s biosphere,” he noted. Additionally, “high quality natural cork is the best way to preserve wine quality.”

The Cork Re-Harvest program is a collaboration with WVV, Whole Foods Market®, the Rainforest Alliance, WVV’s Oregon and Washington distributors, and Western Pulp Products. Recycling boxes will be placed in the 11 Whole Foods Market stores in this region. When distributors deliver wine to these stores, they will pick up the cork and return it to their warehouse. The cork will be transported to Western Pulp when WVV makes its current deliveries to the Corvallis warehouse.

Erez Klein, Regional Purchasing Specialist at Whole Foods Market Pacific Northwest Region, said its consumers have been asking for a cork recycling program.

“We are thrilled to extend services to our shoppers that benefit the community,” Klein said. “Providing the lowest possible carbon footprint in cork recycling is something we are proud to offer. This program is consistent with the core values of our company.”

Chris Gibbons, of the Rainforest Alliance, noted the wine industry plays a critical role in protecting cork oak forests on the Iberian Peninsula.

“The Rainforest Alliance applauds Willamette Valley Vineyards for being a sustainability leader in the Pacific Northwest,” Gibbons said. “Not only are they sourcing their cork from FSC-certified cork forests, but they’re taking the next step and establishing a cork recycling program to help mitigate the use of virgin cork.”

About the Program Participants:

Willamette Valley Vineyards:

Willamette Valley Vineyards was founded in 1983 by Bernau after an inspirational visit to the west-to-south facing slope of volcanic flow in Turner, Ore., where the winery is now situated. Best known for its acclaimed Pinot Noir, WVV wines are distributed throughout the United States, Canada, and the Pacific Rim. WVV manages 300 acres of vines, which are all certified sustainable, LIVE and Salmon Safe. As Oregon’s only publicly held winery, the winery is listed on NASDAQ under the symbol WVVI. For more information, call (800) 344-9463 or visit www.wvv.com.

Whole Foods Market®:

Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (www.wholefoodsmarket.com), a leader in the natural and organic foods industry and America’s first national certified organic grocer, was named “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store” in 2008 by Health magazine. The Whole Foods Market motto, “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet”™ captures the company’s mission to find success in customer satisfaction and wellness, employee excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Thanks to its 53,000 Team Members, Whole Foods Market has been ranked as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by FORTUNE magazine for 11 consecutive years. In fiscal year 2008, the company had sales of $8 billion and currently has more than 275 stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Whole Foods Market, Fresh & Wild^TM, and Harry’s Farmers Market® are trademarks owned by Whole Foods Market IP, LP. Wild Oats® and Capers Community Market^TM are trademarks owned by Wild Marks, Inc.

Rainforest Alliance:

The Rainforest Alliance is an international nonprofit conservation organization working to conserve biodiversity and promote sustainable livelihoods in forestry, agriculture and tourism. The organization was instrumental in the founding of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in 1993. It is the world’s leading certifier of forestlands to FSC standards, which is considered the gold standard of well-managed forest certification. In addition to certification, the Rainforest Alliance verifies legality of timber, analyzes supply chains for risk, designs and implements procurement policies and helps communicate collaborative successes. For more information on the Rainforest Alliance, visit www.rainforest-alliance.org.

Western Pulp Products:

Western Pulp Products, headquartered in Corvallis, Ore., was purchased by its present owners from a local inventor in 1958 and now has operations in six states. The company manufactures a diverse family of molded fiber product lines and it services most of the 50 states in addition to parts of Canada, Mexico and the Pacific Rim. Western Pulp’s principal products are: plantable nursery and greenhouse containers, paper maché and plastic floral containers, and patented protective packaging inserts. All of the company’s molded fiber (molded pulp) products are made from recycled waste paper, which reflects Western Pulp’s commitment to conserve natural resources. Please visit www.westernpulp.com for more information.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media contacts: Kim Beeler / 503.908.0808 Consumers can now recycle wine corks (Turner, Ore. – March 10, 2009) – It just got easier for Oregon and Washington state wine consumers to recycle cork from their bottles. Willamette Valley Vineyards (WVV) was the first winery in the world to receive certification from the Rainforest Alliance for using 100 percent Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified cork. With the new Cork Re-Harvest program, it becomes the first winery to launch a cork recycling program with zero increase to its carbon footprint. WVV Founder and President Jim Bernau said the new program is needed to sustain the cork forests of Portugal, Spain, and other cork producing countries. Part of the program’s goal is to raise awareness of the sustainability of the Mediterranean cork forests. “The cork forests are second only to the Amazon Rainforest in their importance to the world’s biosphere,” he noted. Additionally, “high quality natural cork is the best way to preserve wine quality.” The Cork Re-Harvest program is a collaboration with WVV, Whole Foods Market®, the Rainforest Alliance, WVV’s Oregon and Washington distributors, and Western Pulp Products. Recycling boxes will be placed in the 11 Whole Foods Market stores in this region. When distributors deliver wine to these stores, they will pick up the cork and return it to their warehouse. The cork will be transported to Western Pulp when WVV makes its current deliveries to the Corvallis warehouse. Erez Klein, Regional Purchasing Specialist at Whole Foods Market Pacific Northwest Region, said its consumers have been asking for a cork recycling program. “We are thrilled to extend services to our shoppers that benefit the community,” Klein said. “Providing the lowest possible carbon footprint in cork recycling is something we are proud to offer. This program is consistent with the core values of our company.” Chris Gibbons, of the Rainforest Alliance, noted the wine industry plays a critical role in protecting cork oak forests on the Iberian Peninsula. “The Rainforest Alliance applauds Willamette Valley Vineyards for being a sustainability leader in the Pacific Northwest,” Gibbons said. “Not only are they sourcing their cork from FSC-certified cork forests, but they’re taking the next step and establishing a cork recycling program to help mitigate the use of virgin cork.” About the Program Participants: Willamette Valley Vineyards: Willamette Valley Vineyards was founded in 1983 by Bernau after an inspirational visit to the west-to-south facing slope of volcanic flow in Turner, Ore., where the winery is now situated. Best known for its acclaimed Pinot Noir, WVV wines are distributed throughout the United States, Canada, and the Pacific Rim. WVV manages 300 acres of vines, which are all certified sustainable, LIVE and Salmon Safe. As Oregon’s only publicly held winery, the winery is listed on NASDAQ under the symbol WVVI. For more information, call (800) 344-9463 or visit www.wvv.com. Whole Foods Market®: Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (www.wholefoodsmarket.com), a leader in the natural and organic foods industry and America’s first national certified organic grocer, was named “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store” in 2008 by Health magazine. The Whole Foods Market motto, “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet”™ captures the company’s mission to find success in customer satisfaction and wellness, employee excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Thanks to its 53,000 Team Members, Whole Foods Market has been ranked as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by FORTUNE magazine for 11 consecutive years. In fiscal year 2008, the company had sales of $8 billion and currently has more than 275 stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Whole Foods Market, Fresh & Wild^TM, and Harry’s Farmers Market® are trademarks owned by Whole Foods Market IP, LP. Wild Oats® and Capers Community Market^TM are trademarks owned by Wild Marks, Inc. Rainforest Alliance: The Rainforest Alliance is an international nonprofit conservation organization working to conserve biodiversity and promote sustainable livelihoods in forestry, agriculture and tourism. The organization was instrumental in the founding of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in 1993. It is the world’s leading certifier of forestlands to FSC standards, which is considered the gold standard of well-managed forest certification. In addition to certification, the Rainforest Alliance verifies legality of timber, analyzes supply chains for risk, designs and implements procurement policies and helps communicate collaborative successes. For more information on the Rainforest Alliance, visit www.rainforest-alliance.org. Western Pulp Products: Western Pulp Products, headquartered in Corvallis, Ore., was purchased by its present owners from a local inventor in 1958 and now has operations in six states. The company manufactures a diverse family of molded fiber product lines and it services most of the 50 states in addition to parts of Canada, Mexico and the Pacific Rim. Western Pulp’s principal products are: plantable nursery and greenhouse containers, paper maché and plastic floral containers, and patented protective packaging inserts. All of the company’s molded fiber (molded pulp) products are made from recycled waste paper, which reflects Western Pulp’s commitment to conserve natural resources. Please visit www.westernpulp.com for more information. # # # #