FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PCC Farmland Trust celebrates collaboration with Powers Winery
Seattle, Wash., (June 25, 2008) — Powers Winery ("Powers") recently hosted a celebration event and presented a "check" to PCC Farmland Trust (the "Trust") at the winery in Kennewick, Washington. The event marks a celebration of the successful collaboration between PCC Natural Markets ("PCC") and Powers over the last year, in donating $20,000+ from sales of Powers Wines at PCC in the Puget Sound region.
This East-West collaboration was the brainchild of Jeff Cox (PCC Wine & Beer Merchandiser), Seri Sedlacek (NW Regional Sales, Badger Mountain Vineyard/Powers Winery) and David Ostler (Sales Manager, Noble Wines Ltd.) Creation of a "private label" that would benefit the Trust was seen as a win-win-win situation: a win for the winery to create a wine specifically blended for PCC consumers in its eight Puget Sound stores, a win for PCC consumers to purchase great wine at a great price for a good cause and, of course, the biggest winner being PCC Farmland Trust and its work to preserve Washington state organic farmland.
In February 2007, the first 2005 Powers Cabernet Sauvignon was blended at the winery with fruit — merlot, cabernet and syrah — from some of the state's finest vineyards. Since then they have created three more wines — one Cabernet and two Chardonnays. Since hitting the PCC stores in April 2007, over 10,000 bottles have been sold, benefitting an east-of-the-mountains business, west-of-the-mountains consumers and the Trust — which benefits both sides of the state!
Present at the event were constituents from Powers Winery, Noble Wine Distributors, PCC Natural Markets, PCC Farmland Trust, and Thundering Hooves — a Walla Walla pasture-finished meat operation that benefitted from the Trust's purchase of Bennington Place Farm in 2004.
About the PCC Farmland Trust: PCC Farmland Trust is an independent, community-supported 501(c)(3) land trust, founded in 1999 as a separate, non-profit organization by PCC Natural Markets, a certified organic retailer headquartered in Seattle, WA. The Trust secures, preserves, and stewards threatened farmland in the Northwest, to ensure that generations of local farmers productively farm it using sustainable, organic growing methods. www.pccfarmlandtrust.org
About Powers Winery: Badger Mountain Vineyard was established in 1982 in the Columbia Valley, Washington State's finest viticultural area. In 1990, Badger Mountain Vineyard became the first vineyard to be Certified Organic by the Washington State Department of Agriculture, and encouraged no less than 5 other vineyards to since make the transition into organic farming. During 1992, production of the Powers label wines began. Bottling under the Powers Winery label allows production of high quality wines made from outside vineyard sources. Powers wines have been recognized by such notables as the Wine Spectator, which has referred to the winery as a "rising star", and recently Wine Enthusiast named Powers Winery as one of the "50 Great U.S. Cabernet Producers." www.badgermtnvineyard.com
About Thundering Hooves: Thundering Hooves is a fourth generation family farm in the fertile Walla Walla Valley of Washington State. They raise and finish chickens, turkeys, cattle, goats, sheep, and pigs on certified organic pastures of grass and alfalfa. All their livestock are Pasture Ranged and Pasture Finished (no feedlots), leading to more contented animals and healthier meats. Their products are sold at their store in Walla Walla, as well as to restaurants and consumers in the Puget Sound region. www.thunderinghooves.net