Wine Hooligans Welcomes Portlandia Vintners to its Portfolio of Artisan Wine Brands

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kimberly Noelle Charles or Alexandra Fondren Charles Communications Associates 415.701.9463 | press@charlescomm.com                        Wine Hooligans Welcomes Portlandia Vintners to its Portfolio of Artisan Wine Brands Novato, CA (February 5, 2018)  — Wine Hooligans is pleased to announce the addition of Portlandia Vintners to its growing portfolio of artisan wine brands. The Dundee, Oregon-based winery is rooted in the heart of the Willamette Valley, crafting award winning pinot noir and pinot gris from a region that the New York Times calls one of the world’s best pinot producing regions outside Burgundy.   Launched in 2013 by vintner Damian Davis, Portlandia is an ode to the spirit of Oregon’s great wines while also reflecting a sense of the people that make Portland and the Willamette Valley so special. Davis, previously best known for founding Rainier Wine and its famously irreverent Mad Housewife label, aims to make Oregon wine accessible to everyday wine lovers nationwide.  Portlandia’s partnership with Wine Hooligans facilitates the opportunity to expand distribution across the county and develop everyday, affordable pinot noir and pinot gris from Oregon.   “Adding an exceptional set of Oregon pinots fits perfectly with our focus of bringing unique wines from valuable appellations to both consumers and our partners”, said Dennis Carroll, head hooligan of Wine Hooligans. “With Portlandia, we add a dynamic brand in an important category that’s amassed a wonderful set of accolades.  It’s an exciting addition to the Hooligans portfolio of wines.”    Portlandia includes Oregon-appellated wines with eye-catching labels, which range from $18-20, as well as a $40 single vineyard Pinot Noir from the organic and biodynamic Momtazi Vineyard located in Willamette Valley’s McMinnville AVA.   The climate of the valley encompassing the Willamette River in between Oregon’s Cascades and the Coast Range produces some of the world’s best pinot noir and pinot gris wines. However, Davis notes that “It took relentless optimists to bring pinot noir and pinot gris to Oregon, exactly the kind of ‘Hooligan’ mindset that inspired us to create Portlandia Vintners and ultimately enter into this seamless partnership with Wine Hooligans.”   Portlandia’s reception has been very positive so far, with double 92-point scores from Wine Enthusiast’s February 2018 issue, for both the 2016 Pinot Gris (which also received an Editor’s Choice designation) as well as the 2015 Momtazi Vineyard Pinot Noir, not to mention double 90-point scores for the 2015 Pinot Noir and 2016 Rosé of Pinot Noir.     About Portlandia Wines   Portlandia’s aim is to introduce value into the world of boutique, hand-made Oregon wine. Founder Damian Davis is committed to bringing terroir-driven Willamette Valley pinot noir and pinot gris to the everyday table, rejecting the notion that great Oregon wines can only be enjoyed at a premium. When Portlandia’s initial success enabled the ability to scale, it allowed Davis to bring on a new collaborator in Dennis Carroll and his Wine Hooligans.   The Wine Hooligans infrastructure and financial backing has allowed Portlandia to make an even bolder statement in quality/price ratio. “Wine lovers across the country already know that Oregon wine means world-class pinot. The partnership with Hooligans will enable me to get out there consistently to reinforce that message and share just a touch of what makes life here in the Pacific Northwest so special.” Davis’s 13 years of building relationships and seeking avenues to deliver high-quality, inexpensive wines to consumers throughout the Pacific Northwest has helped him to find the many interesting and overlooked vineyards that now define the Portlandia portfolio.   Carroll added, “At Wine Hooligans, we believe artisan brands are made by talented artists.  Damian has used his deep roots in the Pacific Northwest and his talent to create a wonderful set of pinot noir, pinot gris and rosé bottlings that can be enjoyed every day.  We are happy to play a role in helping expand distribution of this unique brand.”   About Wine Hooligans Wine Hooligans, LLC was created by wine industry veteran Dennis Carroll together with an expert team of artisan winemakers.  Positioned as a passionate disruptor of conventional wine marketing and sales, Wine Hooligans is a brand acquisition and development company, which brings people, places and products together to make exceptional wines in a wide variety of categories.  The portfolio consists of Portlandia, Broadside Wines, Cycles Gladiator, Sea Monster, Goyette and Stephen Vincent.  More information can be found at www.winehooligans.com.    Media Contact For press inquiries and images, please contact Kimberly Noelle Charles at Charles Communications Associates atpress@charlescomm.com or 415.701.9463.    ###