Bee Friendly Wine Among Efforts to Keep Pollinators Healthy and Thriving
EUGENE, OR, August 15, 2023 – GloryBee and King Estate Winery are teaming up on Saturday, Aug. 19, from noon to 3 p.m., to host a unique tasting and informational experience “Pollinators Uncorked” at the picturesque King Estate Winery. In partnership with the Oregon Bee Project and Save the Bee, these businesses promote pollination and biodiversity. Neighbor Alesong Brewing and Blending will also join the efforts and feature tastes of its Stony Point Saison influenced by local honey.
Wine grapes are a wind-pollinated crop, unlike 80% of the vegetables and fruits humans consume that rely on pollinators for cross-pollination to improve crop yield and produce healthy food. Although wind-pollinated crops don’t rely on pollinators for yield, they benefit from the work pollinators do throughout the ecosystem.
“Pollinators are critical to a healthy and biodiverse environment,” said Erin Greene, Culinary Gardens Manager for King Estate. “We manage 30 acres of orchard, flower, and vegetable gardens. Most of that produce is designed for our onsite restaurant, but extras are donated to FOOD for Lane County or other community partners committed to food access.”
One-third of the food humans consume relies on pollinators, and yet a study by the Bee Informed Partnership earlier this year confirmed that pollinators, including honey bees, are still in danger in the United States.
Founded in 2012, SAVE the BEE is an independent 501c3 originally established by GloryBee.
“When we first started seeing declines in honey bee populations, we wanted to get involved to improve their health,” said Alan Turanski, 2nd generation President and BeeKeeper at GloryBee. “These efforts have really evolved over the years to include a collaboration and rallying among many players to address the importance of a healthy agricultural system in America. Honey bees and pollinators are a crucial part of that success and of course are pretty important to us at GloryBee.”
The Oregon Bee Project is a cooperative effort among the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA), the Oregon State University (OSU) Extension Service, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), and a diverse set of stakeholders like Save the Bee and King Estate, who are actively engaged in caring for our bees.
“SAVE the BEE is part of the Oregon Bee Project’s efforts to bring awareness to the importance of pollinators throughout Oregon, so when we sat down and started thinking about ways to partner and engage the public, a unique honey and wine-tasting event was perfect,” said Catie Coman, Executive Director for SAVE the BEE. “Our hope is that people will attend Pollinators Uncorked, learn about beekeeping and the role pollinators play in our food supply, and be inspired to support businesses that are bee-friendly, as well as embrace things we all can do to benefit bees, like reducing pesticides, creating forage for bees, and supporting beekeepers.”
SAVE the BEE is the beneficiary of the Pollinators Uncorked event and has raised nearly $1 million in support of honey bee research, education, and grants.
“What many people don’t realize is that like wine, honey has a terroir that represents where the bees have foraged and the environment in which the honey was made,” continued Coman. “A honey and wine tasting event, paired with good food in a gorgeous setting, is the perfect way to learn more about our pollinators.”
Tickets to Pollinators Uncorked may be purchased by visiting https://glorybee.com/king-estate-vineyard-event and for $35 includes a boxed lunch, wine, and honey tastes, a taste of Alesong Brewing’s Stony Point saison, and a guided walk-through the flower gardens to seek out and identify the many pollinators that frequent King Estate. Get a glimpse into a real hive, hear from beekeepers, and identify pollinators in their habitat with individuals from the Oregon Bee Lab at Oregon State who will also be on-site to answer questions.
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ABOUT KING ESTATE: King Estate is located southwest of Eugene, Ore., in the prestigious Willamette Valley. Founded in 1991 by the King family, King Estate is committed to producing wines of exceptional quality under sustainable farming methods and is certified Biodynamic® by Demeter USA. King Estate focuses on producing world-class Oregon Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, and wines from the inland growing regions of Oregon and Washington under its North by Northwest label. To this day, King Estate is owned and operated by the King family.
ABOUT GLORYBEE: GloryBee is a honey packer and natural foods company founded in 1975 by beekeepers. Based in the Pacific Northwest, GloryBee has production facilities on the West Coast and the Mid-West providing nationwide access to premium ingredients. We supply high-quality, ethically sourced ingredients that nourish people and the planet, and we believe in using business as a force for good. We are inspired by a love for beekeeping and started SAVE the BEE in 2012 to bring awareness, education, and funding to critical issues affecting the livelihood of bees and agricultural practices. For more information, please visit glorybee.com, honeysource.com, and savethebee.org.
ABOUT ALESONG BREWING AND BLENDING: Alesong Brewing and Blending is a small artisan brewery and cidery based in the heart of Southern Willamette Valley wine country with a second tasting room in downtown Eugene. With 100% of production spending time in oak barrels, Alesong crafts unique and small-batch blends, producing styles that span the flavor spectrum. As the beer or cider in barrels matures, the team samples and selects each barrel individually to make up a final blend. Paying homage to old-world Lambic blenders and artisan winemakers, Alesong strives to achieve complex and balanced final blends that are much more interesting and complete than the sum of their parts or any individual barrel. For more information, visit www.alesongbrewing.com.