A Oregon vineyard and olive mill turned wine damaged by wildfire smoke into a new product and expressed their gratitude to the people who saved their business by giving some of the proceeds to Dayton’s fire district.
Owned for more than 50 years, Durant Vineyards and Olive Mill employs 54 workers, who help make 10,000 gallons of olive oil a year and 60,000 bottles of wine this year alone — all made in America.
“Some of the best olive oils in the world are being made right here in Dayton, Oregon,” second generation owner Paul Durant said. “We make a jalapeño oil … a lemon, an orange [and] the fan favorite, garlic.”
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Durant’s wines range from pinot noirs to whites, rosés and sparkling.
But when devastating wildfires ravaged the West Coast in September 2020 , gallons of wine were left undrinkable. Instead of throwing them out, Durant thought of a better idea — turning smokey wine into barbecue sauce.