The seed for AVERÆN was planted when we attended IPNC in the Willamette Valley three years ago with Banshee Wines (our Sonoma winery).  There we were, sitting around a campfire, in what is now a vineyard that we’re sourcing 10 tons of Pinot Noir from this harvest, talking about the similarities between our cold and foggy Sonoma Coast and the various sub-appellations of the Willamette Valley.  From the cold wind that funnels from the Pacific Ocean through low-lying gaps in the coastal mountain ranges (the Van Duzer Corridor in Oregon and the Petaluma Wind Gap in Sonoma), to the mix of marine sedimentary and volcanic influenced soils that play off of one another to create the micro-terroirs of each appellation.  The similarities were shocking.  What got us really excited was that we saw the potential to make wine at the very highest level, using what were considered at the time to be the very top vineyard sites, all at a cost that was considerably less that what we were experiencing in the Sonoma Coast.  Oregon reminded us of where the Sonoma Coast was 10-15 years ago.  Still finding its way in terms of consistency, but when done right, way over-delivering.  The quality was there in a big way, but the prices were still so reasonable.