Posts Categorized: Partners

Earlier in June, we proudly partnered with the National Parks Conservation Association’s (NPCA) “Pride in Our Parks” event. It was nothing short of excellent, with perfect weather and an incredibly engaged group of LGBTQ+ community members who brought enthusiasm and heart to every activity. The NPCA team hosted participants for a meaningful adventure in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area that combined the joy of exploration with hands-on conservation work. From hiking scenic foothill trails to getting their hands dirty planting native milkweed at the native plant nursery, participants experienced firsthand how parks serve as vital sanctuaries for both wildlife and community connection.

We geek out a little bit about where we live, and we’re passionate about supporting spaces that celebrate the wild open landscapes that make our communities special. Just as Oregon’s unique terrain of mountains, farmlands, and wild spaces inspire our winemaking craft, we believe our national parks deserve the same dedication to preserve their beauty and accessibility for all communities to discover and cherish.

This is what the day looked like:

• Hiked 1.5 miles in the foothills in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
• Volunteered for 1.5 hours with a native plant nursery, planting milkweed to help restore the park’s native population
• Visited the visitor center and learned about the current threats to national parks and their protection.
• Had lunch together and discussed the importance of parks being equitable places for all to enjoy.

A few quotes from participants:

“Events like this are so important to the community. Getting to enjoy nature together and celebrating who I am is the best way to celebrate Pride.”

“I never spend as much time outside as I’d like, and this event reminded me just how important it is – with all the threats to national parks lately, it’s just a reminder of just how important these places are.”

“This is my first time celebrating pride, and getting to do it with a group of people who care about parks like I do is really meaningful. I loved hiking and meeting new people, plus getting to learn more about the park’s native plants was so interesting!”

Looking for ways to support the national parks?

Send a message to Congress!

For a decade, Underwood wine has been leading a sustainable revolution, and now, we’re raising a can to our CANNIVERSARY – 10 spectacular years of wine in cans! 

Drinking Underwood isn’t just a taste sensation, it’s a celebration of wine no matter the container. It’s helping to level the playing field by removing the “rules” and the stuffiness around drinking wine — #pinkiesdown. It means 95% less energy, endless recyclability, and diverting heaps of waste from landfills. 

With each can, you’re not just enjoying fine wine, you’re toasting to a decade of making sustainability a priority, one sip at a time. 

Happy CANNIVERSARY to UNDERWOOD!

We’re just getting started. 

WINE CANS TIMELINE: 

2012 – On a random Sunday an email was sent from UWC founder, Ryan Harms, to his Union team.  

2013 – Celeste, a French Citroën truck was purchased and remodeled to be a portable wine bar.

2013 – Underwood Pinot Noir in a can was debuted at Feast PDX in September, a food festival in Portland, Oregon.

2014 – Underwood begins to sell Oregon Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris in big beer-sized 375ml cans! 

2015 – 1 Million Cans Sold!

2016 – Underwood Bubbles was added to the lineup.

2016 – Celeste hits the open road for the first time to share the love of canned wine at festivals and events. 

2017 – Underwood Rosé Bubbles makes it a 5-can lineup!

2018 – Union Wine Co. builds the industry’s first high-speed canning line with a canning capability of 200 cans/min. 

2019 – Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Rose are produced in single serving 250ml “slim” cans for special events.

 ALUMINUM CAN FACTS: 

Aluminum cans are 100% infinitely recyclable. 

Cans don’t absorb light that can damage wine. 

Cans are less expensive to produce & ship.

Cans can go anywhere. 

Cans created a new consumer experience. 

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: 

In 10 years…

Underwood has produced 41 million cans which is equivalent to 1.7 million cases of 750ml bottles. 

The smaller, lighter can allowed Underwood to ship nearly 24 million fewer pounds from the winery. 

This kept nearly 7.9 million pounds of carbon from entering the atmosphere. 

THE PRESS THOSE FIRST FEW YEARS WAS AMAZING: 

THERE HAVE BEEN MANY CAN DESIGNS OVER THE YEARS:

Underwood added a couple of “coolers” early on—our Riesling Radler took a fun spin on a more traditional beer radler, and our Strawberry Cooler made with real strawberry puree was both tasty and adorable. Later, we created a low alcohol Spritz, and a White Haute Sangria in partnership with Marshall’s Haute Sauce. Our Nouveau was a hit in bottle so…a can of Nouveau seemed like a gimme.

We designed several cans that honor what we call our “Give Back” partnerships with the The Nature Conservancy, the National Park Foundation, Planned Parenthood & Wild Fang, and Keep Oregon Green. We also partnered with local Portland artist, Lisa Congdon, to design what we think of as our Pride can. 

Specially designed slim cans worked great for our partnership with the Timbers/Thorns FC organization.

Cheers to wine in cans, and the next 10 years!

We’ve been fans of North Drinkware since their launch on Kickstarter in 2015 and have sipped many beverages out of their glasses over the years. One day in the summer of 2020, after one or two of those beverages, we worked up the courage and decided to reach out to see if there might be an opportunity to partner on something creative. Needless to say, they were all-in and hit the ground running with a design unique to their process that captures the essence of Oregon. We’re so excited for you to experience drinking wine out of these hand-made glasses.

The glass shape is inspired by the everyday drinking glasses found in Spain and the design is meant to capture the essence of Oregon’s natural features through 3D depictions of Mt. Hood and our Willamette Valley wine region, featuring Amity Vineyards, separated by the mighty Willamette River. At 6oz, the glass is a perfect size and celebrates our philosophy that the experience of enjoying your evening pour doesn’t require a stemmed glass. Like our wines, these glasses are hand-made locally in Oregon.

North Drinkware is known for their premium hand-blown glasses which feature popular mountains in the base of each one, all made in Portland, Oregon. Their deep love of the outdoors inspired the start of the brand and allows everyone to bring the mountains home.

North Drinkware and Union Wine Co. are both proud members of 1% for the Planet and with this partnership, both are donating 1% of sales to Willamette Riverkeepers. Willamette Riverkeeper’s mission is to Protect, Restore, Enjoy. They believe a river with excellent water quality, abundant natural habitat, safe for fishing and recreation is a basic public right.

You can purchase the glasses here. Cheers.