Oregon Winery Makes Barbecue Sauce From Grapes Damaged by 2020 Wildfires

Sales proceeds from Durant Vineyards Pinot Noir Barbeque Sauce will benefit the Dayton Fire District’s EMT training program.

Durant Pinot Noir Barbeque Sauce. (courtesy of Haley Landis.) (Airen Vandevoort)
By Andrew Jankowski

Grapes can be anything: wine, jelly jam, vodka—or barbecue sauce, especially if you need to find a use for 800 cases of smoke-damaged wine.

Dayton winery and olive oil mill Durant Vineyards did just that with gallons of wine left undrinkable by the September 2020 wildfires. Flames that burned more than 1.2 million acres and smoke that infamously turned skies around Oregon apocalyptic orange have now contributed to 5,000 limited-edition bottles of artisan barbecue sauce.

“[W]e decided to get creative and craft a delicious barbeque sauce that highlights the fruit-forward notes of the Pinot Noir, as well as the subtle smoky undertones from the wildfires,” Durant Vineyards owner Paul Durant said in a press release. “This barbeque sauce is our way of making the most out of a challenging situation.”

The Durant Pinot Noir Barbeque Sauce (12 ounces, $12) is said to include “hints of allspice and clove with the slow burn of smoked chipotle chilis and black pepper.” Eric Bartle, Durant’s culinary director, recommends pairing the barbecue sauce with anything that goes on the grill, from vegetables and mushrooms to salmon and ribs.

Five percent of sales proceeds from the Durant Pinot Noir Barbeque Sauce will benefit the Dayton Fire District’s emergency medical technician training program, as an effort to expand DFD members’ medical proficiency. Bottles are currently available only online but will soon appear on select retailers’ shelves.

The Durant Pinot Noir Barbeque Sauce is available to order through Durant Vineyards’ website.

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