TURNER, Ore. — Willamette Valley Vineyards, one of Oregon’s most popular wine destinations, reopened its Marion County winery Friday after Gov. Kate Brown eased her shutdown order.
In the vineyard Thursday morning, it looked like any other day. Farmworkers labored under sun hats and baseball caps among gold-dusted vines.
But inside the winery, things weren’t the same as pre-pandemic. Tables and chairs were spaced farther apart. Staff wore black masks with the vineyard logo printed in white across the front like a smile. And the vineyard installed ultraviolet light technology, or UV light, with air purifiers in its HVAC systems to slow the spread of bacteria and viruses through air circulation.
“You can still come and have a really wonderful experience, but it’s going to be a little different than before,” said Christine Clair, winery director.
The newly installed HVAC device, made by Aerus Enterprise Solutions, converts water and oxygen molecules into oxidizers, and emits pulses of UV light to disinfect surfaces. Each unit is a little bigger than a basketball and looks like a honeycomb.
The systems are used in hospitals, Olympic training facilities and inside NASA’s International Space Station.
The technology’s use in everyday businesses has surged during the pandemic. A spokesman for Aerus Enterprise Solutions said the company has received as many orders in the past two months as in a typical year.
In New York City, for example, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority confirmed it is investing $1 million in UV light machines to disinfect subways and buses.
In total, winery staff say, Willamette Valley Vineyards spent some $30,000 on installations at its three locations.
“We’re installing these for more than just customer safety. It’s really about our teams having confidence in coming back to work,” said Clair.
While the winery was closed, Clair said, she kept staff busy with other projects and sent home older and at-risk staff with paid leave.
Clair said she is eager to welcome back visitors.
The vineyard’s Marion County site, with its towering entrance beside Interstate 5, draws up to 150,000 visitors in a typical year.
Jim Bernau, CEO of Willamette Valley Vineyards, said visitors to wine country were confused about which tasting rooms were open and which were closed this past week before Brown approved Marion and Polk counties for reopening.
Until Friday, in the North Willamette Valley, only Yamhill County wineries had been allowed to reopen, concentrating tasting room traffic and “funneling” people to one area, said Bernau.
“Wineries are out in farmland and farm zones where it’s harder to tell where the county lines are. It’s been confusing to the wine shopper,” said Bernau.
One of Willamette Valley Vineyards’ locations, Tualatin Estate Vineyard in Forest Grove, Ore., remains closed until Washington County reopens.
Washington County officials say they were submitting their COVID-19 reopening plan to the governor Friday.
Oregon Wine Board spokeswoman Sally Murdoch said the board will soon publish a list of open tasting rooms statewide.
