Being part of a community means more than simply doing business in it. It means supporting the people, organizations, and traditions that help make the region what it is. Over the years, Knudsen Vineyards and members of our family have participated in a range of local and regional efforts throughout Yamhill County and Oregon wine country.
Each relationship is different, but they all reflect the same idea: we are part of something larger than our own vineyard.
Supporting Our Yamhill County Neighbors
One of the most local examples of that commitment has been our support of Yamhill Community Action Partnership, or YCAP.
YCAP serves people throughout Yamhill County through programs connected to housing, food, energy assistance, youth services, and other basic needs. In 2023, our holiday Give-Back Bundle included a $10 donation to YCAP with every bundle purchased, and Knudsen later included YCAP among the organizations supported through our community efforts.
For us, efforts like this are a practical way to connect the wines we share with direct support for the community around us.
Supporting the People Behind Wine Country
The Willamette Valley wine industry is shaped by far more people than those whose names appear on a bottle. Vineyard crews, cellar teams, hospitality professionals, families, and many others contribute to this region every day.
The Willamette Valley Wine Foundation focuses on supporting wine-country workers through programs centered on affordable housing, healthcare, early-childhood care, and personal and professional development.
Knudsen Vineyards Managing Partner Page Knudsen Cowles currently serves as Vice Chair of the Foundation. Her involvement reflects a broader commitment to the people who help make the Willamette Valley wine industry possible.
Helping Build a More Welcoming Wine Community
Community also means making sure more people feel that Oregon wine country is a place where they belong.
Knudsen Vineyards has supported Wine Country Pride through several documented campaigns. In June 2025, we pledged 5% of every Family Series wine purchase to the organization. We also participated in Wine Country Pride’s Rainbow Quest in 2023, when contributions were connected to selected Family Series wines, a Support Pride Bundle, and Daily Outlook tasting fees.
Wine Country Pride works to create visible celebrations of the queer community while connecting people through education, events, and economic activity throughout wine country. Our involvement has been part of a broader effort to support a Willamette Valley wine community that feels welcoming and inclusive.
That commitment has also extended into industry leadership. Page Knudsen Cowles has served with the Willamette Valley Wineries Association’s Diversity, Equity, Belonging & Inclusion Council and is currently identified as Chair Emeritus as well as a participant in its Employee Life Cycle workgroup.
The Council’s work includes leadership, hiring and retention, education, communications, and supplier diversity across the regional wine industry.
Giving Beyond Our Immediate Community
Our community involvement has also included support for organizations whose work extends beyond Yamhill County.
Knudsen Vineyards has identified One Tree Planted among the organizations we have supported. Past efforts included an Arbor Day Spring Trio campaign that connected wine purchases with the organization’s broader reforestation work.
We think it is important to be clear about relationships like these. Supporting an organization does not necessarily mean maintaining a permanent formal partnership. What matters is being transparent about how we participated and about the work those efforts were intended to support.
Showing Up for the Dundee Hills
Not every community connection is centered on fundraising. Sometimes it simply means being part of the traditions that bring people together here.
Fueled by Fine Wine has become one of those Dundee Hills traditions. The annual event brings runners through private vineyard landscapes before gathering participants and local wineries for a post-race wine experience. Knudsen Vineyards has participated for years, and we were again included among the participating wineries for the July 2026 event.
Events like this give people another way to experience the Dundee Hills—moving through the landscape, meeting producers from across the region, and sharing in the sense of place that connects the wineries here.
Part of Something Larger
Knudsen Vineyards will always begin with this land and the wines grown from it, but our family has never existed here alone.
We are part of Yamhill County and part of the larger Willamette Valley wine community. Over the years, our involvement has taken different forms: donations tied to wine sales, nonprofit support, industry leadership, and participation in regional events.
For us, community partnership is not about collecting logos or checking boxes. It is about showing up, contributing where we can, and recognizing that caring for a place also means caring about the people who help make it home.
