This Wine-Kissed BBQ Sauce From Oregon Started With Fire-Damaged Grapes

Durant Vineyards, with over 50 years in the wine business, transformed the effects of a natural disaster into liquid gold. Making lemons into lemonade seems mere child's play compared to what Durant was able to render after wildfires ravished its Willamette Valley property in Dayton, Oregon, in 2020. Finding that the year's crop of pinot noir grapes produced too smoky of a profile to be used for wine, owner Paul Durant and culinary director Eric Bartle got their creative juices flowing and found an alternative use: Pinot Noir Barbeque Sauce.

In a 2024 interview with KXL Morning News, Durant called their circumstances "completely uncharted territory" in the wine industry. The 2020 wildfires forced Durant and his culinary team to think outside the box — or, in this case, wine bottle. Bartle discovered the smoke-detectable grapes could be salvaged, albeit not for wine. He recalled the smoky notes in barbeque sauce and discovered that the grapes could take on new life as the base for the savory sauce.

The 800 cases of tainted wine allowed Durant to produce 5,000 bottles of its first limited run barbeque sauce, leaving enough wine for an additional 15,000 to 25,000 bottles. Durant furthered to The Drinks Business that making the sauce "should allow [them] to recover virtually all of the wine production costs." Durant Pinot Noir Barbeque Sauce is available on property at its wine shop, through its website, as well as at other local websites such as Made in Oregon.

Known for its elegance, delicacy, and finesse, the Pacific Northwest's pinot noir possesses a distinctive aroma and flavor. Warm days followed by cool nights enable grapes to develop a balanced flavor particular to their region. In the case of Oregon's pinot noir, this flavor tends to be bright and vibrant, often accompanied by earthy undertones developed by terroir influences. Sweet and savory with hints of allspice and clove and the subtle spice of smoked chipotle chilis and black pepper, Durant Pinot Noir Barbeque Sauce's profile presents the realities of the land from which its ingredients were harvested. 

The combination of the PNW's natural agriculture and unimaginable catastrophe helped produce a truly one-of-a-kind product that can never be replicated. Durant's creation proves that not all great barbecue sauce comes from the South — and that's just one of many American barbecue sauce myths that need to be busted. No stranger to edibles, the Durant Olive Mill has been offering its estate-milled Extra Virgin Olive Oil since 2008. The operation also boasts culinary herbs and lavender. When tragedy struck, the vineyard knew not all would be lost and pivoted its grapes from beverage to condiment.

Feeling grief stricken for the Oregon vineyard and its surrounding community? There is a way you can help! The sauce holds a charitable component. With 5% of proceeds going to the Dayton Fire Department, each bottle of Durant Pinot Noir Barbeque Sauce acts not only as a flavor savor, but potentially a lifesaver as well. The funding is to be used for an Emergency Medical Technician training course that the Dayton Fire Department plans to launch. At $12 a bottle, you can feel good whilst doing good — all while avoiding breaking the bank. 

The long-game is not lost in the sauce. If disaster were to strike again, the community plans to be ready. So, why not make the best of a bad situation and add Durant Pinot Noir Barbeque Sauce to your next indoor cooking venture, such as oven baked barbecue chicken, or slather it on your outdoor barbecue, party-people-pleasing slab of meat? It's a tragedy-turned-triumph story that's sure to amuse your dinner guests. To put it to good use, here's the best time to add barbecue sauce to pork, beef, and chicken.