Sustainability
Sustainability at the Core
The Coopers Hall brand was founded on eliminating waste, reducing our environmental impact, and localizing our supply chain. We are Oregon’s first dedicated keg winery. A display in our winery proudly proclaims the number of bottles diverted from the waste stream: over 665,000 bottles, or an estimated 412,300 pounds of CO2 generated in glass production alone.
As the brand has grown to now include hundreds of events a year at two venues, keg wine distribution across multiple states and employing dozens of staff, we remain true to our original values. Read more about our sustainability initiatives below.
Wine (+ Beer) on Tap!
The majority of the wine served at Coopers Hall and CH Northeast is from our own vineyard and/or winery. Nearly all wine and beer served is on tap, avoiding the use of single-use glass bottles. Most of our original kegs from 2013 are still in use.
Locally Sourced
Our chefs make weekly trips to the Portland Farmers Markets (Shemanski Park on Wednesdays May - October and PSU on Saturdays, year-round) and order direct from local producers and purveyors as much as possible. Read more on our Food & Beverage page.
Food Waste
Food is ordered weekly and for specific events, so food waste and overages are controlled. We have a partnership with Urban Gleaners to reallocate any excess food when needed.
L.I.V.E Certified + Salmon Safe Vineyard
Our estate vineyard, Alexeli, is LIVE Certified and Salmon Safe. Phil Kramer, our vineyard owner/manager and Coopers Hall partner, came into the wine industry through an intense interest in sustainable agriculture. Low inputs, very limited chemical usage, an integrated pest management strategy, cover crops, solar panels, and bird of prey habitat are all a part of the broader ecosystem on the vineyard.
We also prioritize partnering with other vineyards that use similar practices.
Wine Production
Solar panels power most of our wine production needs, daytime and night.
Refillable Wine Bottles
Coopers Hall was the first winery in Oregon to exclusively use refillable bottles for consumer packaging. Our 500 mL bottles are rated for use up to 25 times. Read more on our Winery page.
People
We strive to support living wage jobs not only in-house, but throughout our supply chain. Management and full-time salaried positions receive access to affordable health coverage. All employees have access to retirement savings plans. Physical, mental and financial health of our staff are key to a healthy business. Vineyard field workers are paid above minimum wage and receive overtime pay (including agricultural exempt workers. Our events team engages with a diverse group of couples, businesses, and nonprofit entities in our venues.
Community
Local non-profit groups receive hundreds of cases per year of complimentary or discounted wine for fundraisers and events. We partner with many local groups within our event space for fundraisers, meetings, panel discussions and networking events.
Our non-profit partners include:
Dozens of public and private school foundations and fundraisers
Photo Credits: Ilana Freddye, Christina Hall