Oregon Winery Under Fire for a Substantial Donation to a Trump-Supporting Super PAC | Eater Portland

"For 30 years I've seen this winery—Domaine Serene—be a staple in Oregon’s wine scene, winning numerous awards for pinot noir and chardonnay and maintaining popular urban tasting rooms in Lake Oswego and downtown Portland. Recently the winery came under fire after the American Association of Wine Economists published an infographic showing co-owner Grace Evenstad donated $50,000 to the Great America PAC (one of the largest wine-industry donations supporting Donald Trump in 2016); Federal Election Commission records also show she gave thousands to the National Republican Congressional Committee, former senator Gordon H. Smith, William Figlesthaler (Dr. Fig), and the House Freedom Fund. The donations sparked outrage on Twitter and Instagram, with many customers calling the winery’s later posts promising a “comprehensive plan” to be anti-racist and support BIPOC communities hollow and “the utter definition of performative allyship.” Domaine Serene has said it will enhance sensitivity and diversity training, created an internal committee of senior executives to guide the work, and will make an unnamed financial contribution to higher education aimed at increasing industry diversity, while Evenstad has defended her political contributions as personal actions intended to influence public policy that affects her business and employees." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden