Northwest Hardwoods , he served as chair of the WPA membership committee for several years . Along with Sherry , and several others , he played a key role in reviving the WPA in the late 1990s and early 2000s . He left the company in 2010 .
“ We really worked hard to revitalize WPA ,” he recalled . “ So I have a lot of blood , sweat and soul , in that organization , and it means a lot to me , you know , the people , I love them .”
Jeff ’ s journey in wine was shaped most profoundly , however , by his deep friendship with Stu Lerner , former WPA member , and owner of L & M Pallet as well as Blue Chip . The pair ’ s tasting journey began 30 years ago . “ We loved it ,” he said .
In the years that followed , the pair refined their palates through continued adventures in tasting and collecting . “ You build a cellar of several thousand bottles and with that experience , you get to the point in your life where you want to almost create your own perfect wine for yourself and people like you ,” he reflected . “ And that ' s kind of what this story is .”
Lerner , now proprietor of Lerner Project , was determined to create the best wine in the world . He established immediate credibility by hiring well-known Russell Bevan as winemaker . Bevan was Wine Spectator ’ s Winemaker of the Year in 2015 , and as Jeff described , a “ rockstar ” of the Napa wine community . Great wine requires the best grapes , Bevan stressed . With this in mind , he recommended buying the Armstrong vineyard , a high elevation , 90-acre property known for its high caliber Cabernet Sauvignon grapes . Several other vineyards were sourced for Merlot , Cabernet Franc and additional Cabernet Sauvignon . Thus began Lerner Project .
“ I ' ve known Stu for 30 years , and I ' ve never seen a guy work so hard ,” Jeff said . “ He ’ s retired and he ' s doing this for passion . What ' s really generating this is the love for the wine and to be able to share it with others .” The same spirit holds true for Jeff , who currently runs a division of an Oregon-based pallet racking company . He is hoping to transition full-time to working with Lerner Project . It is a labor of love .
Jeff stresses that there is great value in each bottle , from the entry-level offering to the Reserve . Lerner Project customers already include several WPA and NWPCA members . To catch up with an old industry colleague and to find out more about the incredible red and white wine offerings of Lerner Project , contact Jeff at 541 525-3724 or email at jeff . calavan @ lernerproject . com
Lerner Project is offering free ground shipping with a minimum purchase of 3 bottles to all WPA member through December 15 .
NOVEMBER 2020