Maybe you've stopped by a New Deal booth at your local farmers market? Or, stopped in the Bottle Shop on your way home from work to pick up a bottle of Oregon wine, craft beer, specialty cider, or a carefully vetted zero-proof beverage? Maybe you enjoyed a mini cocktail with friends on the weekend in the tasting room; or, enjoyed a private happy hour at the distillery with your work colleagues? If you answered yes, then you've probably had the pleasure of meeting Bonny MacDonald! Bonny has been an invaluable member of the New Deal Crew for 2 years and, we can honestly say that without her, we might not have made it through the Covid years.
Having spent over two decades working in the alcoholic beverage industry, Bonny calls herself a seasoned beverage professional. But, even that title barely scratches the surface of Bonny's multi-faceted expertise in the world of adult beverages. Bonny's 14 years of wine studies began in New Orleans, before focusing on Italian wines for a couple years in Austin. With the desire to study wine at the source, she decided to move back to Portland due to its proximity to Oregon's best known wine region- the Willamette Valley AVA.
Little did she know that she would be able to witness a new era of Oregon Wine. Oregon vineyards in the Willamette Valley were evolving into what has become a world-class wine region, notable for unconventional grape varieties, organic farming practices, and hands-off fermentation methods. Bonny fulfilled her dream of participating in the wine-making process from start-to-finish at Franchere Wine Company and Hanson Vineyards for the 2020 & 2021 harvest seasons.
In 2021, still in the midst of the pandemic, Bonny took a leap of faith and founded Bottle Trip Wines, a venture that aims to offer guidance to people who are as passionate and curious about wine as Bonny. Part wine club, part event production, and part consulting services, Bottle Trip Wines helps people move beyond their comfort zones on a journey to discover quality small producers, lesser-known wine regions & grape varietals, and winemaking methods that employ less chemicals, less machines, and more guidance from Mother Nature.
We're especially excited to help Bonny celebrate a major milestone in her entrepreneurial endeavor: three years of Bottle Trip Wines! On April 27th from 4-6pm, we hope you'll join us at the distillery for a special event showcasing Bottle Trip Wine Club offerings along with expert guidance on how to use wine in cocktails. Bonny has designed a special menu of wine-focused cocktails featuring New Deal craft spirits to enjoy along with light snacks and wine samples. You don’t want to miss this fun event so RSVP now!