It's Your Oregon: Alex Sokol Blosser
Oregon, like pinot noir, is never going to be mainstream. Thank God. Oregon will always have its independent streak, whether it’s Ken Kesey or Steve Prefontaine or Mayor Bud Clark or Tonya Harding for that matter.
Alex Sokol Blosser, Sokol Blosser Winery Co-President, Dundee, OR
What is your idea of a perfect Oregon day?
It would have to be something that deals with being outside. It’s fall because fall is my favorite time in Oregon. It’s going to be a stormy day, blustery, but it’s not raining yet. I’d wake up, go to the local barista, get my double shot tall latte, from whomever. I might walk around the block outside, it’s windy, and the leaves are yellow. Maybe that afternoon I’d head on up to Portland, get a couple books from Powell’s. And then go see a play. I like theater. But definitely aware of what’s going on outside because fall in Oregon is always beautiful with the breeze that blows in.
What would you like Oregon to look like in 20 years that is different from today?
- Alex and his father Bill
Not much. I’m really proud to be in this state, I’m really proud to be an Oregonian, I am Oregon, I love what it means to be here. Every state has a tremulousness and a dynamic tension and we have that too. If we didn’t have that, it wouldn’t be an exciting place to live.
OEC talks about “It’s Your Oregon.” What does Oregon mean to you?
Oregon, like pinot noir, is never going to be mainstream. Thank God. Oregon will always have its independent streak, whether it’s Ken Kesey or Steve Prefontaine or Mayor Bud Clark or Tonya Harding for that matter. But Oregon also has an inertia that keeps it very down to earth. It may have its independent streak but it’s also down to earth. What Oregon means to me is that, we’re not leaders of the pack, but we like it the way we like it. You don’t really shoot the moon in Oregon. You have an awesome time in Oregon and it’s a great place to live. If you want to shoot the moon, go north or go south.
What is the most important environmental issue to you today?
The most important environmental issue to me today is giving everybody a heightened living standard so they can actually care about the environment and do something about it.
What is the one thing you want people to know?
One thing I want people to know is that Oregon is the bomb. No better place to be than here.
