Southern Oregon winery launches 'clunker-wines' promoDel Rio Vineyards of Gold Hill gives rebate for donated 'clunkers'

Del Rio Vineyards of Gold Hill gives rebate for donated 'clunkers'

GOLD HILL — While auto retailers await Senate action to keep the federal government's "cash-for-clunkers" program, Southern Oregon winery Del Rio Vineyards has introduced its own permutation.

The Gold Hill winery this month is offering to pay wine drinkers $5 for their "clunker wines" toward the purchase of a Del Rio vintage.

Del Rio managing partner Rob Wallace said the idea came to him Saturday when he heard a couple discussing the auto program.

"I told my wife we ought to put up a 'cash for clunkers' on the Internet," Wallace said.

That didn't fly, but other members of the staff liked the idea, and the winery issued an Internet release Monday morning.

"We're doing fine, but the economy stinks, cash flow is king, and I have a warehouse inventory," Wallace said. "We always do one kind of special or another, but this is kind of cool."

Del Rio employee Lindsey Fauble said a member of Del Rio's wine club traded in the first clunker Monday afternoon — a 2003 blush from the Russian River area in California.

Del Rio wines typically sell from $15 to $35. The rules are much simpler than those associated with the federal program. Bottles must be at least half full of the original content and the deal is limited to one bottle per day per person. The winery, which planted its grapes in 1998, added the proviso that open bottles should be stored away in the trunk to avoid open-container violations.

"I didn't want to end up with a bunch of full bottles or empties," Wallace said. "It has to be a wine they don't like. I've had a couple of winemakers from other companies tell me if I take pictures of their wine, they're going to get even. But it's a fun way to have a special."