Bree Stock’s Vibrant World of Wine at Artist Block
Produced in partnership by Travel Dundee and the Dundee Hills Winegrowers Association.
Bree Stock is unafraid to break with convention. With an ethos of “Let’s Try” and a wine education and resume that would make many vintners blush, she infuses creativity, whimsy and a brash dash of sass into the premium-quality wines she crafts for Artist Block Wine, in partnership with owner, Anna Sweet.
Bree’s passion for wine ignited at a young age, fuelled by the stories woven into each bottle. “I fell in love with the world of wine and the stories that come,” she reflects. “I felt I was being transported to villages with these thousand year old streets and castles and old vines.”
After forays in restaurants, retail, importing, and distribution, she completed her Master of Wine program while working harvests around the world. Today Bree, quite literally, does it all: She has her own label, produces wine for Artist Block, serves as Director of Education for the Oregon Wine Board and leads the Oregon Wine Symposium.
Central to Bree’s approach is her belief that wine is alive—a beverage that pulsates with energy and flavor. This vitality infuses every bottle produced at Artist Block, each one a testament to Bree’s unwavering commitment to excellence and creativity.
With wines featuring names like Yummy and Rainbow Juice, Bree and Anna make it easy to step outside of tradition into something… very different. And that’s what inspires them to continue experimenting. “Our focus is premium quality, but fun wine,” says Bree. “We don’t want people to feel they have to have a certification in wine to actually enjoy and understand it.”
Artist Block Wine is more than just a place to savor exceptional wines; it’s an immersive experience for the senses. With a tasting room unlike any other, visitors are greeted by vibrant colors, music, and a pop art aesthetic. The pieces on the gallery walls are for sale; the silver bengal cat brothers, named Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, roaming the winery and making friends with guests are not for sale, though you’ll wish you could take them home.
At Artist Block, Bree has found another place to open her arms to the influence and impact that seem to follow her. She welcomes female sommeliers who come from around the world to work and learn in her cellar. “Women are inclusive,” she notes. “I gravitate to that.” It’s just one way she trains and represents women in the field. She offers a limited release wine from her own label with profits helping women enter the viticulture industry. She sources her fruit from women-owned vineyards while the Artist Block vineyard estate is being established.
Her dedication to bringing more women into the wine industry stems from the support of female mentors, chefs and winemakers who nurtured her early in her career. Today, she pays it forward by championing inclusivity and representation in every aspect of her work. “I love working in the region with the highest number of women winemakers, women-owned viticulture companies and women in viticulture management roles as well,” she says.
Bree Stock remains steadfast in her mission to push boundaries and defy conventions. “We want to be the best. We want to be welcoming. We want to be creative. We want it to be fun for everyone.” she affirms.
Through her expertise, passion, and dedication, Bree is not only shaping the future of winemaking but also ensuring that the industry remains vibrant, inclusive, and filled with endless possibilities and Yummy wine.