The Wire: Stealth developers in the temple of pinot

    The latest tip from the Willamette Valley is disturbing in its implications: "I think you might find what's going on in Oregon quite interesting.  A group of pro-development  wineries have taken control of the Oregon Wine Board and are using winery legislation to undermine Oregon land-use law."
     If vineyards and wine are used to weaken the state's inspired and long-standing land use policies, it would be both ironic, and tragic. A luxury hotel in the middle of some of the best vineyards in America was narrowly defeated in recent years in the Willamette  (I'll post a condensed version of the story I wrote about it for the last issue of Gourmet), and everyone thought thesue settled. Apparently it isn't.