What bridge can span the distance between a vineyard in the Applegate and a high school technology team over 30 miles away in Eagle Point? The relationship sounded too fantastic. I made the scenic trek to Red Lily Vineyards for an in-person scoop from owner/winemaker, Rachael Martin.

Red Lily lies about fourteen miles outside of Jacksonville on Hwy. 238. I crossed their bridge over the Applegate River to the rustic and welcoming tasting room where Rachael met me. We endured a light chill outdoors and lounged with a delicious glass of the aptly named Life of Riley, while Rachael told the amazing story of how a wild and wonderful collaboration came to be.

“I have a friend who works for the Eagle Point School District, who was telling me about this amazing grant that Eagle Point had received to create a technology center at their high school. He was really proud of that, and the kids were going to have access to absolutely the best technology around. We were talking about how nice it would be if the kids could use that space for real life applications in the community. What if the kids learned how to take wine branding and label production from start to finish? That would be a great project.”

Rachael continued, “For me, that project was exciting for a variety of reasons. First of all, I grew up in the Rogue Valley. This whole Rogue Valley is my heart. I feel like one of the things that makes it so special living here is the collaboration and the camaraderie and the way people support each other when things are good and when things are bad. Any time I can be part of something like that I’m all in. And I love teenage kids.”

Since the first of the year, Rachael has worked with students in Eagle Point teaching them the entire branding process from start to finish. It begins with a concept, then a name, a story behind the name, art/graphics, and finally marketing.

“The kids are so amazing. They’re so free thinking. Somebody asked me what if I didn’t like the label? It’s wasn’t even a thought in my head.”

Preliminary ideas included elements from Eagle Point history—Butte Creek Mill, Camp White, relocation of the Antelope Creek covered bridge, and the Native American tale of Mt. McLoughlin when snow melts, revealing the eagle and angel. “I got to see some sketches and it’s going to be awesome,” Rachael assured me. “I left the first brainstorming session at the high school and I just felt hopeful. This is what our young people are like.”

The students visited Red Lily to get a feel for the place and view the source of their inspiration. Rachael showed them the wine production facility and retail areas so they could better envision the goal.

I needed to meet these creative teens and Innovation Specialist, Jason Clark, who oversees the project. Four representative students joined us at EPHS—Jayden Pomeroy, Olivia Tucker, Jasmine Torres and Seth McCoy. Each explained their particular involvement, with such professionalism, along with tangible hope for the future of our business community.

“We were thrilled when Rachael approached us, right off the bat,” Jason said. “It’s an amazing opportunity for these students to get their names out there. These are resume-builders. So, what we’re hoping is that this project kick-starts things with other businesses.”

They escorted me inside the new technology department. With funds from the state directed toward career technical education, or CTE, Eagle Point High School was able to build a state-of-the-art facility for preparing students for careers in ever-expanding tech fields. They took me through the engineering design class where I saw prototypes of manufactured wine carriers with Red Lily logos engraved in the wood. Jasmine and Seth explained the value of producing companion products, which they’re fully equipped to handle with the aid of one of their 3-D scanner/printers.

 Jayden said, “Three middle schools are all pooling together at this high school. The students here are quite diverse…we’ve been able to pull from their experiences and expand on our idea and get a broader spectrum through the project.”

The project encompasses much more than developing a label and marketing the result. It involves using strengths from other disciplines—from English students writing the label story to art and photography, to manufacturing.

The varietal to bear the special label will be a bold Tempranillo, Red Lily’s specialty, and suitable to the boldness of the project. Twenty-five cases were released at a reception on May 17 at Red Lily. As an added bonus, senior students chose two charities to receive a portion of the proceeds from wine sales—Hearts with a Mission, a shelter serving homeless youth and the Young Artists Institute, a residential summer camp for artistically-motivated 9-12 graders.

The design/art team created a series of five stunning labels for Red Lily, encompassing a bridge and vines theme with the focus on Eagle Point. But what to call this inaugural effort? Jason described a difficult process when it came to making the final call. They crushed it down to a few choices before putting it to a staff vote. As it happened, the name the students and staff settled on was Rachael’s choice as well. Introducing the label, “Bridged Together,” a successful meeting of education and local industry, as well as collaboration among a multitude of student groups.

“Bridges are not simply made from wood, metal or stone. A bridge can be an extended hand, a warm smile, or a kind gesture. The Red Lily Project bridged us all together, and we know that today is our bridge to tomorrow.”—from the label of Bridged Together, a 2014 Tempranillo.

©Southern Oregon Wine Scene – from the Summer 2019 issue