Story
VALCAN CELLARS IS A FAMILY OWNED WINE LABEL. OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE HANDCRAFT WINES THAT COME FROM SELECTED VINEYARDS IN OREGON. JUAN PABLO (JP) VALOT, OWNER AND WINEMAKER FOR VALCAN COMES FROM A MULTI-GENERATIONAL LINE OF WINE ENTREPRENEURS. HIS QUALIFICATIONS INCLUDE 16 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN WINEMAKING WITH 19 VINTAGES BETWEEN HIS WORK IN OREGON AND ARGENTINA.
family owned wine label
Founders: Juan Pablo Valot & Doris Cancel
Our mission is to provide handcraft wines that comes from selected terroir and vineyards in Oregon. Juan Pablo (JP) Valot, owner and winemaker for Valcan comes from a multi-generational line of wine entrepreneurs. His qualifications include 20 years of experience in winemaking with 19 vintages between his work in Oregon and Argentina.
our BRAND
The idea of Valcan cellars was born in 2012. Winemaking is a family tradition and Valcan is our creative child, so we wanted a meaningful name - something that symbolizes our dedication to the wine business, the quality of wines, and the fact that this is our legacy for our two young children. We decided to marry our two last names, Valot and Cancel, into Valcan. We both loved Valcan the first time we heard it. We found beauty in the symbolism of using three letters of each of our last names, since we see Valcan as a joint effort of love and dedication.
It took us two years to find the right label and design. We wanted something that will depict our love for each other and our family, our appreciation for culture and history, and our passion for wine. We also wanted to honor Doris’ Puerto Rican heritage and Juan Pablo’s Argentinian roots. We came up with the idea of using a petroglyph from the Arawak tribes, the indigenous people of the Caribbean. The logo was inspired by the original Taino drawings, with the birds symbolizing the eternal lovers. When the beaks of the birds touch, they represent the infinity sign. We wanted to use recycled paper for the labels and texture it with other petroglyph-inspired drawings so our clients can get an authentic feel when they have one of our bottles in their hands.
Valcan is our creative outlet, a representation of our family, heritage, and vision for the future. It is our legacy and a tradition we hope to pass on to our children and share with our customers.
The winemaker
Juan Pablo Valot grew up in Rivadavia, a city in the center-north of the province of Mendoza, Argentina and has 20 years of experience in winemaking.
“My dad descends from French and my mom from Italian immigrants to Mendoza. A big part of my family worked for what was once the biggest winery in Mendoza, Gargantini’s La Colina de Oro. I saw Oregon’s potential back in 2001 and I started working here as a winemaker, and then went back to Argentina. I worked back and forth for wineries in Oregon and Argentina, and during one of my visits to the US I met Doris. We moved to Oregon in 2003 and made Corvallis our home in 2005.
I fell in love with Oregon’s winemaking industry because there are a lot of really knowledgeable people here. I left Argentina and just basically left everything behind in order to fulfil a dream. And I made the right choice. It's just the quality of people working in the industry, people that care for people and I really enjoy working with them. I love that I get the opportunities to participate in so many fundraising efforts as a winemaker.”
Juan Pablo Valot accepting the “Best of Show” award for our 2015 Syrah at the 2019 Oregon Wine Competition.
