Rosella Vineyard & Winery and others...

This weekend saw us revisiting many of our favorite haunts.  On Friday, we went to Dunbar Farms/Rocky Knoll Vineyards to checkout out their Belgian Draft horses, Bonnie & Clyde, they are using to cultivate their land. While there, we also enjoyed a nice glass of Rocky Knoll Dunbar Red, a very nice, easy to drink Cab Sauv, Cab franc & Merlot blend.

Afterward we went to to RoxyAnn for Friday night music where we were treated to TC & the Reactions rocking the house. Catch these guys, they are a vary talented band that performs "Power Rhythm & Blues". We enjoyed the RoxyAnn Viognier, always a tasty and refreshing wine on a hot summer eve, and got to share in some bubbly (not sure what we were drinking at that point, too busy dancing and visiting with the old gang).

On Saturday, we were off to the beautiful Applegate Valley. Local legend has it that there are more airline pilots per capita living there than anywhere on the west coast. Apparently, when flying from San Francisco to Portland and Seattle, there is always a break in the clouds over this little valley, revealing an amazing view from above. Upon visiting you can experience it yourself; the weather is beautiful, they have more blue sky days than the Rogue Valley and it is a gorgeous valley, unspoiled by development and "progress". It is also home to a growing number of excellent wineries. One can make a day of visiting the various tasting rooms, each with their own, unique story.  We spend a lot of time out there, as the in-laws are Applegate residents, so you will be hearing more about the Applegate in the future.

We enjoyed the day with the in-laws (out-laws?!) and ended up at Rosellas Vineyard and Winery.  Rex and Sandi Garoutte opened it back in 1998, concentrating on making quality wine from self-grown fruit.  They currently grow Cab Sauv, Merlot, Chardonnay, Zin and Syrah.  They produce nice, smooth wines with great fruit and low tannins. Rex achieves great balance with his wines and are always quite tasty.

I absolutely love going to Rosellas, it is the most unadorned, unassuming tasting room, very intimate... it must be 12' x 15' inside, but  Rex and Sandi have such effusive personalities, it feels much larger.  It may be small, but it is not lacking in the fun factor. Especially when Rex is holding court. He is a kick with a wealth of knowledge about grapes, farming, wine and the Applegate.

On this particular trip, we got to revisit his Merlot Blush. Wow, we loved it, it possesses great fruit, just a touch of sweetness and bright acidity with a light strawberry color. Rex has been kegging this wine for sale at the Britt Festival and was a huge hit last year!  His Cab Sauv is coming along great, the vines have been in the ground long enough that they are now well established and showing off some of the terroir of the property. Rex had a new wine, a sherry called Wai Kula "Liquid Gold", a fortified white blend. Amber in color, it shows nut and vanilla with spicy notes. It will make a great aperitif or as a special treat with some chocolate at the end of the evening. Rex called drinking the the Wai Kula, "running with scissors", meaning it is dnagerous- goes down easy and packs a bit of a wallop! Rex did assure us we can open it, put the cork back and forget about it, no hurry to finish this bottle, savor and enjoy!

We thank Rex and Sandy for their hospitality and friendship; do not miss this winery when you venture out to the Applegate. You will not be disappointed.

We will be back on the wine trail in coming weeks and we will share with you. Until then...

CHEERS!

Where Are We?

Where are we?

Can you tell which winery we at by this photo?

Please comment below.

Cheers!

STAY TUNED, MORE TO COME...

STAY TUNED, MORE TO COME...

This will be a Wine Weekend. We are heading a number of places this weekend and I will have some new stories to share. Be patient, a good wine tale takes a while to develop, much like a good wine. :-)

My better half and I and our partners in crime are looking forward to another season of wine tasting. We just completed spring training and are gearing up for the task ahead. Our palettes are ready, our noses are clear and, of course, our tummies are always ready to taste and enjoy.

Talk to ya soon,

CHEERS1

Joe

An Evening at REDFISH in Port Orford

An Evening at REDFISH in Port Orford

On our recent trip to the Central Oregon coast, we decided to have dinner at Redfish in Port Orford.  Redfish specializes in fresh, local, modern seafood cuisine and has an extensive wine list, a very impressive list, I might add.  The decor is artsy and modern, the staff professional and attentive, without out being intrusive.  The restaurant affords you a beautiful view of the ocean.

While we settled in, our server, Charlie, asked if we would like to start with something to drink. Why, of course!  I had my eye on some Oregon Pinot gris' to pair with the impending seafood order.  I inquired which of the three he would recommend, as I was looking for something with nice acidity and brightness and light on sugar. He excused himself to ask his amazing wine stewart, Robbie Hayden.  Upon returning, I asked which one and his answer, to my surprise, was none of them.  The recommendation was a Four Graces Pinot gris from Dundee. Upon first taste, I thought it might be too rounded, almost like a Chardonnay. But as the food arrived, I began to understand why Robbie had recommended this brilliant wine. It paired beautifully with the various seafood courses, adding depth and complexity to the dishes.  I have since found out the 2012 Pinot gris won a Silver Medal from Sunset Magazine.  

There was a couple sitting across from us that obviously were vinophiles and where enjoying Robbie's recommendations greatly. As we awaited our appetizer, the gentleman approached our table and asked if he could ask a favor. Of course, what can we do for you, we replied and he explained that he was a Willamette Valley winemaker and he was personal friends of the Four Graces management.  He introduced himself as Robert Brittan and his wife Ellen Brittan of Brittan Vineyards

He wanted to take a picture of us with the bottle to share with his friends. He explained that he loved the wine and Redfish was one of his favorite restaurants on the coast.  He informed us that the four names encircling the foil capsule was the names of the winery owner's children - Alexis, Juliana, Vanessa and Christiana. He was most gracious and I look forward to the day that we can visit his winery and enjoy his outstanding wines as well.

We thoroughly enjoyed a delicious meal and as we sat sipping the last of the Pinot gris, Robbie asked what we thought of the wine. After platitudes and formal introductions, he invited Jill and I to inspect his wine cellar. It was, in actuality, a small room located just off the main dining area. Small in stature, but not in selection. Oh my!  He had some very nice wines from Oregon, California and an impressive assortment of what he called his Collector List. He had rare and highly desirable wines, it took my breath away. He proudly walked us through the wines and told us about his philosophy of great wines at a reasonable price, eschewing the traditional huge mark-up seen at many fine dining establishments..  He also explained that he had been awarded the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.  Along with the great bottle and glass selection, Robbie had cultivated a very nice split program, which I always appreciate. 

Who would have thought to find such a fabulous wine selection and talented wine stewart in such a sleepy little fishing village such as Port Orford.  

All in all, we had a wonderful time, ate some great food, drank some very tasty wine, made some new friends and had a memorable experience. 

Sorry for the lack of publishing, the past year has been full of interesting twists and turns.  I am back at it and ready to start posting again.

Thank you for your patience, I promise I have some good stuff coming up. I have two reviews to finish and a slew of new "Where Are We" to share with you.

This was a bottle of Illahe Pinot gris we enjoyed on a recent trip to the coast.  We found this at the most amazing wine shop - Tiffany's Wine Shop, located in Tiffany's Drugs in the Bandon Shopping Center.  In this unassuming little local drug store, they have a surprisingly evolved wine selection. I could have spent hours perusing the wines available, but alas, we were en-route to our final destination. We choose this and a Ken Wright White Label Pinot Noir. Both were delicious!  We look forward to stopping in again on our next trip through Bandon.

Well, more to come, stay tuned.

CHEERS!