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!
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