Back on 4/4/12, I wrote a blog about the Ashland Wine Cellar (AWC) being sold by long-time proprietor, Lorn Razzano. Since I had left the wine sales biz and live in Medford, I have not had the chance to revisit the AWC until recently. While I was at Cowhorn, I had the opportunity to visit the Cellar and work with Wine Steward Extraordinaire, Cheryl Garvey. During this time, I also met Joy Light and owners Brian & Lisa Dunagan. Brian and Lisa have put together a wonderful team and have managed to keep the spirit of the Cellar, stocking unique, hard to find wines, still offering a great cigar selection, and strongly supporting the Southern Oregon wine scene, while updating and cleaning the old girl up.
I recently received a Facebook event invite from Brian to attend a tasting. Each Thursday, the AWC hosts a "Sip & Swirl" at the store featuring different producers and distributors. Intrigued, I accepted the invitation and despite a serious downpour, I drove over to Ashland to sample and visit. An old acquaintance, John Wren, was pouring for Lemma Distribution and he had five wines to present, all unique and very tasty. Without getting into all of the tasting notes, I will call attention to one in particular, the 2013 Iris Vineyards Pinot gris (90 Points from Wine Enthusiast) from the Willamette Valley. It is a crisp, medium-bodied gris with bright acidity, nice aromatics, and balanced fruit. I knew my wife, Jill, would love it and it did not disappoint. (NOTE: we will mark this for our next trip to Eugene)
During the tasting I had the chance to chat with staff member, Joy Light, who does custom hand-painted silks. I remarked how the place looked and even though I missed Lorn, they still had retained the inviting, hospitable feeling. She told me that people still come in looking for Lorn for advice or to simply sit and shoot the breeze, as Lorn was want to do. She said that she takes messages for Lorn and gives them to him during his occasional visit to the Cellar. That is amazing and highlights the great customer service approach they all share.
I also had a chance to speak with owner Brian and catch up. I told him I loved how the place is doing and was happy that it seems to be quite successful under his leadership. I saw Brian interact with his customers and you can tell, his is a labor of love. He is very personable and takes an active, hands-on interest in his customers.
Cheryl and I had a few brief moments as she is a constant whirlwind of motion and activity. She is a first rate customer service professional and has amazing wine knowledge and palate. She never ceases to surprise me. She pulled out a few Bordeaux wines as a bonus, which were a real treat, I especially fell for a Chateau Lanessan Haut-Medoc 2002. Although it was showing a little age, it has very nice fruit with a pleasant herbaceousness, light earth and leather notes, and a complexity that was outstanding. If this is not your "cup of tea", just ask Cheryl and she will find the perfect fit for your palate and budget.
I am glad I went, I have since noticed that they also do Friday Sip and Swirls with select local producers. Hmmm, a revisit is shortly in order.
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| Photo courtesy of the Ashland Chamber of Commerce. |
“Wine can of their wits the wise beguile, Make the sage frolic, and the serious smile”
― Homer
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| Homer |
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| Not this Homer |
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