Time to step in the way back machine.
Jill and I love to go out to Jacksonville, do a little shopping, some noshing, wine tasting in the surrounding areas. Back in 2011-2012, we enjoyed visiting Corks Wine Bar in town. Fred, Carol, Tracy and Ken were always hospitable and featured great wines.
Well, this day we popped into Corks and Jill felt like a Chardonnay. The only one they had on hand was one we had never heard about - 2010 Schultz Homeward Chardonnay. As we were unfamiliar with it, Ken informed us that it was a new winery and they had just won Best Chardonnay at the annual World of Wine Fest (more on that later). Jill trusted Ken's recommendation and gave it a whirl and absolutely loved it. We were blown away that an absolute newcomer could come this far, this fast. We were able to find the wine in our travels, but they did not have a tasting room for us to explore.
Fast forward to this weekend and I had learned that they had opened their tasting room and we decided to go for it. We headed out to the Applegate Valley and found the former cattle ranch, now Schultz Glory Oaks® Vineyard, on Slagle Creek Road.
Upon arriving, we found an unpretentious tasting room with one group and the two owners, Debbie and Greg, in attendance.
Greg greeted us at the door with genteel southern charm and invited us in. Greg had a soft Louisiana accent, having spent a good amount of time there. I inquired about the accent and how he came to be a winery in Southern Oregon. He explained that he was actually born in Oregon and his wife, Debbie, was born in Oklahoma. They had decided that they wanted to go into the wine business, took some classes at LSU (Geaux Tigers), and then moved on to Cal-Davis for the Winemaking Certificate Program. As to Southern Oregon, they had no real connection to Washington or California, and as Greg was from Oregon, they found the Rogue Valley appealing. They liked the geography, geology and climate and after 7 years, they are loving it! I shared with him the story of our first exposure to his wine and he said, Fred's place, Corks! He explained that they named that wine Homeward to represent Greg's coming home to Oregon.
Greg went over the current plantings and plans for this year (more Bordeaux varietals being planted) and said that Linda Donovan at Pallet Wine Co. is still producing his wines. The vineyard was designed to have a low-impact and sustainable approach to the land, they have their LIVE certification and they have a huge commitment to proper land stewardship.
They have a 60-acre site and produce approximately 700 cases per year, representing 8 varietals. They are taking a careful, measured approach, which fits their overall outlook and personalities.
They use native yeasts, utilize malolactic fermentations, do not filter and minimally handle the wine, and leave many of their wines on the lees in neutral oak barrels for a wonderful mouthfeel and flavor profile. Their wines exhibit a great sense of place, terroir.
Tastings are casual, they have about 7 wines available and you can taste any 5 for $5. Jill and I, as usual, varied slightly, but both thoroughly enjoyed the Viognier, Merlot and the Tempranillo Rose` (the Rose` is sure to be a major hit this summer). Of course, Jill still loves the Homeward Chardonnay. 😋
Greg and Debbie were wonderful hosts and we met some locals from Grants Pass who were great fun. Joe and Debbie have a Contemporary & Classic Rock Music duo called Ellipse and they play at local wineries. Joe is from Argentina and has some great stories and they both have wonderful, engaging personalities. We cannot wait to see them play (next is Friday April 6, 2018 - 5:00 to 8:00 pm, Schmidt Family Vineyards).
We are looking forward to returning and tasting more of their wines and seeing the new plantings grow and mature. Oh! I promised more on that first vintage Chardonnay at the World of Wine... the story goes that not only did the Homeward Chard win Best Chardonnay, it was also one of two contenders for the Best of Show, ultimately won by JoePa at Plaisance Ranch for their 2010 Ginet Rose` (Plaisance will be another story so you will have to wait on that one!)
I will be blogging again as we begin to go tasting this spring, so please be on the lookout for new entries. I hope you enjoy our adventures and discover some of the wonderful wines (and stories) Southern Oregon has to offer.
CHEERS!
