Rocky Knoll

Dunbar Farms, aka Rocky Knoll Vineyard, has started its farm stand for the spring with a great offering of veggies, bread, olive oils, and such. On Friday night, they had a small gathering to show the progress of their new Tasting Room/Farm Stand.

My better half had ordered some organic produce and farm fresh eggs and we popped in to sample their two red wines, the 2007 Dunbar Red and the 2006 Rocky Knoll Claret. I must say, wow! the Claret is aging nicely, really full bodied, great fruit and nice balance. We chose to have a glass of the Dunbar Red, the Claret's little brother. I had not tasted it in about a year and was delighted to see that it is holding up great with rich fruit and just the right amount of oomph! Easy to drink, very enjoyable. Of course a bottle made it home, but sorry to say, not through the night.

Tasting Room with a view...

The new tasting room/farm stand should be open by late summer, bureaucracy notwithstanding, and looks to be well thought out. It is very spacious with room for the tasting room, the farm stand, and a deck out back. The deck has a gorgeous view of the property, the western hills of Medford and the Table Rocks. The tasting room proper shares the view with expansive windows, making the room very open and bright. The doors leading to the deck are retractable, giving Rocky Knoll the ability to turn it all into one big space for events. The farm stand will have an honor box for self-service with a glass-front cooler and dry bin displays.

Retractable doors on the deck

David Mostue and his mother Emily, have great plans for the tasting room, keeping with the organic/sustainable theme of the farming operation. David's organic operation has evolved very well, he has added ancient grains and is having them milled the old fashion way. In turn, he is having bread made with the grains and sells the grains at the farm stand. No mechanical, modern operation is this, he does much of his farming with huge draft horses. It is this commitment to a simpler, arguably better way of living that guides the farm and vineyard in all of their efforts.

This promises to be a comfortable, relaxing and low-key atmosphere. Perfect for enjoying wine, fresh locally-grown produce, and the simpler things in life. A throwback, perhaps, but I think it genius. Aren't we all looking to find a way to step back from the day to day hassles of modern life? Rocky Knoll's tasting room and farm stand is sure to transport you back to a day when life was much more simple.

For more information, please visit... http://www.dunbarfarms.com
and http://www.rocky-knoll.com/ 

Night time at Rocky Knoll

Saturday was a blustery, rainy afternoon. In short, a perfect day to wine taste indoors. The Better Half and I decided to make a quick jaunt to Caprice Vineyards, about a mile from downtown Jacksonville on Old Stage Rd.

We entered a small, intimate tasting room packed with Alpaca products, many of which were hand crafted by Jeannie, the owner. In addition to grapes, Jeannie and her husband, Jim, also raise Alpacas.

Caprice Vineyards has only been around for a short while, but the vines have their own, unique history. Many years ago, the original owner, Tony Miglarese (spl), decided to plant grapes. He went to his family's vineyard in Southern Italy and brought back (smuggled) plants in his suitcase. The vines self-rooted and today produce the wonderful fruit that goes into Caprice Wines.

We were joined by two other couples, the cozy atmosphere made it ideal for socializing. A couple from Grants Pass and a young couple from Bend, on tour with Main Street Tours.

We had a great time talking with the them. The couple from Grants Pass were quite the wine aficionados. They belong to 10 wine clubs and currently have in excess of 400 bottles of wine. Of course, we all suggested we retire to their place and help them winnow down their collection. The guy was hilarious, he explained that he and his wife have an understanding that should he pass along before her, the new husband was not allowed to have his wine. He said, it will be one big party where everyone drinks all his wine. I suggested “Open Casket, Open Bottle”, to great laughs from all.

We had a wonderful time, we enjoyed their Claret (2011 World of Wine Gold Medalist), bought a bottle of the 2008 Cab and promised to return for a chance to visit the alpacas. That should be another story later on. 

https://www.facebook.com/CapriceVineyards