EARLY BIRDS GET THE (WINE) WORM…

The 10^th Annual World of Wine Festival will be August 22-25^th this year. A tip for all of you planning on attending- Tickets are $75, if you are a wine club member, check with your winery and see if you can get early insider tickets for $65.

For those of you who don’t know, WOW is a celebration and competition of local wines. Over 60 wineries participate; the only stipulation is the wines entered must be made from southern Oregon grapes. This means we get winemakers from all over the region involved, as well as, our local favorites.

I worked this event for a number of years as a server and arranging auction item donations and I always had a great time. When I worked the event, it was held at Del Rio Vineyards. Now they have moved to Jacksonville, where they have been able to grow the event from 1 day to a 4 day event, offering more opportunity to truly discover Southern Oregon Wines.

This is a terrific way to experience the fabulous wines that Southern Oregon has to offer. In addition to the wines, you also get a souvenir wine glass and chance to sample the area’s culinary delights- pizza, beef, jerky, cheese and chocolates in particular. There is a silent auction, raffle and wine wheel for added fun. I believe the entry fee is worth every cent.

We enjoy this event so much we have a framed collection of WOW posters hanging in our living room to commemorate the great times we have spent there.

I highly encourage you to consider the Grand Tasting Event, at the very least, on Aug. 25^th. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

http://www.worldofwinefestival.com/home

https://www.facebook.com/WorldofWineFestival

Madrone Mountain Winery

Post Script...

How could I be so remiss.  I had found out that Madrone Mountain has closed up shop in Central Point and they have landed at Red Lily.  Red Lily will be tasting and selling the tasty Madrone Mountain Dessert wines.  In addition Madrone Mountain will be having their wine club releases in the barn at Red Lily.

I had a chance to speak with Don during their first wine club release at Red Lily over a few samples. He seemed genuinely  happy with the arrangement. It gives him a popular outlet close to home and it rounds out and compliments the Red Lily offering.  

Don & Bret make wonderful artisanal dessert wine. Just don't call them ports!  They may have some Iberain vines, but they are from the Applegate, not from Portugal.  (Maybe Apports?) It is technically illegal to call a fortified wine not from Portugal a Port. Much like the rules governing Champagne. In addition the Madrone Mountain wines are not as heavy, sweet or having a high alcohol content as tradition ports. Rather they are lighter with a high acidity, smooth balance and better suited to pairing with food.

Don was sampling during their wine club release and I had a chance to taste the new  2009 Starthistle Cuvée, a brilliantly clean Reisling with just the right balance of sweet and dry. This is great little food wine. Perfect for a savory appetizer or sturdy German fare.  I do enjoy Madrone Mountain's wine and look forward to sampling more upon our next trip to Red Lily.

Madrone Mountain Website

Madrone Mountain Facebook Page

SOUTH STAGE CELLARS

We had a great time popping into South Stage Cellars on a recently Saturday afternoon/eve. Located in downtown Jacksonville, this historic location has a rustic charm all its own. With brick and rough hewn woodwork, a great fireplace and many hand-built pieces of locally built furniture, the tasting room is warm, inviting and homey.

The owners, Don and Traute Moore and their son Michael, own over 300 acres of grapes, many of which are sold to top winemakers throughout Oregon. The tasting room features many of these wines, as well as South Stage Cellars wines which are all crafted from the original Quail Run Vineyard.

There is a mantle along one wall that houses mason jars full of the various soils from each of the Moore's vineyards, giving customers a visual reference as to why same varietals grown at different sites taste different.

The Tasting Room is a cultural hub of Jacksonville, with a rotating artwork display, Wine & Dine Wednesday Nights (you must make reservations- it sells out), Friday Happy Hour, music on Friday and Saturday nights and a host of other, fun intriguing events that Manager Porscha Schiller dreams up. On this day, there was a wine club release being held in the garden out back. The deck and garden was full, but not crowded, and everyone seemed perfectly content. A special for the wine club was an offering of the new Carmenere, one of the original six red grapes of Bordeaux, France; now mainly found in Chile. It was being offered for a limited time and then being shipped back to the library for further aging. Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to sample.

Connie who was working the Tasting Room was professional and very personable. She even gave some great advice for our dinner that evening. Upon hearing a tasting request, we decided a skosh is slightly more than a smidgen, just for future reference.

I happened upon Michael Moore who said the vineyards look great for so early in the spring. He told me they had budbreak all on the same day throughout the vineyards, regardless of elevation or location. He seemed quite happy and was optimistic for the growing season.

We had a few tastes and then a glass of South Stage Cellars Viognier, always one of my favorites, while listening to a gentleman singing and playing guitar. It was a perfect way to end the afternoon before dinner. 

South Stage Cellars Website 

South Stage Cellars Facebook Page 

PACIFIC WINE CLUB

We went a bit off the beaten track and didn't even leave Medford. We found ourselves at the Pacific Wine Club (PWC) last Saturday. Although it was initially a bit tough to find, it certainly was worth the effort.

I got a kick out of our server, Jim. He was a regular customer when I worked at RoxyAnn and it was fun to be on the other side of the bar. Jim regaled us with stories of his time in Italy in the 70's as he did a masterful pouring.

The PWC certainly is generous with it pours. Whereas most tasting rooms seem to pour ¾ to 1 oz., they are closer to an 1 1/2oz to two oz. This is so you get a better mouthfeel and a good sampling of the wine.

The PWC is unique because they are a full tasting room, a retail shop, internet ordering and a warehouse. They have some wonderful wines from around the Northwest, as well as wines from around the world, all at competitive prices. I found a Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo that I fell in love with- smooth, polished and great with food. In the warehouse, they have an amazing selection of grocery store type wines at great prices. I saw an old favorite, Gruet Sparkling Wine, that is on the shopping list.

The store started as an online store and just had a warehouse. But then, owners Victoria and Ken decided to expand and a hit was born. The tasting room features full tasting flights, themed tastings and specials, great wine club options, music, wine by the glass or the bottle (provided you purchase it there) and even beer.

The atmosphere is cozy and has big over stuffed chairs to relax in. The warehouse is fun to peruse for great deals. There are also a number of wine clubs offered, sure to fit anyone's tastes. (pun intended)

The PWC is off Biddle across form the airport behind the hotel. Although we (almost) got lost, it was a discovery happily made.

Music on Friday, hmm...!

PWC Website

PWC Facebook

Wooldridge Creek Winery

St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time - a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic. -Adrienne Cook 

And that could not have been more true as we headed out to the Applegate Valley to WooldridgeCreek Winery to pick up our Spring Wine Club Release. Yes, and our Winter Release, we haven't been as prompt since my immobility.

The day was clear blue skies with fluffy white clouds and just a hint of a nip to the air. Of course, Wooldridge had their fire pits and heaters blazing away on the patio amid clusters of wine tasters. People were also sitting in the lawn chairs, enjoying the sunshine, as traditional Irish music was wafting in the background.

We went in the Tasting Room, a small, rustic, intimate room, to pick up our releases where we saw Winemaker Greg Paneitz holding court, as is his custom. It is always great to see Greg, he is personable, humble and knowledgeable.

Greg and his partner Kara Olma have been innovators since they arrived in the valley. They were amongst the first to put me on the path to discovering wine and I thank them for the knowledge, passion and friendship they have inspired.

Greg and Kara's newest innovation was putting wine in kegs for wholesale restaurant sales. It is a remarkably brilliant idea, keg the wine, keep it pressurized, guaranteeing a long shelf life, as well as being affordable to the establishment and the customer. In addition to the sales aspect, it also keeps the winery costs down as there are no bottles, corks, labels, boxes or foil to buy, not counting the cost of bottling and storage.  

Needless to say, this program has been a huge success in the Rogue Valley as more and more places support the local wine industry. To this end, Greg informed me that the building under construction behind the winery would be for keg storage as they ramp up their efforts into their next innovation. They are currently working with the Oregon Wine Board to put bulk wine into grocery stores. If all goes well, you will be able to bring in your container (or purchase one there) and buy wine by the ounce from the deli, like buying cheese or lunch-meat. Details are being worked out. The model for this is last year's Britt Festival, where this service was offered for the first time to great response.

During our conversation Greg and his attentive staff poured us some of their other wines, I particularly liked the 2009 Pinot Noir. It had great body, not too thin, wonderful depth and flavor with just the right amount of spicy zing.

After chatting with Greg and picking up our wine, we wandered outside to enjoy the nice day and try the release wines and accompanying appetizers. We tasted the 2011 Dry Gewurztraminer, a nice crisp, dry Gewurtz that Greg suggested to pair with the Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner we had later that evening. The Gewurtz was sampled alongside a Tandoori chicken and rice sample.

Then it was off to taste the red, a 2009 Zinfandel, a rich, full, not too jammy, Zin that paired nicely with a Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce and Anchovy Butter. Yes, Anchovy butter, it sounds weird, but WOW! it was good and I am not an anchovy fan.

We sat down and visited, enjoyed another taste or two of the Zin and the sun before heading off to a traditional St. Patty's Day dinner of corned beef and cabbage. Greg's recommendation was spot on, the Gewurtz stood up to the cabbage and balanced the meal nicely. It was the perfect pairing of food, wine and friends.

Sláinte!