Winter Tastings.

Winter can be a great time to go visit wineries if you are truly interested in tasting, rather than just a day of drinking, partying and/or events.  The roads are less traveled, the crowds are gone, and often there is more time to explore the wines and hear the stories about the winery, vineyard, the people and individual wines.

While it is not as strikingly beautiful as a vineyard in all of its glory, the trade-off is worth it. Winter affords you the time to sit back and savor the experience. Having a tasting room all to oneself with the complete attention of the server is a treasure.

Personally, when I visit a winery during the winter months, I like to stretch my imagination and envision what the vineyard will look like come spring. I also like to poke about as see what treasures the tasting room might hold as there is more room to wander and explore. 

I highly encourage everyone to venture forth and visit Southern Oregon wineries during the winter. One caveat is that the hours can vary greatly during the winter. Many tasting rooms have abbreviated winter hours and days, or are closed for a lengthy period altogether. I suggest you visit their website, call or check out the Southern Oregon Winery Association for details.

"Give me wine to wash me clean of the weather-stains of cares"

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Rosella Vineyard & Winery and others...

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!

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

DanCin Vineyards Tasting Room

Jill and I went to the Grand Opening of DanCin Vineyards over the Memorial Day Weekend.

What a beautiful place! The Tasting room is done in a Tuscan style and there is plenty of outdoor seating surrounding the Tasting Room overlooking the gorgeous vineyards.  

DanCin currently offers Chardonnay and Pinot noir, both of which are excellent.  They also offer food (pizza!) and gourmet coffee.

As the Memorial Day weekend was jamming, we did not do a flight, instead we enjoyed a few glasses of delicious wine.  We will go back soon and do a proper review for you.

The view from the front patio facing northeast, toward Medford.

Jill in front of the Wine Cave

The sign on South Stage Road

DanCin Facebook Page

DanCin Website

CHEERS!

QUADY NORTH

We recently popped into Quady North in Jacksonville. What a fun, funky little place. From the outside, it looks like the typical turn-of-the-century building in J'Ville. Inside, it is an intimate room with whitewashed walls, modern, colorful furniture and a cool, breezy air about it. The first thing I learned- it is pronounced Qwah-Dee, not Qwāy-Dee, as I've always thought.

Jeannie took us through a tasting, I was particularly fond of the 2011 Rose`, a Syrah/Granache blend that epitomizes the “new style” of American Rose`s- clean, dry with a great nose and supple acidity. In other words, a perfect summer wine.

I got chatting with a wonderful couple from McMinnville who told us of a guy up there making oak stave furniture (from used wine barrels), in particular, an Adirondack chair that had notched arms for wine glasses- brilliant! This let to a story that owners Herb & Melanie Quady had a baby last year and had received a cradle made from a wine barrel. Wow, talk about starting them young. Future winemaker there, or at least an aficionado.

Speaking of children, Herb makes a great Syrah called 4-2,A, a term created by his daughter. Little Margaux was blending juice and water and called her concoction 4-2-A, or fourtooay (she thought of chardonnay, Cabernet, Viognier). If not winemaking, she has a bright future in marketing.

One last trick I learned- if using a wine barrel as a planter, put plastic gallon jugs on the bottom as fill to make the planter lighter. This still gives you plenty of soil. I wish I thought of that before I planted my tomatoes. But, luckily my ½ barrel is on castors, so I can roll it into the sun for best exposure.

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 

Here is a tip for all you tasters. 

When you go tasting, do you rinse your glasses between tastes?  

Please don't rinse. The average taste is around an ounce, not much liquid at all.  

When you rinse, water is left in the glass due to the adhesive nature of water.  Enough is left to dilute your next sample of wine.

 

Most wineries pour from lightest to heaviest wines, so you should not have to rinse between tastes. If the wines leave some stuff (we call this MOG- matter other than grapes) in the glass, you should either rinse it with the next wine or ask for a new glass.  Same thing if you happen to go backwards from a heavier to lighter wine, say from a cab to a Pinot noir. 

If you've had a dessert wine, get a new glass before venturing on.

Another factor to consider is the chlorine in water, it can affect the taste of your wine.  Generally you don't have to worry about this when glasses are washed, they are normally left to air dry and the chlorine blows off quickly.

Well, until next time...

Try something new this week.

CHEERS!

The Egyptians were the first to make glass containers around 1500 B.C.E.

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

PASSING OF AN ERA...

Lorn at work

Well, it is a sad day indeed. Lorn Razzano is selling Ashland's Wine Cellar.  It has always been nice to go downstairs and see Lorn holding court in his chair by the register.  

He always shared great tales, advice and samples. Lorn has been an institution in Ashland since the '80s, with his shop, his column in the Daily Tidings and his wine appreciation class at SOU.

I don't what is in store for my old friend, but I wish him well where ever life's path takes him next. I say thank you, Grazie, for imparting your love and knowledge of wine with me and generations of students and customers.

Cheers and ciao, Paisano!

I wish good tidings (pun intended) to the new owners.

To read the Ashland Daily Tiding's article, by Sam Wheeler, click HERE

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

Have to say thanks to Mail Tribune Columnist Janet Eastman.  She wrote a great piece, Slow and steady, from vine to glass, where she discussed many of the region's tasting rooms. She has laid out our summer itinerary for us. I discovered a few new tasting rooms by reading the article and cannot wait to try them all! :-)

If you have not seen the column, it is at Slow and steady... . I encourage you to check it out.

We are hoping to be off to another tasting this weekend, stay tuned.

Cheers!

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!