Dispatch · Saturday, August 14, 2021
Ten Southern Oregon Wineries in One Sitting
A rapid-fire Wine Media Conference session in Ashland: ten Southern Oregon wineries, each with a food pairing, starting with Hummingbird Estate.
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Getting into the swing of life this week has been a bit of a struggle. Getting up every morning visiting wineries, exploring different wines outside of Pinot, and connecting with people was fan-freakin-tastic! However, getting bombarded with the constant pings of death from Teams for work is the polar opposite. Thank goodness for the mute button on particular never-ending rambling group chats on Teams.
The week is far from a bust, though! On Monday, I picked up an order of t-shirts I designed and printed. I've been excited all week working on getting a website set up to share, making every single ping on Teams sound like a pin drop falling into a 10-foot bail of hay.
In case you don’t know, I have been a tech geek for an eternity. During this time, I have attended many tech conferences and received several free tech shirts. So much so I haven’t bought a t-shirt in ages. Eventually, you start to learn which shirts are the good ones and which aren’t so great. While American Apparel was still in business, they had the best t-shirt, hands down. However, with AA’s demise, I have found another brand I enjoy as much, Bella Canvas. The shirt I chose is a cotton polyester blend. It’s lightweight, soft, and perfection in my opinion. I have noticed a few wineries also feel the same way.
I could go into a bit of the backstory on how the shirt came into existence, but you have better things to read about, like wine! Here’s the shirt. I have worn it, washed it, and worn it again. Many of you reading this helped choose a design, and thank you! Here is the link to buy the shirt, and be sure to use the discount code gratitude for $5 off. Also, a massive shoutout to Adams Screenprint in Sherwood for printing the shirts. I worked with them ages ago, and they are flippin-fantastic!
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We have to dive into some wine, food, and some of the offerings Southern Oregon has. In case you were wondering, nobody mentioned they wanted to dive deeper into Southern Oregon last week. Sometimes I have to take ownership and share information I know you will want to know even though you think you don’t want to know. It is kind of like me introducing Wandavision to my daughter. She was adamant about not watching. After the first episode, I forced her to watch the second. Finally, after procuring a couple of ropes and chains, I tied her down to the couch for the third episode. I don't know if she was hooked or just gave up, but she willingly watched the remainder of the season. {{ subscriber.first_name }}, don't worry, I will only expose you every other week for a bit to my Southern Oregon findings.
Last week, I was in Southern Oregon as part of the 2021 Wine Media Conference, which used to be called the Wine Bloggers Conference. Our first event was a visit to Del Rio, but we got very little time there since traffic was backed up from Eugene to Gold Hill. I will dive into Del Rio later, and today I will introduce you to ten wineries. The rapid-fire introductions occurred at the Ashland Hotel in none other than Ashland, Oregon.
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Each winery came out to talk about their winery and wine for a few minutes. I was so happy to see pairings with each wine. I had a huge breakfast but needed food since it was now 6:00.
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Owned by Ed and Susan Walk. They have spent the last 40 years farming 1,000 acres of farmland in Illinois. During a 2017 visit to see their daughter Ed fell in love with the property. In 2019, the Hummingbird Estate was opened to the public. On property, there is a 7,700 square foot Bed and Breakfast that was built in 1926.
Wine: 2020 White Pinot
Pairing: Rogue Creamery TouVelle Cheddar
My thoughts: I think it would be amazing to see/tour the Bed and Breakfast. The white Pinot wasn’t bad, and neither was the cheddar. Hummingbird also mentioned they have canned wine. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to try any. If available, I would have tried some, but I can’t get my head around buying canned wine.
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With 15 acres under vine and a new tasting room in the works, Dwell wants to bring people together to stay, relax, and live. They are coming out with a Sparkling Pinot in a couple of years.
Wine: 2020 Rose of Pinot
Pairing: Rogue Creamery TouVelle Cheddar
My thoughts: I am not the most prominent Rose person, which didn’t change my mind. The first and second wines had the same pairing. I had to ask about their Sparkling and if they are using Andrew Davis. Come to find out, Barrel 42 provides winemaking services, consulting, and the equipment needed for Sparkling, just like Andrew Davis.
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When looking at Conventia’s website, they advertise Tempranillo and Pinot with an Organic certification in 2015. They are also part of the Barrel 42 family of services. I wonder why they aren’t advertising the Chardonnay on the website? I wish I could ask that question now.
Wine: 2017 Chardonnay
Pairing: Crostini topped with a Dill Cream Cheese
My thoughts: I didn’t write down too much. I enjoy diving deep into a winery and wanted more time. I am curious why the Chardonnay was a 2017 and not an 18 or 19.
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Vines were planted in 2007 for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier. Vineyards are at 2,100 ft with Sedimentary and Volcanic soil. Vince Vidrine is the winemaker. He worked at Brittan Vineyards and Domaine Serene, where his primary focus was on the French side of the house.
Wine: 2018 Estate Chardonnay
Pairing: Saffron Risotto Fritters
My thoughts: I had heard a lot about Irvine & Roberts and was glad to learn more. I was told they have Bubbles, and I inquired this week. Doug Irvine, the co-founder, responded with, “Our first vintage from 2018 will not be released until October of 2022.” Good to know, and I will take note. The ties to Domaine Serene are abundant throughout Oregon. I was also told Vince has his own label, but I didn't find anything in a quick Google search.
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Grapes were planted in 1974 and participates in Pinot Camp every year. There are four ranches with 188 acres under vine using conventional farming methods producing 20,000 cases/year. They get a lot of tourists from Grants Pass 45 minutes away.
Wine: 2019 Estate Pinot Noir
Pairing: bacon-wrapped Chevre Stuffed Dates
My thoughts: The old vines intrigue me to all get out! I want to dive deeper with so many varietals on the red and white side of the house. Looking on their website, there is a “Ted Talks” section. I want to find the time to listen to Ted Gruber’s stories.
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Their tasting room opened in 2019 with a two-story deck getting ready to open late next year. Currently, they have 121 acres, with 16 varietals producing 3,000 cases/year. They have a super crazy high slope for Pinot Noir that is hand-picked. They also have a force carbonate sparkling.
Wine: 2018 Barbara
Pairing: Rogue Creamery Caveman Blue Cheese
My thoughts: I enjoyed the Barbara and asked, “Since you have 16 different varietals, what wine would you bring with you on a stormy weekend in January to the coast.” I was a little surprised how quickly I got a response, “Hands down, our SMP, which is a take on the typical GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) blend.” But, oh my goodness, the Caveman Blue Cheese was to die for!
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Quady North
I didn’t write down too much about Quady North. I was too sucked into the Blue Cheese Mousse, but from reading their website, they are a powerhouse! They have Syrah, Viogner, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Tannat, Malbec, Orange Muscat, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Cabernet Franc, Grenache Noir and Malvasia Bianca. All of these varietals I need be schooled in big time!
Wine: 2018 GSM
Pairing: Rogue Creamery Blue Cheese Mousse, Red grapes
My thoughts: Listening to the winemaker talk, I adored him. He is the person behind Barrel 42, from what I can tell. He was also featured in Wine Mag’s article titled “Oregon’s Cutting Edge Winemakers,” along with Leah Jørgensen, Drew Voit, and Isabelle Meunier. So much to dive into!
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Vineyards range in elevation from 1,650 to 2,100 feet on 250 acres with 14 varietals. The winery is part of the historic Hillcrest Orchard Estate, included in the National Register of Historic Places. There are 3 VRBOs on site. Jack Day, who originally planted 20 acres of vines in 1997, passed away in October 2020. The 2018 The Jack is a tribute to him.
Wine: 2018 Claret
Pairing: Brownie tartlets, Tahitian Vanilla, Fleur de sel
My thoughts: I loved the Claret, a blend of Merlot, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, and Malbec.) There was a question asked about how they could classify it as a Claret. The response was, “We were grandfathered in.” Supposedly, I need to do some homework on Claret.
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Eric helped his dad plant Gewürztraminer in 1978. His dad said, “Gewürztraminer is the future of wine in Oregon.” Eric took over in 1998, at the age of 30, and Gewürztraminer still isn’t the future of Oregon wine, according to Eric. With Tempranillo vines planted in 1994 at 2,200ft, it is their bread and butter.
Wine: 2018 Tempranillo
Pairing: Scharffen Berger 70% Bittersweet Dark Chocolate
My thoughts: I adored Eric! He brings about a sense of calm, humbleness, and down to earth. During his spill, he didn’t mention anything about the winery's awards at the Oregon Wine Experience. In the coming weeks, I will dive deeper into Weisinger. I had the opportunity to visit during the trip. If you are curious to learn more about the chocolate, I dive a bit deeper towards the end here.
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Belle Fiore
Wine: 2016 Reserve Numinous
Pairing: Scharffen Berger 82% Extra Dark Chocolate
My thoughts: I skipped the intro on this winery because the winemaker, Rob Folin, is the most true-to-self-winemaker I have encountered. His Bio on the website starts with, “Winemaker Rob Folin, doesn’t have a fancy Enology degree, he drives a souped-up pick-up truck, and is proud of his military background, you could say he is a little “Rogue.” While he may not be your stereotypical winemaker, Folin has consistently produced standout wines with depth, character, and elegance since 2005.”
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In the Bio, it mentions interning at Domaine Serene. He doesn’t fit the culture at DS one bit, and it would be fascinating to sit down with him over a few beers and talk, even though I don’t drink beer. I adored Rob. I think he got a question about the Rogue Valley being overshadowed by the Willamette Valley, and he handled it beautifully. The spirit of Oregon wine Country flies true north in Rob and shows as he answered the question about driving to the Willamette Valley helping another winery earlier in the day. The wine was a 54% Cab Sauv, 19% Cab Franc, 9% Merlot, and 9% Petit Verdot blend. Unfortunately, they couldn’t call this a Claret because they weren’t grandfathered in.
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Real quick, Scharffen Berger chocolates were outstanding! They used to be part of Hershey, but Hershey failed to bring a boutique-type chocolate shop to market. If you are going to be a boutique, you can’t be a global chocolate maker at the same time. In 2020, the brand returned to private ownership with a new facility in Ashland. I was fortunate enough to bring a couple of bars home and gave them to my daughter. She is a crazy super picky eater and adores the heck of their chocolate bars. I was digging a bit in our cupboard, and we use their baking chocolate for our macarons. This will sound very commercial-like, but I will now only buy Scharffen Berger Chocolate for baking and pleasure. Plus, my daughter refers to them as “Oregon Chocolate.”
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How was your trip to Southern Oregon this morning? I realize it was a lot of information thrown at you all at once. Rest assured, the other journeys will follow closer to my typical format. Before I part this week, click on this link and debate about buying a shirt, and if you know someone who would appreciate a wine t-shirt, forward this email, and who knows, maybe they will sign up for the newsletter as well. Have a great weekend, and take a sip of your coffee before it gets cold.
With Gratitude,
A.J.
PS - Don’t take my word on how great the shirts are. Here is a glowing review for you to consider “My wife and I no longer argue what wine to open. I bought 42 shirts, and it is the ultimate answer to all of my marriage issues! - The Fake Douglas Adams”
PPS - Use the discount code of gratitude for $5 off your new wine shirt you can’t live without!
PPPS - I was stuffed after the event. I couldn't eat another bite.
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A.J. Weinzettel
Wine journalist & podcaster covering Oregon wine country