Wine in the Rogue

Last year we visited Rogue Valley in Southern Oregon for a food and wine tour (that I organized myself). How did we end up in the Oregon, is usually the first question people have when I tell them about the trip. Just so happens that we originally were going to go to Napa Valley but after lots of researched we discovered that it was just as expensive as vacationing right here in BERMUDA.

At the time I had taken an interest in Pinot Noirs from Oregon and decided to take my research a step further and found that May is wine month in Oregon, and not only would we find unique wines and vineyards, but the prices were just what we needed! From there it was decided that Oregon was the destination and we dived right into planning.

The Planning Phases

One thing that I found to be super helpful was the site oregonwine.org , on that site they had a great touring guide that laid out all the areas with maps and ads from popular vineyards and restaurants in each area. The guide laid out all the areas so clearly, that it made it very easy to select an AVA to visit and easy to figure out the best location to stay, (when we were researching Napa, I never found a well laid out guide like this) and after careful consideration we decided on Rogue Valley.

Climate

The weather in Oregon in May was warm in the day and cool evenings and early mornings. Not hot but just comfortable. As we looked out into the mountains every morning from our Villa we could see snow caps and a heavy dew would sit just above the peaks.

Accommodations

We really wanted to be right in the middle of it, so we decided to rent a house right in the middle of a vineyard. Oh my God, when I tell you it was gorgeous, I mean gorgeous!! We landed at Troon Vineyard. Troon is a Regenerative Organic Certified vineyard practicing biodynamic farming in Rogue and Applegate Valley. The rental was a two bedroom villa style, complete with washer and dryer and plenty of space in the common areas. I don’t think we could have chosen a better location, I would stay there again and again.

Transport

By the end of the first day we figured out that the area had lots of vineyards close by , however, we thought it best and more economical to rent a car. We ended up getting a taxi back to the airport and picking up a rental car. You might think it sounds dangerous to drive on a wine trip but it was actually fine. At the vineyards the tasting flights are literally poured in a tasting size, so around an ounce. It is not enough wine in a tasting flight to get even a little buzz.

Dinner At Del Rio

We were really fortunate during our research to secure tickets to a wine dinner at an absolutely gorgeous vineyard called Del Rio. They have a really active wine club and this Dinner was sort of the kick off to Wine month. The manager Courtney and her team did a fabulous job at organizing the dinner. Although it was mostly wine club members at the dinner, they were very welcoming and friendly. On the second night we drove out to the vineyard and where quite taken with the scene as we entered the gates. You can see in the picture below that behind me are hills full of vines.

The dinner was catered by The Truffle Pig food truck and it was served right up on a clearing that they use for events, that sat in the middle of the vineyard. The staff at Del Rio were very friendly and accommodating and we were really fortunate that we got to sit at a table with the actual wine maker Jean-Michel. Talking to him and hearing his stories and journey in wine was captivating. This dinner was one of the highlights of our trip.

The Food

After making friends at the wine dinner at Del Rio, we got plenty of food suggestions to add to the places we had already identified in our research. I’ll highlight just a few of the ones that really stood out (we went more than once to these particular restaurants). We found that Grant Pass, as the area was called, had some really awesome restaurants. Our favorite dinner spot was River’s Edge. Just go on to their website or instagram page and see for yourself. The food not only looks amazing but it tastes even better. We absolutely loved it.

Our favorite brunch spot was Lulu’s also in grant pass. The food there is excellent and the owner Gavin is a pretty cool guy too. A few weeks after the trip he posted a picture with us on his instagram feed and gave us a shout out. Other people whom we met around the valley during the trip recognized us and commented on the post, saying how lovely it was to meet us. How special is that?!

Let’s talk about the Wines

Due to the cooler climate in Oregon, the growing season is longer than other places where the temperatures are really high. In Oregon they harvest usually in late September. When we were there in May we saw lots of flowering (see the picture below) in the vineyards we visited. Oregons specialties are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Before going to Oregon I had never really been a fan of Pinot Noir. I always felt it was too light and lacked depth of flavor, for my taste. I can honestly say that Oregon has changed my mind about Pinot Noirs. Since then, I’ve really been giving them a fair chance.

The vineyards that we visited are producing some really great wines. Though I didn’t try any Chardonnay, the Pinot Noirs we had were very elegant, and well balanced wines. I remember them being very soft in the mouth and having really lovely red fruit flavors.

We were fortunate that we were able to experience, these sort of boutique wine makers because the quality of the wines really came through. Oregon wines definitely have their own unique style to them. What I have learned thru my reading, research and tastings is that Pinot Noir is a grape that really tells a story about the place it was grown. For instance, a Pinot Noir from Oregon can have many different characteristics from one from Burgundy. This is an excellent example of how the difference in terroir effects the grape and in turn the way the finished product tastes, smells and looks.

I would tell anyone who loves wine to visit Oregon and experience these amazing wines. I know that when most people think of ‘Oregon wines’ the think of the much larger region like Willamette and I will visit there one day, however, The Rogue & Applegate Valleys, are hidden gems in my book and I will definitely be going back again.

While there we sampled mostly Pinot Noirs, Syrah and some Malbac. We visited around 12 vineyards in the ten days that we were in Oregon. Among our list of favorites was,

• Schmidt Family Vineyards
• Wooldridge Creek Winery & Vineyards
• Irvine & Roberts Vineyards
• Troon Vineyards
• 2Hawk Vineyard & Winery
• Del Rio Vineyards
• DANCIN Vineyards
• Schultz Wines
• Augustino Estate & Vineyard

Another really interesting place we visited was the Rogue Creamery- cheese shop. They actually won the 2019-20 World Cheese awards for their Rogue River Blue Cheese. We bought some of this award wining cheese home with us, it was so delicious. If you have a chance to visit this area , Rogue Creamery is definitely worth stopping at.

There is so much to be said for Southern Oregon as a vacation destination. I could talk to you about this trip all day! I’ll definitely have to make a separate post to showcase the vineyards we went to as I’ve still got a few amazing pics I haven’t shared.

In the mean time if you are a wine lover check out Oregon!!