Oregon’s Rogue Valley A Treasure Trove Of Wine and Natural Wonders

Oregon is an increasingly popular destination for visitors from around the world. The appeal includes unspoiled nature, fantastic food and wine, wine wine!

The Wonders Of Southern Oregon

Rogue Valley Oregon is considered a paradise for many reasons. The wild and scenic Rogue River runs from the iconic Crater Lake to the Pacific. Attractions that bring droves of tourists include the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Pacific Crest Trail.

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The Rogue Valley AVA is on the ascent and wine lovers are discovering that the unique climate and varieties set it apart from other regions in the state. During a recent International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association webinar, Oregon’s Rogue Valley was highlighted. A representative from Travel Medford and winemakers from the Rogue Valley Vintners talked about the unique attractions and wine of the area.

Medford – The Heart Of Rogue Valley

Medford offers a vibrant downtown and an ideal jumping off point for exploring Rouge Valley attractions. Less than an hour-and-a-half away is one of the biggest of them all.

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Crater Lake National Park features the deepest lake in the US. Its brilliant sapphire blue water and stunning setting attract scores of artists, photographers, and sightseers and inspire visitors from around the world. The park offers hiking for all levels, boat tours, and a 33-mile road around the lake that offers awesome views of the lake’s volcanic scenery. About 7,700 years ago, a violent eruption collapsed an ancient volcano forming the lake. Today, visitors marvel at the panoramic views and natural formations of Wizard Island and Phantom Ship.

The Table Rocks are one of the most popular hiking locations in the Rogue Valley, with over 45,000 visitors annually. Two trails, Lower Table Rock Trail and Upper Table Rock Trail, were cut across the plateaus' slopes in the early 1980s by the Youth Conservation Corps, Boy Scouts, and the Oregon Department of Forestry. Upper Table Rock and Lower Table Rock are two prominent volcanic plateaus created by lava flow approximately seven million years ago.

Founded 1935, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) has grown from a three-day festival of two plays to a nationally renowned theatre arts organization that presents an eight-month season of up to 11 plays that include works by Shakespeare as well as a mix of classics, musicals, and world-premiere plays and musicals. The 2020 season has been cancelled due to COVID-19, but there is plenty more to see and do in the area. You can start planning now for the 2021 season.

Agricultural tourism opportunities include gourmet food purveyor Harry and David. The business was started in 1910 and brothers Harry and David Rosenberg rose to success by marketing juicy and sweet Rogue Valley pears as luxury items around the world.

Trophy-winning Rogue Creamery, founded in the 1930s, continues to thrive and their cheeses are sold worldwide. The creamery produced the first blue cheese cultured in caves west of the Missouri River. Rogue Creamery was also the first US Creamery to earn the title of World’s Best Blue Cheese.

Rocking The Rogue

What could go better with cheese than premium wine? With about 55 wineries spread over four wine trails and Medford, Rogue Valley is a wine lover’s delight.

The Rogue Valley AVA is the southernmost wine region in Oregon. As a result, many grapes thrive here that are little seen in other parts of the state. There are more than 70 different grape varieties and 4,860 acres of vines.

The most widely planted red varieties include Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, and Malbec. Higher temperatures (Medford is less than 30 miles from California) allow the production of robust, flavorful reds from grapes that are difficult to ripen in northern Oregon. The most common white varieties planted include Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Viognier.

There are many wineries to like in Rogue Valley. We had the chance to sample wines from two and came away impressed.

Irvine & Roberts is an ultra-premium winery in Ashland. The 80-acre ranch features a high altitude vineyard that produces wine with depth, flair and elegance. We paired the 2017 Irvine & Roberts Pinot Noir with Pork Chops and Sunflower Gremolata. The Pinot has an intriguing complexity with harmonious flavors of cranberry and spice with a silky, savory finish. Honestly, we were dazzled by this wine. Irvine & Roberts also offers a single-varietal Pinot Meunier, a rare find for wine lovers who enjoy this red grape that is a traditional ingredient in Champagne.

Anchor Valley has its tasting room in historic Jacksonville.  The winery opened in 2018 and scored a Double-Gold medal with their first Pinot Gris. Their 2018 Pinot Gris is superb Oregon Pinot Gris with minerality, green apple and a taste of citrus. As if to demonstrate the versatility of wines from the Rogue Valley, the 2017 Petite Sirah is inky dark with a velvety finish with a focus on a mélange blue and black fruit flavors.

Whatever you seek in your next trip to Oregon, be it outdoor adventure, world-class attractions, or incredible wines, you can find it in Rogue Valley. Your best source for information on the Rogue is the Travel Medford site.

Full disclosure: Wine was received as a marketing sample.

Chardonnay Showcase Reveals Winners From Oregon, California, North Carolina And Italy

During our recent tasting event, the Chardonnay showcase attracted attention to some tasty new Chardonnay releases.

California And Then Some

Chardonnay is the most popular white wine in the world. It’s by far and away the most popular wine in the US, continuing a decade of supremacy that has featured sales increases every year. While California is the acknowledged Chardonnay leader, we made some tasty discoveries from other regions during a recent tasting.

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Due to my wife’s involvement in a local women’s group, we ended up hosting a Sip, Sup and Support tasting for a local school clothing and supplies drive. With nearly 40 in attendance, we had some enthusiastic supporters of this charity work. Having an assortment of amazing wines didn’t hurt either.

We decided to showcase five outstanding Chardonnay releases. Four are domestic, from California, Oregon and North Carolina. For kicks we added an Italian Chardonnay.

Swordplay To Start

This will come as no surprise to anyone who has been in or around North Carolina these past couple weeks: It is sweltering hot. It was so hot, I saw a squirrel picking up nuts with a potholder in the backyard.

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You get the picture. Thankfully, I had our Chardonnay chilled in ice for more than four hours before our guests arrived.

After successfully sabering a bottle of French sparkling wine with a US Coast Guard officer sword and enjoying some sparkling wine, it was time to move to the Chardonnay showcase.

We had a pair of entries from Oregon. I’ve visited Oregon twice this year and one of the hot – or should I say cool? – trends is Chardonnay. Growers there have planted clones that thrive in cool climates and the results are delicious.

Our Chardonnay Showcase

Here’s a capsule look at our five Chardonnay wines featured in our showcase:

Cameron Hughes 2017 Lot 672 Chardonnay, Rogue Valley, OR - A delightful surprise, this wine is on the Chablis side of the Chardonnay spectrum. Light with bright citrus fruit, mouthwatering pear flavor and plentiful acidity. If you don’t know Rogue Valley, Oregon’s southernmost wine region, this is a good reason to explore it. Cameron Hughes is a négociant and doesn’t own vineyards or a winery. Instead they specialize in locating superior quality at palatable prices under their own label. A steal at only $14 SRP with a value two or three times that.

Marshall Davis 2017 Chardonnay, Yamhill-Carlton, OR -- Chardonnay is a rising star in Willamette Valley. This micro-production (150 cases) wine is barrel fermented and aged 16 months in mostly neutral oak. Grown on gently sloping hills and planted in shallow volcanic topsoil, this Chard delivers flowing minerality, pear notes, tropical fruit and perfect balance. An example of the new winning style of Oregon Chardonnay. SRP $39.

Dry Creek Vineyards 2917 DCV Estate Block 10 Chardonnay, Russian River Valley -- Luxurious, handcrafted wine from one of America’s top Chardonnay regions. The balance is impeccable with the perfect touch of oak rounding out a rich glass of roasted pear, lime, and apricot flavors. Grapes are whole cluster pressed to extract complex flavors. A smooth and limited-production success at SRP $34.

Surry Cellars 2015 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, Yadkin Valley, NC – Yes, America, high-quality wine is being produced in North Carolina. This wine is made by students at Surry Community College studying at the Shelton-Badgett NC Center for Viticulture and Enology, a winery and teaching facility. Oaky Chardonnay fans in our group loved this wine, which has lush flavors with deep oak notes. It was barrel-aged for two years and underwent battonage to develop a deep golden hue and full-bodied flavors. It looks like the future of wine in North Carolina is in good hands.

Peri Bigogno Regina Di Cipro 2016 Chardonnay Montenetto di Brescia IGP – The “Queen of Cyprus” is a light and breezy Chardonnay from the Old World. In addition to pineapple and apricot flavors, there is a distinct savory aspect to this medium-bodied wine. This Chardonnay is aged in stainless steel to maintain the fresh, crisp flavors. It’s also the lowest ABV of the group at 12.5%. SRP is $22.

There’s no better time to pop open a nicely chilled bottle of Chardonnay. Whether you like deeply oaked Chardonnay, more balance, or a stainless steel finish there is a bottle for you at a price that’s easy to swallow.

Soléna 2010 Syrah, Del Rio, Rogue Valley

What happens when an entire valley “goes rogue?” In the case of Oregon’s Rogue Valley, the result is pretty impressive red wine.

Going Rogue

Oregon is a fountain of fantastic wine. Most of the wineries are located in the valley of the Willamette River. This area is cooler than many US vineyards and is well suited for cool climate grapes like Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir.

Further south in the state, closer to the border with California, it is a different story. The Rogue Valley is a warmer region, protected from cooling ocean breezes. It’s ideal for ripening red grapes like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

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When we moved from Ohio to our new home in North Carolina, it disrupted the record keeping system for my wine. It was all loaded into Cellar Tracker, but the numbering system was outmoded when I had to switch to a couple of wine coolers in our new home. In the process of re-entering and reorganizing our wine, I came across the 2010 Soléna Syrah from sunny Rogue Valley! The corkscrew came out quickly after that…

Soléna – A Standout Winery

Soléna is a winery that we know best from their lineup of superb single vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. It is owned by husband and wife team Laurent Montalieu and Danielle Andrus Montalieu. They bottled their first wine in 2002.

They also produce Chardonnay and Pinot Gris and also source grapes from select vineyards in other Oregon locations and Washington State as well. That’s the case with the Del Rio Vineyard Syrah from Rogue Valley.

Del Rio Vineyards lies 15 miles northwest of Medford, Oregon at historic Rock Point in the beautiful Rogue River Valley. The rocky slopes of the vineyard face south and drain well, providing an excellent site for producing premium wine grapes.

The wine underwent a cold maceration, keeping the skins in contact with the juice to draw out the beautiful color and flavors. It was aged 15 months in 20% new French oak.

This is a limited run wine, with only 70 cases produced. In the glass, this unfiltered and unfined wine is opaque. On the nose, there is a stew of earthy and savory aromas. On the palate the flavors are concentrated and evoke raisins, warm black cherry and cooked fruit. The finish is medium length.

Soléna reds run from $30 to $55 and their whites from $20 to $75. This is a quality winery with selections that will keep you coming back for more.

A Cabernet Franc Day Tasting

The Cabernet Franc grape is sometimes treated like an outcast. The spotlights focus on Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir or other marquee grapes like Chardonnay. But Cab Franc is finally getting its due and now even has its own day.

Finally, A Cab Franc Day

I was bumfuzzled the other evening as I looked at my Twitter feed. There was a tweet talking about #CabFrancDay coming up on December 4. This was akin to glancing at a calendar and realizing that your wedding anniversary is tomorrow – and all the stores are already closed!

A check of the date in the corner of my computer screen confirmed that I still had time to plan for this momentous occasion. There are plenty of other wine days, like Merlot Day, Tempranillo Day, Chardonnay Day and even National Wine Day – as if the latter is really needed. Cabernet Franc (Cab Franc to friends!) was overlooked.

Yes, there is a Cabernet Day and you can drink Cab Franc on that day – but seriously, most of the participants are cavorting with bottles of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Not the same.

As far as I can tell, the push for Cab Franc Day was initiated by Lori and Michael Budd of Dracaena Wines. Lori and Michael make award-winning Cabernet Franc in Paso Robles. Of course, there are legions of fans ready to back the effort.

Like Father, Like Son?

It is ironic that the notoriety of Cabernet Sauvignon should eclipse Cab Franc. After all, Cabernet Sauvignon is a cross of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. Cabernet Sauvignon is the offspring of Cab Franc. Now Cabernet Sauvignon is acting like a spoiled teenager demanding the keys to the car!

Even in Bordeaux, Merlot gets the Right Bank. Cabernet Sauvignon the Left Bank. Guess what? There are no banks left for Cab Franc and to some it is seen simply as a blending grape. Wrong-o.
We live in Ohio, where chilly weather can be a challenge to winemakers and grapes that aren’t winter-hardy. Cab Franc thrives here and in two of our favorite wine regions: the Finger Lakes and Ontario. Our tasting team has long savored the delicious, herbal flavors of Cab Franc. It can exude black currant and plum flavors. The body is more inviting, with less tannins than Cabernet Sauvignon. A favorite characteristic is a pop of pepper in the flavor notes.

Cabernet Franc From Coast To Coast

We started our Cab Franc Day (CFD) celebration a day early at Registry Bistro in Toledo. This being our first CFD celebration, we wanted to do it up right.

We started with an Autumn Green and Butternut Squash Salad with pomegranate and crispy chickpeas. The Green Dragon ordered Moroccan Braised Goat Shank with Figs and Cured Oils which sat picturesquely on Anson Mill pin oat risotto with Lucky Penny goat cheese. I opted for the beef tenderloin with confit garlic, truffled frit and brocollini. Yeah, we were dining in style.

For our wine we opted for the 2013 Ransom Cabernet Franc from Rogue Valley, Oregon. Rogue Valley is in the southern part of Oregon, almost to the California border. As a result, the warmer weather allows the growth of ripe, delicious Cab Franc grapes. Ransom Wine Company is producing some outstanding artisan wines. This Cab Franc was limited to 237 cases. We requested a decanter and the wine opened up nicely as we enjoyed the lively atmosphere at Registry.

The Ransom Cab Franc has extracted flavors, with strong cherry and black currant. There are beautiful savory notes and a great balance. A smooth body ends with an extended finish. This was an amazing pairing with the beef and rocked out with the goat shank.

On the “real” CFD, a bottle of Dr. Frank 2010 Cabernet Franc from the Finger Lakes emerged from our cellar. Our love of Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars knows no bounds. It is one of our favorite Finger Lakes wineries – and they excel at Cabernet Franc (as well as Riesling and sparkling wine).

Six years is probably at the outer limits of the drinking window – so I wasn’t sure what we’d taste. I was encouraged as I opened the bottle, noting that the 2010 vintage celebrated the winery’s 50th anniversary.

Green Dragon’s enthusiasm for Cab Franc can sometimes be curbed if there are green pepper notes in the wine. Green pepper is fine as long as it remains as a back-up singer in a harmony of herbal flavors. If there is too much green pepper the Green Dragon checks out. She smiled at the first sip with no green pepper anxieties.

The wine had aged quite well. Smoothness flowed from the bottle. Dark cherry, leather and maybe mushrooms danced in the glass. We could think of no better way to toast our inaugural CFD celebration than by drinking a glass of Cab Franc from the winery of the man who started the “vinifera revolution” in the US.

Long live Cab Franc!