Raise a Glass to 2010!

This is the season for reflection and the time to consider the year we are about to close and a time to look forward to the new year ahead. As we move into 2010, I can’t help but feel so extraordinarily grateful for what 2009 brought to my tour business and to the Umpqua Valley’s family owned wineries.

During a year filled with economic trepidation and instability we toured with more than double the tour guests we saw in 2008. As someone who tours with hundreds of wine interested folks each year having the opportunity to experience the Umpqua Valley through the eyes of different people from all over the country never gets old! Helping to educate tourists and locals alike, all hungry for wine knowledge and wine discovery is truly a privilege. And it is always an incredible experience to hear how much our Umpqua Valley wines are understood and appreciated, especially from our friends visiting from more prestigious wine regions such as Napa and the Willamette Valley. The consensus of so many we tour with is that the Umpqua Valley AVA lacks absolutely nothing! From our amazing natural beauty to our top notch wines and great prices we are not rivaled. The family owned component to our wineries is well understood and appreciated and for those coming from busier wine regions, having the opportunity to meet our passionate winemakers is a unique and unforgettable experience. Knowing all this, it came as no real surprise that Roseburg ranked number 5 on the list of the top 10 wine destinations in the country as polled by TripAdvisor earlier this year. Just one more confirmation of what I already know - we are a wine region poised for greatness.

While it is doubtful anyone will be doing cartwheels over the recent business trend in the wine industry our small boutique wineries offering unbeatable quality and value came out pretty much unscathed. It appears most are gearing up for a terrific year ahead with any difficulties behind them. The 2008 and 2009 vintages are shaping up beautifully and there is great anticipation of the new releases to be unveiled this coming year. A number of wineries including Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards & Chateau Nonchalant Vineyard are expanding by planting more acres of grapes. A new vineyard, Pyrenees Vineyard is scheduled to open its tasting room in just a few days bringing our number of wine tasting locations to 22! Melrose Vineyards saw completion of their new convention center and MarshAnne Landing evolved their tasting room into an art gallery now offering visitors fine art as well as fine wine! A few of our smaller wineries expressed thoughts of increasing production as many of their wines sold out quickly this year! All of these things are signs of the confidence our winery families are feeling about our wine region. A confidence my own wine business experience supports!

From the perspective of a wine writer and wine tour operator I could not be more excited about the new year. I am excited for what the future holds for our entire community. A healthy wine industry adds to a healthy community. With the 2008 and 2009 Umpqua Valley vintages expected to be some of the best of the decade and a growing knowledge of our budding wine region, 2010 will be bright indeed. So I say lets drink a toast to the new year. Cheers!

Global Warming? It's Cold Outside!

We have been hearing much about global warming and climate change recently and its negative impact on our planet and resident animals. Whether you believe the warming climate of our planet is a result of man or as a result of a naturally occurring cyclical warming trend, hotter, longer summers are a fact. Most of us are aware of how this warmer weather affects so much of our planet with melting ice caps and tragically, more animals entering our endangered species list. But the state of our planet is affecting even more then the Polar Bears. It is affecting fine wine.

When I first heard of award winning wines out of British Columbia and fine sparkling wines from England I new it had to do with the changing climate. My mother and father are from British Columbia and England and I am telling you during their lifetime there were no grapes growing and no wine being made- it was just too bloody cold! But things are a changing and for many wine makers it is serious cause for alarm.

Essentially what is taking place, is the sweet spot for growing grapes is moving north. And locations like California, Southern France and Southern Italy are experiencing such warm weather, industry leaders are very worried about their future ability to grow and produce wine varietals they have become known for, in a quality and style wine lovers have come to expect. The number of “hot wines” high in alcohol are becoming almost the norm. Big, jammy sometimes pruney wines have become synonymous with much of California, a result of over ripe fruit from very hot locations. Vintners are having to consider the change in climate as it affects the grapes best suited for any one area as well as making crucial changes in vineyard practices. Some experts think the glory days are waning for much of the more popular wine producing regions of California and Europe and one expert suggests an 80 percent reduction in producible land over the next 50 years!

So is it all bad news…? Of course not! There is a silver lining to every cloud. In cooler regions like Burgundy known for the fickle cool weather pinot noir they are rarely finding it necessary to chaptalize their wines -adding sugar during fermentation- to increase the alcohol. The warmer weather has taken care of that and that’s a good thing. For those of us in cooler weather locations like Oregon, particularly in the cooler Willamette Valley, wine makers have been quoted as talking about how easy the last decade or so of vintages has been in terms of ripening fruit. Even the rules for vineyard location and elevation has evolved. Higher elevations thought to be too high and too cool for quality grapes are now excellent for many varieties and an area thought only suitable for cool weather varietals such as Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Riesling are now looking to Grenache, Syrah and Tempranillo! Most Umpqua Valley wine makers think they are in wine heaven and live in the perfect wine paradise. The sweet spot for excellent wine production for sure. We have it all! Cooler areas for Pinot, warmer spots for Cabernet and the right climate for everything in between. Our 100 valleys lends itself to different climates, suitable to produce exceptional quality and diversity in our wines. Climate change is affecting us too but the uniqueness of our area allows us more flexibility. I am not at all happy about our warming climate and am brought to tears thinking of the serious affects of all this on our planet. I am just trying to stay positive. Becoming the new California known for our award winning Cabernet and exceptional Zinfandel would not be all bad.

Hooray for the Family Owned Winery!

I am constantly singing the praises of our beautiful Umpqua Valley and with no less passion our amazing wineries which are all family owned. Some might say I am a bit obsessed with this wonderful attribute of our area. But after reading the latest report out of the Marin Institute - an alcohol watchdog organization out of the San Francisco Bay Area - you might understand why I go on so…

This latest published report entitled _“The Myth of the Family Owned Winery”_ -Global Corporations Behind California Wine- is a 9 page report stating the fact that despite the industry promoted image of the mom-and-pop wineries of California, nearly all of the leading wine producers in the state are multinational corporations with offices worldwide. And it states that wine is just one part of their massive product portfolios along with beer brands, spirits and even tobacco. The report goes on to suggest that these huge corporations hide behind the warm and fuzzy family owned winery façade as they work to deregulate the laws governing alcohol in every state. Their goal is bigger market share and relaxed laws to allow for bigger profits. And it has worked… The case sales listed for the year 2008 ranged from between 4.5 million cases for the smallest of these giants ( Brown-Forman) to 56 million cases of wine sold by the largest (E&J Gallo).

And while this report could be argued as a veiled attempt for prohibitionists to get up on their soap box one more time to voice the evils of big alcohol, the information contained within is accurate and something that can be easily seen from “on the ground” in my old home state. Nowhere more easily witnessed then in Napa where in 1970’s virtually all the wineries were family owned and today most are owned by one of ten major corporations. A visit to any national supermarket chains wine section is a perfect illustration of the wine industry. Safeway and Albertsons display easily over 1000 different wine labels but most can be traced back to those top ten corporations. Other lesser known wine regions all over California are witnessing the corporate take over of their wine industry as well. This transformation of the wine industry in California is turning the state with the reputation of family run wineries and hand crafted wines into the state with the reputation for huge corporations making astounding profits much of which is propelled through disingenuous marketing.

So are there still family owned wineries in California? Of course there are. Just not many and as the corporate trend continues, family owned wineries are absolutely on the endangered species list. And the trend continues in Washington State and yes, here in our beloved Oregon as well. The Willamette Valley mixes the family owned winery with the corporate owned and run winery and to some it might not be immediately obvious which is which. But it doesn’t take long to see and taste the difference for those interested. For those of us lucky enough to live here among one of the last completely family owned wine regions in the country (no facades here) we should appreciate it more! And while the Umpqua Valleys unique terrain is best suited to the smaller vineyard and winery operation it is just a matter of time before our family owned tradition begins to mix with the bigger business of wine making. But for now, before progress rears its ugly head, take advantage of what we have. Get out and visit your favorite winery today. I’ll see you there…

Spill the Wine

Last week I wrote about wine bottles and where the different shapes came from so I thought this week I should really address wine closures to help demystify the array of ways producers are stopping up their bottles.

The most well known wine closure is of course the cork. The natural cork comes from a tree grown in the Mediterranean. The cork can be removed from the tree without hurting the tree. Natural corks are still used in over 80% of wines bottled today and many would argue that the cork is the best closure for wines you wish to age. The argument is the cork material holds pockets of air allowing just the right amount of oxygen into the bottle to foster the very best aging process. Unfortunately a small number of corks fail and lead to “corked” wine. Cork taint is caused by the presence of the chemical Trichloroanisole (or TCA).

Synthetic corks are made from plastic compounds designed to look and “pop” like natural cork but without the risk of TCA contamination. The concern with this type off closure is its ability to properly seal the bottle long term and the difficulty in removing it from the bottle. Some argue they impart a slight chemical flavor to wine. These closures are recyclable but not biodegradable. There is talk of a new generation of these injection molded closures that have developed a system of nano-cells as to perfectly replicate the cellular structure of natural cork.

And then there is the screw cap also know as “Stelvin caps”. These closures are made from aluminum material that threads onto the bottleneck. They are the predominant closure used in New Zealand and form a tighter seal and keep out oxygen for a longer time then cork. They are said to promote aromatic freshness while still allowing the wines to age and eliminate the problem of cork taint. But as with every type of closure there is a down side. Unlike the real cork the screw cap does not allow even the smallest bit of oxygen to mix with the wine and therefore the wine ages differently then with the more traditional cork. Some screw caps may also be affected by the chemical process sulphidisation resulting in some wines forming bouquets of burning rubber or rotten eggs.

The “Vino-Seal” or “Vino- Lok” is a plastic or glass closure. Using a glass stopper with an inert o-ring, the “Vino-Seal creates a hermetic seal that prevents oxidization and TCA contamination. These are primarily used in Europe and have their down side too. Each one is very expensive and make it necessary to hand bottle as there is not compatible machinery yet to take on this role. And how wines age with these tops is still in question as they are relatively new.

The Zork is an alternative closure that seals like a screw cap and pops like a cork. The Zork closure has an inner metal foil similar to a screw cap and an inner plunger which creates the pop like a cork.

The crown cap, just like that used on beer bottles has been used as a closure for sparkling wines during the fermentation process. Normally the cap is replaced with a cork before shipping but some producers are releasing wines using the crown cap eliminating the cork taint possibility, while providing a tight seal. Easier to open but without the pop.

I can’t help but prefer the real cork and will take my chances with the very few times a bottle ends up corked. And it isn’t because of the pop - I just think they are superior for aging wines. But my preference for the “real” thing does not mean I would not buy or have not enjoyed wines with other closures. Each one has its pros and cons and I am too interested in experiencing everything wine has to offer to draw any lines in the sand with regard to the top of the bottle.

It's in the Bottle!

Did you ever wonder about the different shapes and colors of wine bottles? Well we have come a long way from the clay pots or amphoras used centuries ago and there is a reason different wines are stored in different bottles.

Although the oldest glass bottle was discovered in 1867 and dates back to 325 A.D. it wasn’t until fairly recently that glass bottles as we know them today became the common vessel used to transfer wine from the barrel to the table. The first bottles were hand-blown, somewhat fragile and mostly used for filling from the barrel for immediate consumption at the table. The creation of the modern elongated bottle came into being in the eighteenth century. In Europe, many wine producing areas developed unique wine bottle shapes which became the traditional bottle for wines of that region. As winemaking spread around the world, new wineries often adopted those traditional European bottle shapes in order to communicate with their consumers. The shape of the wine bottle suggests certain information about the wine inside.

There are four main bottle shapes all containing 750 ml of precious juice! The “Bordeaux Bottle” is the high shouldered bottle used by most wineries for Bordeaux varieties including, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Bordeaux blends such as Meritage and Claret. This is also the bottle style you will find Zinfandel, Tempranillo, Grenache and many Italian red varietals such as Sangiovese. White varietals found in this bottle are Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The “Burgundy Bottle” has sloping shoulders and is most commonly used for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. Wines from the Loire Valley in France are found in this bottle as well. The “Hoch Bottle” is the tall slender bottle used in Germany and the Alsace region in France and is the bottle used for Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Muller -Thurgau. The Champagne Bottle shape is used for sparkling wines and some say is the only bottle that has a compelling scientific justification behind its design. It has thicker glass that is able to withstand the higher pressure that is found with Champagne and sparkling wines.

Within these basic shapes there are other variations with regard to color. The traditional colors used for wine bottles are dark to medium green for reds, light green for dry whites and clear for sweet whites or Roses. Some producers in parts of France have traditionally used amber colored bottles.

And finally the last variable in the design of a wine bottle is the punt, also known as a kick-up. This refers to the dimple at the bottom of a wine bottle. There is no consensus explanation for its purpose and I have read many differing opinions as to what it is actually for. Some think it may have come into use when bottles were hand blown and severing the bottle from the pontil could leave a jagged scar easily able to scratch a table. By indenting the bottom, the scar would not touch the table surface. Depending on who you ask or what you read, the explanation for the design of the punt of a bottle can be attributed to everything from making the bottle more sturdy and less likely to topple over, to being there to accommodate the pourer's thumb. Some will argue it is there to trap potential sediment. All of these make sense to me. The most cynical explanation is the exaggerated punts displace wine meaning taller, heavier bottles making it appear there is more wine in the bottle. Some believe the more pronounced the punt the better quality the wine and premium wines often come in bottles with deeper punts.

A Barrel of Fun

In the past few weeks I have had the opportunity to taste a number of wines still in the barrel. Some of these wines have been in the barrel for a few weeks and others for several months or years. I never pass up an opportunity to sample wine this way and can even remember the very first time I tasted wine from the barrel years ago in California. To witness wine in the various stages of its journey into the bottle and to see how it evolves and changes seems not only miraculous to me but gives me a front row seat into the process of turning mere grape juice into fine wine!

Tasting wine still in the barrel and being able to advance that particular wine along in your mind to its potential at bottling, is not always easy. It is a bit like eating raw cookie dough and from that taste experience determining what the actual cookie will taste like! The best way to get a feeling for the direction a young wine is heading is to taste it while referencing your understanding of taste profiles in more mature wines. Knowing what will change and evolve and how that shapes every taste component as well as how the wine maker will be directing the wine needs to be considered. Some wineries sell “futures” which are orders of wine placed before the wine is finished and bottled. This is a great way to buy wine if you like to gamble. If the wine becomes a big award winner after bottling, the price the bottled wine can demand is often much more than the “futures” price you paid.

Vintage plays a huge role in wine quality. Tasting barrels from different vintages tells a different story. Most recently I have been sampling ‘08s and ‘09s. The overall consensus from experts on the growing season for the Umpqua Valley in 2008 was that after a late frost in April which was of initial concern the weather cooperated very nicely and 2008 wines will be of high quality. 2009 was an even better year in terms of a longer, warmer growing season and even with the bit of rain over Labor Day and Columbus Day 2009 looks to be a classic vintage! I have to say this is what my taste buds have been revealing to me as I barrel sample my way through some of my favorite wineries here in the Valley. After a difficult year in 2007 where the talent of the grape grower and the wine maker was put to the test, the 2009 season was a gift. Even the very young ‘09s I have had the chance to sample are showing beautiful fruit and complex layers. I have sampled several Syrahs and predict these wines will be big, bold and luscious. I have great expectations for the whites as well.

Having the experience of tasting wines still in the barrel is something I would hope everyone with an interest in wine will experience. Many of my tour clients have never had the opportunity to sample wine from the barrel before touring with me. Some have never been into a barrel room before. There is no doubt a barrel room visit and barrel sample changes peoples understanding of the connection from fruit on the vine to wine in the bottle.

Thanksgiving Wine

As Thanksgiving approaches most of us have a much more difficult time thinking about which wine to serve than what dishes to make. Food traditions for this celebration are often passed down from generation to generation and certain dishes are a staple on many families Thanksgiving tables. Without those family favorites it just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving. The same can not be said for the wine pairing and each year we are posed with the same dilemma - what wine should I serve with Thanksgiving dinner?

I have some great advice to help you, so take a deep breath and relax. It isn’t as complicated as you think and there are a number of good choices which are sure to make everyone happy! I strongly suggest serving a few wines you think might be interesting and polling your friends and family on which wines showed best. The first rule of thumb when deciding on your holiday wine is if you prefer red wine, serve reds and if you prefer white, serve whites. I happen to be a former “red only” wine drinker (I think it is fair to say “red only” wine snob) who has rediscovered how stunningly beautiful a quality white wine can truly be, so I will serve both. Two excellent white choices are Brandborg Vineyard & Winery’s Dry Gewürztraminer and HillCrest Vineyard’s Orsation Style Riesling. Both of these wines are beautifully complex with big fruit and layers of flavors that seem to go on and on. Try them for Thanksgiving but be prepared to want to serve them over and over again as these are the kind of wines that linger in your memory and leave you wanting more.

Pinot Noir is such an obvious choice for Thanksgiving dinner. Not only because we are after all, in Oregon (And what’s that old saying? When in Oregon do as the Oregonians do and drink Pinot? Something like that!) but because Pinot can be a very versatile wine. For those of you who like a bigger, meatier style of Pinot, Becker Vineyards and Misty Oaks Vineyard provide very good choices. If a more traditional, Burgundian style Pinot is your preference you must try Hillcrest Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir just released last week. Brandborg Vineyard & Winery offers three different Pinots all excellent choices and in three different price points.

For those of you who prefer red but Pinot is not your cup of tea, choices abound here in the Umpqua Valley. Feel free to think outside the box. While whites and lighter reds are a more traditional choice for the turkey dinner there is no hard and fast rule that says you can not pair a meatier red with your traditional meal. Palotai Vineyard’s Arany Szarvas a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah is a full bodied, well balanced wine I think would show very well at your table. This wine may be difficult to pronounce but I guarantee it is easy to drink! I think a Cab Franc could pair well with many of our favorite dishes. Check out last weeks column on Cab Franc to help guide you to find just the right choice.

Finally, for dessert check out Sienna Ridge Estate Winery and Giardet Wine Cellars and try their excellent selection of sweet wines. Pecan pie paired with a late harvest Gewürztraminer is just over the top and I can’t think of a more perfect way to end the meal. Of course pecan pie is really good with a very cold glass of milk too but how unromantic is that?

We Are Called Umpqua Valley AVA

Last week I read with interest a wine article in one of our local newspapers. The gist of the article was that while the sluggish economy was affecting the wine industry world wide, sales and interest in our wine region remained steady and healthy due to the value pricing of our wines. While my experience touring with hundreds of wine-loving visitors and locals this year supports this general claim, much of the unique Umpqua Valley wine story was left out. I just couldn’t resist filling in the best parts of our story…

Referring to the Umpqua Valley as Southern Oregon while technically accurate, is in my opinion misleading. Although we are part of the Southern Oregon AVA - American Viticultural area- this only came about in 2004. The Umpqua Valley AVA was established in 1984. Most wine locals will agree the reason for creating this new “Southern Oregon AVA” which includes the Umpqua Valley AVA and the Rogue Valley AVA as well as the Applegate area, was to expand our regions marketing appeal. These three wine areas have very different climates as well as different soils and terrain. Each one is quite unique from the other. And while I am all for great marketing strategies (I was in sales and marketing most of my adult life) diluting the magic of the Umpqua Valley by lumping us in with a larger wine producing area does not speak to our individuality nor to our rich history. Grape growing and wine making in the state of Oregon started right here in the Umpqua Valley. Here in Douglas County. Not in the Willamette Valley and certainly not in Southern Oregon! We have a very unique climate and amazing soil and we produce wines vastly different from our southern neighbors. Staying focused on that differentiation is in itself a very powerful marketing angle. And while we will always have wine writers who do not live among us and who do not understand our uniqueness, lump us into the “Southern Oregon” pile, there will always be those of us who push to keep us very clearly defined. I think our local news sources should know and celebrate what makes us special.

I have never heard of wine referred to as a comfort drink before and when I heard of this way of describing wine I couldn’t help but chuckle. When I hear the term “comfort drink” I think of hot chocolate or herbal tea or of a hot toddy or maybe even a shot of something like whiskey or brandy. Wine for me and for so many others is much more than a drink. It is a way of life. A lifestyle. It involves food and friends and travel. An appreciation for the land and the natural beauty that surrounds the vines. For me it includes existing memories and the creation of new ones. It is sunshine and discovery and brings the past into the present. It is a part of life and a part of a more gentile way of living. I know I am not the only one who feels this passionate about wine. The millions of wine tourists who travel thousands of miles to their favorite wine regions each year would hardly be, if they all thought of wine as a mere comfort drink.

I guess the moral to my part of the story is there is so much more to the Umpqua Valley and our wine then most know. Our wines are more than just a great value, they are top notch and can stand among some of the best wines form the most prestigious wine regions. Our area is much more then just a part of a bigger Southern Oregon area and our rich history can not be denied. And wine is so much more then a just a comfort drink. Anyone reading this knows that!

Validation!

Oh, it is so good to be validated! I am sure you have had this experience before when you just absolutely know something- not just in your head but in your heart and soul as well. When the understanding you have about something is logical but is even more powerful because it is instinctual and intuitive as well. Then to have others with more expertise and experience in the matter come out to profess exactly what your brain & bones have known for sometime. Now that is a good feeling indeed. Especially when it is about the bright future of your beloved town!

September 22, TripAdvisor the worlds most popular and largest travel community announced its top 10 North American wine destinations according to their editors and Roseburg was number 5 on the list! This list came about after a survey of 1000 U.S. respondents were polled saying that 48% of them plan to visit a vineyard this year with 40% planning to visit this fall! The top 5 winery locations were Napa Valley, Ca. Sonoma County, Ca. Willamette Valley, Or. Yakima Valley Wa. and our little Roseburg, Oregon! Now I must admit this is not a scientific poll and included a relatively small number of people responding, but even with these factors taken into consideration it suggests one very meaningful thing - Roseburg (or the Umpqua Valley more appropriately) is very much on wine travelers radar screen! And it suggests something else I have been saying for a very long time; wine lovers are always looking for another wine region to explore and most of us plan vacations around our search for great wine areas where wines are high quality with fair pricing. That would absolutely sum up the Umpqua Valley!

But even hearing the news of Roseburg’s rating in this very exciting TripAdvisor poll could not be overshadowed by our visit from Terry Richard the travel editor of the Oregonian Newspaper. The Oregonian is the big Portland newspaper with 320,000 subscribers daily. Terry and his friend Erika spent two days with my husband and me doing research on the Umpqua Valley and our wines for a travel article coming out sometime in June of 2010. Being in the unique position of hosting high profile, very experienced travelers is such a privilege! Tasting and touring our way through the region with these knowledgeable travelers who have seen so much and have them leave us with a true appreciation of our family owned wineries, quality wines and natural beauty, is truly an honor. Just one more validation of what I already know deep down in my soul, the Umpqua Valley is a very special place indeed.

Running a wine tour business, spending time with savvy travelers from far away places and even those from right here in our own beautiful backyard allows me a front row seat into observing the effect our special wine region has on wine lovers. So often their experience seems to mimic not just my own first visit here but how I feel just about every single day. A day of appreciation of the beauty and the great wine coupled with awe of the generous spirit and true passion of the wine makers and their families. And as good as it is to have that validation, I really don’t need it. Having lived in and traveled to some of the most well respected wine regions in the world, I knew how special this place was the minute I first visited. I knew it from my head to my toes and right down to my very soul. That is all the validation I need!

Giardet Wine Cellars

Last week my husband and I paid a visit to Giardet Wine Cellars to sample some of their wonderful wines and were reminded of just why this winery is one of the best things the Umpqua Valley has to offer.

Of course the biggest reasons are the excellent wines Giardet has the reputation for making consistently year after year. Their signature wine and most notable is their Baco Noir and something people just can’t get enough of. Philippe Giardet founder of Giardet Wine Cellars was responsible for bringing this varietal to Oregon from his native Europe and it has done so well here. Baco Noir is just one of many different varietals Giardet grows and produces so they have something for every palate. But the high quality wines are just a part of the appeal of this winery and we will get back to the wonderful wine in a minute.

I have found that behind great wine there has to be great people. At Giardet this is certainly the case. The people who are most visible at Giardet are all very committed, hard working, knowledgeable individuals and just as important a heck of a lot of fun! After all isn’t wine meant to be fun? Cedar who works the tasting room could not do a better job with her upbeat attitude, constant smile and sweet demeanor. Rob the cellar master is one of my favorite people on the planet and his high energy and passion for wine is obvious as well as infectious. I could talk to Rob all day about wine (and just about anything else, frankly) and he brings such a down to earth, can do anything, generous attitude I find so refreshing every time we meet. Cara who’s title is “Director of Marketing” but who obviously does that and a whole lot more is very smart and brings a competence and an easy ability to everything she does. Her wine knowledge runs the gamut and she is as comfortable discussing very technical wine topics as she is talking about anything else. She is a dedicated conservationist and due to her efforts Giardet is the only winery in the Umpqua Valley that uses only biodegradable/ recycled natural products at their wine events from their disposable coffee cups to their utensils and napkins. And last but certainly not least, Marc Giardet the wine maker who learned most everything he knows from his father Philippe and mother Bonnie is a talented, thoughtful wine maker who takes his job very seriously. His abilities obviously came with hard work and practice but I think there is something in the Giardet genes that sets him apart as a wine maker. There is much to be said for generations of wine makers and that special something that gets passed down from father to son. All of this shows up in the bottle of these enjoyable wines.

Their whites including their smoky chardonnay and bright, happy pinot gris to their well balanced riesling and sweet dessert wines truly offer something for every palate. And their reds from the pinot noir to the big bold Baco Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon are all well balanced with layers of flavors and long lingering finishes that leave you wanting more. The 14 Vines red is just that, fourteen different red grape varietals all together in one very special place. Yum! This winery truly has it all and is one of the best reasons to get out wine tasting.

The ABC's of Wine Lingo!

A few articles back I used a wine word that caused some confusion among readers. It made me think that at some point it might be a good idea to devote a column to the explanation of a few commonly used “wine speak” words. There are hundreds of wine words. Some used to describe certain qualities in the taste of wine and others used as descriptors of the wine making process. Here are a few of the most important to know when talking and tasting wine.

Acidic- Wines need natural acidity to taste fresh and lively, but an excess of acidity results in an acidic wine that is tart and sour. Fruity-Would be on the other end of the scale and refers to the natural fruit sweetness in a wine. A balance of the two is what you are after! Aftertaste or Finish- A tasting term for the taste left on the palate after wine has been swallowed. Appellation - A geographical based term to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown. Aroma, Bouquet, Nose- The smell of a wine. Balance-The harmonious relationship of the components of wine - acids, fruit,tannins, alcohol, etc. - resulting in a well proportioned, or well balanced, wine. To me the most important quality for a wine to have is balance! AVA- An American Viticultural Area is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).
Blending- The mixing of two or more different varietals or parcels of wine together by winemakers to produce a consistent, finished wine that is ready for bottling. Laws generally dictate what wines can be blended together, and what is subsequently printed on the wine label. Brix- A measurement of the dissolved sucrose level in a wine. Corked- A tasting term for a wine that has cork taint. Dry Wines with zero or very low levels of residual sugar. The opposite of sweet, except in sparkling wines, where dry means sweet. Estate wine- Wine made from grapes grown at that winery. Late harvest wine- Also known as late picked,wine made from grapes that have been left on the vine longer than usual. Usually an indicator for a very sweet or dessert wine. Legs- The tracks of liquid that cling to the sides of a glass after the contents have been swirled. Often said to be related to the alcohol or glycerol content of a wine although there is some debate about this. As one expert put it “ In other words, looking at legs is an entertaining diversion while imbibing, like looking at a lava lamp, but it is not very informative.”
I would agree. Means nothing to the overall quality or taste of the wine. Oaked or unoaked wines - Referring to wines aged in oak barrels or with oak chips or wines made with no oak.

Residual sugar- Also known as RS, the level of sugar that remains unfermented in a wine. Tannin- Compounds that give wine a bitter, dry, or puckery feeling in the mouth. Tasting flight - Refers to a selection of wines, usually between three and eight glasses,but sometimes as many as fifty, presented for the purpose of sampling and comparison. Terroir- (Pronounced tare whar )French for "soil", the physical and geographical characteristics of a particular vineyard site that give the resultant
wine its unique properties. Varietal- Type of grape i.e. Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir. Vintage- The year in which a particular wine's grapes were harvested. When a vintage year is indicated on a label, it signifies that all the grapes used to make the wine in the bottle were harvested in that year.

Beyond Kool-Aid

For most Americans our journey of wine begins someplace around the Boones Farm, Annie Green Springs location. For any of you reading this column who do not remember these very important names in American wine history you may of heard of Ripple or White Zinfandel? All of these “wines” had pretty much the same taste profile,with the emphasis on a sweet more like Kool-Aid taste then anything referencing any "real wine" taste characteristics! This was to appeal to the generally less than sophisticated American wine palate and these wines were wildly successful for sometime.

And for those who did not begin in the Kool-Aid wine zone you were definitely a tad more sophisticated with your jugs of Gallo Burgundy or Chablis. I remember my parents always had a big jug of both they used mostly for cooking but they would have a glass of wine or two each week, always the Burgundy and would enjoy it immensely. It was not uncommon for the kids in my family to have a small glass of wine with our parents at the family dinner table. Through the years as my parents budgets increased so did their wine selections and sparkling wines and more sophisticated wines were served to us at the family dinner table. With European parents, wine in my family was looked upon as part of any special meal and the
weekend was always time for a bit more consideration in both the food and wine department.

So by the time I was twenty, I had passed through the jug wine stage with my parents and had come out the other side hooked on Napa Valley Cabs and Sonoma Country Zinfandels (and yes a real Zin is red not pink!). As my husband says I have never looked back! But I do think my experience is somewhat unique and does not illustrate how most of us in this country get introduced to wine nor the progression of most Americans wine journey.

And the journey for most Americans begins well after the age of twenty one and parallels the fads and trends of our very young wine country. It seems one year it is Merlot and Chardonnay and the next Pinot Noir and Syrah. How exciting that we have all these wonderful choices and for those of us lucky enough to live on the west coast we are not far from areas producing this wide variety of different wines. We are no longer limited to Burgundy or Chablis and if anything it may be we have too many choices and end up a bit confused. Or maybe worse, we become a bit overwhelmed and intimidated so stay in our comfort zone and get into a wine rut. Regardless of where you are in your very unique wine journey, if you live here in the Umpqua Valley you can find many local wines to enjoy. We have an array of varietals being grown and made and we have numerous talented wine makers all with different wine making styles. If you are one of those who finds yourself a bit confused or overwhelmed or your wine journey is not taking you on much of a trip, take action. Get out and taste wine as often as possible. Make sure to taste wines you think might be out of your comfort level and push your taste buds envelope just a bit. Ask questions. With our family owned wineries, we have an accessibility to the wine maker not found in most wine regions. Take advantage of that. And trust me....The pay off will be oh so sweet and I do not mean like Kool-Aid!

A Report from Italy

So, Italian wines and American wines. There are many differences just like comparing any other wine growing region to another. Many can be attributed to the differences in terrior and climate and of course the Italians have their own grape varietals, many not grown in the U.S. But the most striking differences between Italian (and for that matter French wines) and American wines are in the making of the wines, specifically in the aging and the capability for the wines to age.

In Tuscany where we spent two weeks they grow almost exclusively Sangiovese a red grape varietal. Sangiovese is not grown in Oregon as it requires a longer hotter growing season then mother nature provides here but it is easy to find in California and has always been one of my favorite grapes. Brunello (the little dark one) is a strain of Sangiovese and is synonymous with Sangiovese. The process from picking the grape, making the wine, getting it in to the bottle and having it available for consumption takes a minimum of five years, six years for the Reserva! When we visited the many tasting rooms or visited the numerous wine shops the youngest Brunello available was the 2003 vintage. This year was mixed in with many bottles from 2000, 2001, 2002, and some even dating back to the late nineties. Italian wines are made in a style that begs to be aged and can lay down for five to ten years before they are at their peak. Even their Super Tuscans are aged a minimum of 3 years!

American wine makers make wine for the American palate and the American culture. Our society is a much faster paced, want it all now, immediate gratification society and this is reflected in the aging style of our wines. Just compare
the Italian 2 hour sit down lunches including a glass or two of wine with our 30 minute drive-through fast food lunches washed down with a diet coke - often as we are driving down the road on our way to run an errand before we must get back to work! Most of our wines are made with the emphasis on a fruit forward, easily accessible, ready to drink now style. Aging is minimal before our wines are available for sale and this is what the American wine consumer wants. The average time in America from buying a bottle of wine to consuming it is 40 minutes!

It has been one week since my return from Italy and I am still basking in the beauty of the country and the beauty of their wines. For me the great thing about travel to another country is the exploration of and the assimilation into another culture. I love the food, the history, the wine (I do not travel to places that do not have great wine) and the land. And I always come home with a renewed appreciation for my own culture and our food and wine. I have to say as much as I love Italy and their amazing Brunellos and appreciate their wine making style we have a little piece of wine paradise right here in The Umpqua Valley. And I wouldn’t trade our wine paradise or our wines for all the aged Brunello in Italy!

A Votre Sante!

When I hear about the health benefits of wine and red wine in particular it makes me quite happy if not just a bit relieved! For someone who loves wine and who drinks a glass or two of wine most nights with dinner(and on special occasions which could be loosely defined as a night we open a particularly interesting, fine wine, a glass or two more ), I am more than interested to hear the positives of my imbibing activities…

Since I first heard of the highly publicized French paradox a number of years ago, my interest was peaked. The French paradox refers to the French who eat a diet with a tremendous amount of fat in it, yet have a very low incidence of heart disease. But this report was a bit vague and I had been to France and it seemed obvious to me that their culture of walking and cycling everywhere as well as seldom overeating, probably had as much to do with their healthy hearts as their consumption of red wine.

In the past few years a lot of attention has been given to this subject and much more has been discovered. Most of us have heard that moderate wine consumption is good for your heart. What many have not heard is that the findings on the health benefits of wine are much broader then just that. Other positive health benefits
are being proven by serious medical studies including: delaying dementia such as Alzheimer’s, preventing rheumatoid arthritis and an increased bone density in older women, reduction of colds in wine drinkers by up to 50% over non wine drinkers, protection against the flu, lower type 2 diabetes risk, reducing throat cancer risk, maximizing melatonin while detoxifying cells and providing powerful antioxidants, and increasing those healthy fatty acids omega 3’s !

While I am happy to say I am a very healthy person, at 47 I am probably too young to experience the onset of many of the health problems wine consumption could be a help to. I can say, my lack of getting the common cold and the flu year after year while my coworkers hacked and coughed there way through the season was often a mystery to all of us as well as an annoyance to everyone but me! And as great as it is rarely getting the cold or the flu, I have to be honest, when it boils down to it, it matters little to me the health benefits of wine. Now don’t get me wrong. I am elated to know one of the biggest pleasures in my life will not only not kill me, but will in fact make me even healthier! But it is the other positive benefits wine brings to the quality of my life that mean the most to me. Every event, from the sharing of a weekday dinner with your family to the most important of occasions such as a wedding celebration, is just that much more special with a great glass of wine! The happiness I feel when I share a great bottle of wine or two along side a good meal with dear friends is to my life, the healthiest benefit of all. And now it
appears I will be able to enjoy this simple pleasure for many healthy years to come!

Try a Fall Picnic

The signs of summer’s end and the beginning of fall are all around us. The longer shadows, shorter days and cooler nights are impossible to ignore and always impart a feeling of melancholy for me. Since I became obsessed with wine the true indicators of summer lost seem to be all wine related. The wine cannons going off down the road, the clusters of very ripe fruit, plump and promising hanging from the vines and of course the activity and equipment at the wineries as they prepare for crush! My favorite season is almost over and winter is unavoidable. But before my feelings of wanting to just hibernate for a few months to return to the world rested and thinner kick in (why can’t we really do that?) there is much still to enjoy with the few days of Indian Summer we are bound to get!

So before we have to pull out our sweatshirts and rain gear, we will surely have a few days of shorts & sandals weather and these last sunny days of the year are in my opinion some of the very nicest.To encourage you to get out and take advantage of them I have suggestions of some of the best outside wine venues you can find.

Julianna Vineyards with their deck right on the river tops my list for the place to spend a late summer, early autumn afternoon. Pack a few snacks and buy a bottle or two of wine to share with some good friends and sit back and relax with the natural beauty of the Umpqua River there just for your enjoyment! Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards has a park like setting and for those of you lucky enough to be wine club members you are already aware of the amazing deck with expansive views of the property and vineyards. Becker Vineyard has a lovely deck looking out to the vineyard and I have spent many magical times there soaking up the sun as well as their terrific pinot noir! MarshAnne Landing can not be beat for an afternoon of picnicking with their beautiful deck and views as well as their incredible tasting room with fabulous art scattered about. A visit here is a feast for the senses
and their excellent wines are only one of the reasons to come here! Henry Estate

Winery’s Gewürztraminer and Mueller Thurgau warrant a stop and their beautiful grounds will make you want to stay for a while. Melrose Vineyards has stunning grounds and makes for a terrific afternoon get away. Delfino Vineyards has a lovely area for picnicking and their award winning syrah will surely make any afternoon spent here one you will not soon forget. HillCrest Vineyard has a new deck and incredible views of the Callahan’s and couple this with some of the very best wines the Umpqua Valley (or anywhere else for that matter) has to offer and you are in heaven! Chateau Nonchalant has an exceptionally peaceful, lovely picnic spot and if you have not yet made a visit, now is the perfect time. Bradley Vineyards
in Elkton would be my suggestion for spending some quality time when out that way. Misty Oaks has a great lawn for spreading out that summer picnic blanket just one more time and has some bold reds worthy of a late summer afternoon. As always… I will see you there!

Here's Looking Through You!

I recently talked with a loyal reader of this column who loves wine and suggested I write about wine glasses and how they play a role in the wine tasting experience. She like many of us, found out how the type of glass you drink wine from can enhance or detract from the taste.

Now I know this might sound a bit far fetched to some of you, but trust me it is true. There are wine glasses designed specifically for over 20 different varietals each with a stem, a foot and a bowl but with differences in their shape to capture the subtle characteristics of each wine. There are glasses designed for varietalsfrom Bordeaux, Burgundy and Chianti and everything in between. There is even an Oregon Pinot glass designed exclusively for Oregon Pinot Noir that boasts depositing the wine directly on to just the right spot on your tongue for the maximum appreciation of our most famous grape. And believe it or not it really does!

But for most of us it is cost prohibitive as well as space prohibitive to have 20 of more different wine glass designs.It is also unnecessary for everyday wine appreciation. Most of us would just like to have one or two good glasses that will work well for most varietals. I suggest investing in three styles of stemware. One for champagne, one for white wines and one for reds. Each of these glasses should be made of thin glass so it feels natural between your lips and they should have nice big bowls. Champagne flutes are long and narrow, designed to keep the bubbles bubbling for longer and to allow the wine to stay colder longer. White wine glasses too are shaped more narrow than red glasses, to account for the cooler serving temperature as well as to direct the aroma of the wine right up to your face.

An appropriate red glass will have a wider, more open bowl to allow for breathing and swirling and since reds are not served as cold as whites, less worry about maintaining a cold temperature.

Wine glasses should never be any other color than clear. Appreciating the differences in the array of wine colors is part of the wine tasting experience. Color can tell you a lot about a wine and if the glass has a colored bowl
or stem it alters the color of the wine. Stemless glasses have made a bit of a hit with some of our younger wineaux but they are absolutely not for me or for any of my wine friends. Keeping your hands off the bowl of the glass so as not to heat up your wine is absolutely critical in optimizing the nuances of each wine.

If you don’t believe this all makes a difference try the same wine served in two different glasses and see for yourself. Nothing takes a glass of wine from ordinary to extraordinary like drinking it at the correct temperature from a well designed vessel. Life is too short to drink bad wine. And it is too short to drink good wine out of crummy glasses. Cheers!

Magical Wine Events

One of the things I miss most coming from a well developed wine region is the choices in fine dining and good wine bars. Since moving here, I have visited every wine bar and every restaurant boasting a good wine list. Until now I had not been overly impressed. But Friday night I visited Anthony’s Restaurant and then their new wine bar Bella Serra and came home knowing we are evolving into a wine town to be proud of!

My husband and I went with two of our dearest friends who really know good food and wine. I respect their culinary opinions more then just about anyone I know and we have visited other wine bars and restaurants together. Our friends had been to Anthony’s before and had given it favorable reviews but it was my husbands and my first time there and none of us had visited the wine bar located just behind the restaurant. Anthony’s menu was quite extensive with choices from veal to clams and their wine list boasted some of the best wines of the Umpqua Valley.

They offered a nice selection of Italian wines and I was so pleased to see micro beer on tap available too. Our dinner was good and the waiter Carl put up with my questions on how they stored their wines and my observation that they serve their whites too cold- a common mistake made at many restaurants. We ordered a lovely bold Italian wine and it came promptly and was enjoyed by all.

After dinner we moved to Bella Serra their wine bar located in a separate space just behind the restaurant. The minute I walked in I was impressed with the energy of the place. It felt very inviting with an intimate feeling about it. The acoustics were really good and the lighting was just right, creating a warm soft feeling. The entry way was decorated with art by local artists and one picture was so nice our friends could not resist taking it home with them. We chose a comfy table and sat down to the melody of a two man band playing some popular tunes. The band was quite good and perfect for the venue. You could easily hold a conversation and hear the music. We ordered glasses of wine and I could not help ordering the Ahi Tuna appetizer. Cooked to perfection! Everything was just right. The service provided by our same Anthony’s waiter Carl, the music, the food and most importantly the wine. We all agreed they had something pretty special here. We talked about how nice it will be to come in the summer during the wonderful warm evenings and sit out on the large patio, sipping fine wine (or a beer on tap) while enjoying the great food, good service and good tunes.

After visiting Bella Serra I know Roseburg has finally arrived into the world of wine beyond our excellent wineries. The ability to share fine wine and good food with friends should not end at the close of our local wineries or be limited to our own homes. And with Bella Serra in business it doesn’t have to be.

Life in the Slow Lane

I am one of the luckiest people on the planet! I really mean it! I live in the Umpqua Valley with it’s natural beauty, tremendous climate and the amazing wine. Each weekend is an adventure for me touring the Umpqua in search of fabulous wines and meeting other like minded, kindred wine spirits on the same quest!

So Sunday, my husband and I found ourselves with a day off. It was time to do a bit of wine research on our own and we knew exactly where we needed to go. The day before we had visited Palotai Vineyards and found Gabor’s "Indigo" a big red blend, recently released, better then ever. Yum! Yum! Yum! And we had stopped with our guests at Giardet Wine Cellars and really enjoyed the Grand Rouge as well
as their well known Baco Noir. But this day it was the newly released Pinot Noir by Becker Vineyards we were out to try.

As we arrived at The Becker Vineyards tasting room, we were greeted warmly by Peggy and Charlie Becker. They had some wine guests just finishing up tasting and we all talked wine for a few minutes. Their Pinot Gris and Rose were not new to me and I had tasted their Pinot before, but only out of the barrel. As we sipped the Pinot I marveled at it’s evolution from barrel to bottle. The tannins were soft and the cherry fruit easily identifiable. As the Becker’s poured us another taste I was struck by how accessible and easy to drink this wine was. Somewhat unusual for such a young wine! We were then treated to a taste of their Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon
both still in barrels. These wines were impressive with the Syrah exhibiting classic Syrah pepper notes and the Cabernet Sauvignon, deep and rich with plenty of cherry and black cherry fruit.

Since the day was winding down and the tasting room was closing, the Becker’s invited us to join them on their beautiful deck overlooking their vineyard for a further examination of their delicious Pinot Noir. How could we refuse? So for the next hour we talked wine and friendship and hard work and passion and through the whole wonderful discussion,we were sipping this great wine. The weather had begun to change a bit earlier in the day and it now began to thunder,lightning and rain! Big drops and loud bangs were upon us and we were delighted. The magical weather seemed fitting for this magical time the four of us were experiencing. We continued sipping Pinot talking and watching the lightning bolts as they crackled through the sky. No one even considered moving out of the rain!

This amazing afternoon spent on the deck of Becker Vineyards won‘t soon be forgotten! It does not get any better then this. Yes, I am one of the luckiest people on the planet. And for those of you reading this who live right here in The Umpqua Valley,you are as well! Truly memorable, magical experiences that occur when you bring fine wine, beautiful surroundings and passionate people together are available to all of us living here. Just spend an afternoon visiting one or two
of our family owned wineries and I have no doubt a magical afternoon will emerge for you too!

A Well Developed Wine Region

The importance of food and wine pairing is becoming well
understood and we are seeing much more effort and awareness in
our local wine events. As we become more wine savvy, spending
more time and money seeking out our favorite wines, food and
wine pairing becomes absolutely essential. We all want to get
the very best and the very most from our favorite wines. Pairing
the right foods with the complimentary wines will do just that
and take your wine enjoyment to new heights!

Food and wine pairing is a highly subjective and inexact
process. The old rules — primarily red wine with red meat and
white wine with fish and poultry — don't take into consideration
the complexity of today's multi-ethnic and subtly flavored foods
and the corresponding wide range of wines from around the world
that are now conveniently available to almost everyone. So that
means there's considerable room for experimentation and
expression of your own personality in pairing food and wine. Yippee!

The ultimate goal when pairing food and wine is synergy and
balance. The wine shouldn't overpower the food, nor should the
food overpower the wine. spacer
Wine should enhance the flavor of food and vise versa! A good
match will bring out the nuances and enhance the flavors and
unique characteristics of both the food and the wine. When I am
experimenting with a new recipe, I will try it with a few wines
I think might pair well and then make a note of the one that
really works.

Here are a few guidelines to help get you started in the right
direction.

When you're serving more than one wine at a meal, it's
customary to serve lighter wines before full-bodied ones.
Dry wines should be served before sweet wines unless a
sweet flavored dish is served early in the meal. In that
case match the sweet dish with a similarly sweet wine.
Lower alcohol wines should be served before higher alcohol
wines.

Balance flavor intensity. Pair light-bodied wines with
lighter food and fuller-bodied wines with heartier, more
flavorful, richer and fattier dishes.


Consider how the food is prepared. Delicately flavored
foods — poached or steamed — pair best with delicate
wines. It's easier to pair wines with more flavorfully
prepared food — braised, grilled, roasted or sautéed. Pair
the wine with the sauce, seasoning or dominant flavor of
the dish.


Match flavors. An earthy Pinot Noir goes well with
mushroom soup and the grapefruit/citrus taste of Sauvignon
Blancs goes with fish for the same reasons that lemon does.

Balance sweetness. But, beware of pairing a wine with food
that is sweeter than the wine, although I do like
chocolate with Cabernet Sauvignon. I also like chocolate
with good dark beer. Come to think of it, I like chocolate
with just about anything and a good dark beer with just
about anything! But that is a topic that deserves a column
of its' own


Consider pairing opposites. Very hot or spicy foods — some
Thai dishes, or hot curries for example — often work best
with sweet desert wines. Opposing flavors can play off
each other, creating new flavor sensations and cleansing
the palate.

Use your instincts and experiment! To put together a meal that
tastes great with your favorite wines, is a very satisfying
accomplishment.

You call this Work?

The signs of summer’s end and the beginning of fall are all around us. The longer shadows, shorter days and cooler nights are impossible to ignore and always impart a feeling of melancholy for me. Since I became obsessed with wine the true indicators of summer lost seem to be all wine related. The wine cannons going off down the road, the clusters of very ripe fruit, plump and promising hanging from the vines and of course the activity and equipment at the wineries as they prepare for crush! My favorite season is almost over and winter is unavoidable. But before my feelings of wanting to just hibernate for a few months to return to the world rested and thinner kick in (why can’t we really do that?) there is much still to enjoy with the few days of Indian Summer we are bound to get!

So before we have to pull out our sweatshirts and rain gear, we will surely have a few days of shorts & sandals weather and these last sunny days of the year are in my opinion some of the very nicest. To encourage you to get out and take advantage of them I have suggestions of some of the best outside wine venues you can find.

Julianna Vineyards with their deck right on the river tops my list for the place to spend a late summer, early autumn afternoon. Pack a few snacks and buy a bottle or two of wine to share with some good friends and sit back and relax with the natural beauty of the Umpqua River there just for your enjoyment! Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards has a park like setting and for those of you lucky enough to be wine club members you are already aware of the amazing deck with expansive views of the property and vineyards. Becker Vineyard has a lovely deck looking out to the vineyard and I have spent many magical times there soaking up the sun as well as their terrific pinot noir! MarshAnne Landing can not be beat for an afternoon of picnicking with their beautiful deck and views as well as their incredible tasting room with fabulous art scattered about. A visit here is a feast for the senses and their excellent wines are only one of the reasons to come here! Henry Estate Winery’s Gewürztraminer and Mueller Thurgau warrant a stop and their beautiful grounds will make you want to stay for a while. Melrose Vineyards has stunning grounds and makes for a terrific afternoon get away. Delfino Vineyards has a lovely area for picnicking and their award winning syrah will surely make any afternoon spent here one you will not soon forget. HillCrest Vineyard has a new deck and incredible views of the Callahan’s and couple this with some of the very best wines the Umpqua Valley (or anywhere else for that matter) has to offer and you are in heaven! Chateau Nonchalant has an exceptionally peaceful, lovely picnic spot and if you have not yet made a visit, now is the perfect time. Bradley Vineyards in Elkton would be my suggestion for spending some quality time when out that way. Misty Oaks has a great lawn for spreading out that summer picnic blanket just one more time and has some bold reds worthy of a late summer afternoon. As always… I will see you there!