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!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
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!
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!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
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.
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.
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