Roussanne is a white wine that is full of promise. It is a challenge to grow, but winemakers and vineyard owners are on a sharp learning curve.
Here are two textbook examples:
Truchard Vineyards Carneros, Napa Valley Estate Bottled Roussanne 2023 $30 One of the first to make a Roussanne in California, Truchard planted 3 acres back in 1998. Over the years the Truchards have learned how to deal with the variety’s many challenges. In 2023, they harvested Roussanne in early November, and fermented the juice in French oak barrels (20% new). As the wine aged on the lees for 6 months, it was frequently stirred and went through a partial malolactic fermentation. Showing some green in its light yellow color, the wine opens up and is both vibrant and full flavored. Nectarine and apricot fruit aromatics lead the way and pick up subtle jasmine and a touch of oak with swirling. Medium full-bodied, the wine is smooth and continues with flavors of peach, apricot and citrus which are delivered with a hint of minerality and firming acidity. Layered and balanced, it is solid now and should peak in 3-4 years. 94
Peter William Vineyard Rogue Valley (Oregon) Roussanne 2024 $28.50 Roussanne Is a challenge to grow, and the winery made a few viticultural changes in its estate vineyard. In 2024 those changes paid off and resulted in a vibrant, textured wine. Harvested in mid-october at a relatively low Brix of 22.8, this Roussanne was barrel fermented and aged for 5 months in neutral French oak. Straw colored, it offers an attractive aroma of white peach with hints of ginger and jasmine for added intrigue. Medium-bodied and smooth in texture, the wine remains vibrant with rich flavors of peach and some honeyed notes. The finish is long and lively with some of that ginger spice showing up in the aftertaste. 93
If you love hearing about winemakers who think out of the box, well then read on. Founded by Sue Tipton, Acquiesce Winery & Vineyards is a white wine specialist in Lodi. You heard right, Lodi white wines only. The story goes that when vacationing in the Rhone Valley, she tasted a white Châteauneuf-du-Pape and that changed everything. Not long afterwards, she researched the white varieties, discovered Tablas Creek and its nursery, and, well, uprooted her Zinfandel vineyard and went full on white rhones. At Acquiesce today she offers wines made from Picpoul Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier, Bourboulenc, and Clairette Blanche as well as several blends.
She was the first in California to plant the Bourboulenc variety and has not backed down when dealing with the white Rhone problem child, Roussanne. But to those winemakers who love a challenge, it can be rewarding.
Acquiesce Winery & Vineyards Mokelumne River, Lodi Roussanne 2022 $41
The 2022 Acquiesce Roussanne is a perfect example of the multi-faceted white. Harvested in late august from the estate’s 2 acres, this Roussanne is incredible in many ways. It keeps changing in the glass as it airs, and in the final analysis, is nuanced and balanced. The medium yellow color has a youthful green edge. The initial aroma of peach and jasmine takes on a hint of honeysuckle and tea. On the palate it is medium full-bodied, soft and smooth in texture, and the flavors of peach and green tea also have a mineral, chalky back taste. There’s just enough acidity to add to the finish which still has a fresh fruit and chalky aftertaste. Entirely stainless steel fermented and lees aged, it can be matched with your favorite white wine main course. 94 points
Roussanne is known to improve with cellaring, so this 2022 will be fascinating to try again in a few years.
And here is proof positive that it ages well indeed:
Domaine de la Terre Rouge Sierra Foothills (California) Roussanne 2005
From the winery’s cellar courtesy of Bill Easton. The color here is medium yellow but with some lively green glints. Don’t let the “old” look mislead you because this wine is still very much alive. The aroma is a combination of nectarine and candlewax with some citrus and green tea subtleties. Concentrated with layers and layers of flavors, the wine offers a silky smooth, creamy texture through bottle aging. Ii has developed some pear and honey flavors and a touch of almond but it is all seamless and harmonious at this stage. Finishes long and lively. What a treat to experience how well Roussanne responds to cellaring. It held up well when tasted a day later. Amazing wine.
Why would any normal person start a winery these days? Well, let’s go rogue and find out.
Oregon just nudged ahead of Washington State and is now home to over 1,000 wineries, second only to California. The last I heard California had over 4000 wineries. New wineries are opening up each week and the Rogue Valley is attracting more than its fair share of newbies.
But why now?
The oft quoted reason is “the pursuit of a dream and the lifestyle.” That was voiced during the boom decades of the 70s and 80s in California and still reverberates in this decade along the entire West Coast.
Who are these wine dreamers? In the US, unlike in traditional wine countries, most winery start-up founders are career changers (doctors, lawyers, high-tech) but a few are from a farming background and a few are out and out science nerds. Yes, there are wineries started by celebrities of some kind with too much money and too big of an ego. And then there’s the epiphany story.
When you peek behind the label to see who the owners are among the rising stars, you once again encounter the Rogue Valley’s diversity.
Goldback Wines: Watch out for Lightning
Speaking of an epiphany, Goldback is a good place to start our second tour of the Rogue Valley. Named after a fern indigenous to Southern Oregon, this authentic, small lot artisan winery was launched in 2016 by winemaker/owner Andy Meyer. He caught the wine bug as a college student looking for a summer job. “I answered a craigslist ad for a tasting room job for the summer, which just happened to be for Cristom Vineyards. Within 15 minutes of driving up the driveway for the interview, a lightning bolt struck. I knew that working in wine was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”
After the lightning strike his resume expanded to include working harvests at William Selyem and Hirsch Vineyards in Sonoma, Felton Road in New Zealand, Mark Ryan in Washington, and Cape Mentelle in South Africa. From these experiences as well as his time as a restaurant wine director, he favors a minimalist approach to winemaking and aims to preserve natural acidity in whites and tannin integration in his reds.
As for his own wines, the red Cuvee is the winery’s version of a Cotes du Rhone, drink now red. A blend of 58% Syrah and 42% Grenache, it offers plenty of bright raspberry fruit in its aroma and has a pleasing soft entry to deliver berry and cherry flavors.
Goldback’s Syrah is a blockbuster that showcases Syrah’s full throttle concentration and purity and is all about the grape and the site. In recent vintages, Meyer sought out the nearby Meadowlark Vineyard with its granite soils and sustainable farming. But the site is also very windy which forces the vines to shut down frequently and contribute to a long growing season. Similar, says Meyer, to the effect of the Mistral in the Rhone. The resulting wine is dark purple and loaded with ripe plum and a floral, wild thyme character. Medium full, it is concentrated with dense, ripe black fruit flavors and some black pepper. Plush and seamless, it will benefit from a couple of years of bottle aging. But could age for a decade or more.
From the oldest block of Grenache from the neighboring Jaxon Vineyard,Goldback’s Grenache is a selection of the winemaker’s favorites. Those selected stood out for being “Pinot Noir-ish”and the wine is indeed not your typical Grenache. A long cold soak and a 22 day fermentation with some whole clusters, the wine was aged 18 months in neutral French oak. The nose offers up loads of vibrant, cherry, strawberry fruit that carry over into the smooth flavors. There’s a touch of earthiness in the nicely textured finish. In 2020, Goldback continued experimenting and bottled one barrel of Grenache that was 100% whole cluster, carbonic maceration.
A beautiful hillside vineyard overlooking the Rogue Valley in Southern Oregon was planted by Dr. Peter William Adesman. Along with being a full-time practicing physician, he has been an avid wine collector and educator since the 1970s, and long dreamed of producing his own wines. He notes: ”In 2007, my wife, Dr. Robin Miller, and I moved to a property in the Rogue Valley where we could plant a 10-acre vineyard. That is how Peter William Vineyard was born. Our first commercial vintage was 2016.”
Peter, only call him “Doctor” if you are his patient, is dynamic, enthusiastic and has an encyclopedic wine knowledge based on tasting and traveling. For his winery, Syrah is offered in several styles. Of the 4 Syrahs made by this winery in 2018, one labeled Candives is 100% Syrah made from the estate vineyard and aged entirely in French oak, 50% new. To distinguish it from the others, the winery went with the “Candives” name, said to be an alternate name for Syrah used in the tiny village of Chavanay in the Northern Rhone Valley. As fine as the other 2018s are, this is so dark, dense, and dramatic that the special name is certainly merited. Ultra smooth and seamless, it is beautiful now but will also bring rewards with cellaring. 94 points.
Another small batch Peter William Syrah is made from estate grown grapes which are vinified by winemaker Eric Weisinger who is the “W” referenced on the label. The end result is a compact, powerful expression of Syrah that may be one of the best values around these days. It is pure ripe Syrah beginning with its dark color and earthy, leathery, black pepper aromatics.
Then there’s an exciting blend from Peter William aptly named “Extravagance.” It may be going on elsewhere, but Southern Oregon sure seems to be a hotbed of creative winemaking energy leading to fascinating blends and unusual wines. A 50-50 blend of Tempranillo and Syrah, Extravagance is aged for 21 months in French oak and bottled unfined and unfiltered. This intriguing blend turns out to be delicious red wine with both depth and charm. It comes across as ripe, plush Syrah built on a Tempranillo framework.
In 2023, the 2-Hawk Winery was rebranded Padigan, the name taken from a soil type. This 24 acre vineyard is owned by Ross Allen, a third generation farmer from the San Joaquin Valley.
Both before and after the name change, Malbec was a major success along with the winery’s Syrah and Viognier. With the release of its 2019 wines, the winery began hitting full stride. 2019 was an exceptionally long, coolish growing season, and the winery’s estate grown Malbec was not harvested until mid to late October. The juice was wild yeast fermented, blended with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged for 28 months in oak. 21% new, 61% neutral. Intensely dark, this Malbec is concentrated and needs some aeration to strut its stuff Overall, an exciting, multi-layered Malbec.
Then there’s Padigan’s Viognier. It takes a grower who knows every vine on the estate to know the best time to harvest Viognier. Ross works closely with winemaker Kiley Evans who explains:
“The trick with Viognier is getting it ripe beyond the bitter almond finish that can be a nuisance in the wine, but not so ripe that it is overly alcoholic/hot and I’ve seen that progression happen in as little as 2-3 days.”
Padigan’s 2021 is a lovely expression of Viognier. Big and round on the palate, it remains lively with good citrus fruit along with crunchy melon flavors. The texture is heavenly and the wine brings it home with a long lasting finish with a subtle zing to it. This could serve as a benchmark Viognier that’s neither over the top in ripeness and alcohol nor one that relies on oak. Native yeast fermented, It was aged sur lies for 11 months in 35% new French oak and later rested on the lees in stainless for 6 months. It seems likely to become even more complex with aging for 3 to 5 years
DAN and CINdy Marka met while studying viticulture at UC Davis. To them, wine is all about sites, clones, soils and aspect. Both must have been super students because their vineyard is beautiful and impeccably maintained.
Dancin is also one of a handful of Rogue Valley wineries making a Pinot Noir, but Dan Marka explains,
“ Our site was created for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with its north, northeast facing aspect, 1800 foot average elevation and shade occurring beginning at 5:45pm (depending on the Block) throughout the growing season. We are finding that we can produce delicious Pinot Noir with great flavors and balance at alcohol levels in the mid to upper 12’s to the very low 13’s. Our wide diurnal swings allow for flavors and ripeness to occur during the day with acids retained during the overnight hours. We can see daytime highs to overnight lows vary by 40 degrees!”
And he adds that the same Pinot Noir clones ripen later at his site than they do in McMinnville or Dundee.
As a specialist, Dancin is an exception where it is more common to grow a dozen or more varieties within an estate. But, digging a little deeper, you discover the winery’s roster offers lots of exciting choices. Dancin makes 4 distinct Chardonnays, 4 Pinots from different blocks or different clones. It also makes Syrah, Sangiovese and Barbera. If you enjoy Barbera, Dancin’s won’t disappoint.
Weisinger Family Winery: 2nd generation wine grower
Tempranillo Estate, Rogue Valley
The Weisinger Family, on the eastern edge in Ashland is said to specialize in Tempranillo along with, Rhone and Bordeaux varietals.. Quite diverse for a 3,000 case annual output.
Acreage planted to Tempranillo has steadily increased in Southern Oregon over the last decade. Located just outside of Ashland, Weisinger was founded in 1988, making it one of the oldest in Southern Oregon. After assuming the winemaker’s role, Eric Weisinger began grafting over the original Gewurztraminer vines to Tempranillo. Adjacent to the winery, the Tempranillo occupies a steep, high elevation (2235 feet) northeast facing site. The Weisinger Family, on the eastern edge in Ashland is said to specialize in Tempranillo, Pinot Noir, Rhone and Bordeaux varietals, as well as proprietary blends. Quite diverse for a 3,000 case annual output.
My first experience with Weisinger was with the wines from 2018. 2018 was an ideal long, slow growing season with the Tempranillo picked in the first week of October. After being cold soaked and fermented for 20 days by native yeasts, the wine was barrel aged for 17 months in 30% new American oak. It offers lovely bright cherry fruit with hints of black tea and spice in a solid, medium weight package. The black cherry and spice theme continues in the deep flavors with subtle oak toast and firm, integrated tannins coming into play. Beautifully structured and focused throughout, it should drink well over the next 5-7 years. Not surprisingly, Weisinger’s Tempranillos have won many awards. I’ve scored them 93 and 94 in two recent vintages.
Weisinger Family Winery Roussanne, Fortmiller Vineyard, Rogue Valley, Oregon, 2019
Normally part of a Rhone blend, Roussanne as a stand alone varietal is one that seems to challenge winemakers. After experimenting earlier with Roussanne, in 2018 Weisinger resumed its efforts after discovering the north-facing Fortmiller Vineyard in 2018. In 2019, Weisinger harvested the Roussanne at a low 22.4 Brix to preserve acidity and after whole cluster pressing the winery barrel fermented the wine using native and commercial yeasts. The lees were stirred throughout the long fermentation. The result is a wine that showcases floral and lemony aromas, and the flavors are bright with citrus and honeysuckle notes. The leesy texture adds complexity and length to this delicate, lively and pretty wine.
Belle Fiore is the closest thing to a Napa-ish winery with its rather elaborate tasting room and chateau-like facility. It has a busy restaurant and is even a mini art gallery. But it is also serious about its wines made from its 31 acre estate vineyard surrounding the winery. The roster consists of the usual varieties such as Merlot and Syrah but then you get to the “others,” especially the Italians. Here you’ll find a Montepulciano (my fav), a Barbera, Teroldego, Fiano, and a rare Caprettone grape. These are all possible because the owners have identified what they call “16 micro-blocks” based upon soil types and elevation. Owner Edward Kerwin is a clinical research scientist and his wife Karen has an M.A in genetic counseling. Together they launched Belle Fiore in 2007.
Long Walk Vineyard: A Dream Retreat from Silicon Valley
Located in the hills above Ashland, Long Walk is a newly developed vineyard and historic 35 acre orchard owned by Kathy and Tom O’Leary, Silicon Valley techies. After a prolonged search, they settled on this cool, south facing site to pursue their dream to make Rhone inspired wines. The 11-acre vineyard is planted primarily to Rhone varieties. But they also like Zinfandel so there’s a smattering of Zin. “Field Notes” is their version of a GSM Rhone blend. Made from 40% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah and a splash of Carignane, it is medium dark in color and unfolds quickly in the glass. The nose starts out with pretty plum fruit along with a hint of leather and game but the bright black fruit character prevails. The flavors add some herbs and cherry and are presented in a round body with gentle, dusty tannins poking through. Pleasantly subtle and charming overall, it is one to enjoy over the next several years. Kudos for the light touch.
With Rose wines being so trendy and Roses now being made from just about every red grape available, it was an eye opener to encounter Long Walk’s rose from a red grape that’s ideal for a Rose: Cinsault. Popular in Southern France, Cinsault is light in color and low in tannin and remains the backbone for many Provence Roses. From vines planted in 2002, this winery’s Rose is an attractive pink-copper color and offers an aromatic mix of just picked strawberries, rose petals and summer flowers. Medium bodied and vibrant, it is balanced and has just enough acidity to bring it to a delicate finish.
As for the Long Walk Zinfandel, it too is impressive.
This new family run winery is based in the small town of Talent, near Medford. The label is a replica used by the family when the land was a pear orchard. Winemaker Matt Newbry and his wife Janéa, attribute the Inspiration Behind Talent Cellars to the very soil their family has been farming In Talent, Oregon since the 1920’s.
Sourced from two nearby vineyards, the 2017 Nuf Said is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon with 13% Petit Verdot and 12% Grenache. It was aged 22 months in French and American oak (50% new). It is medium bodied and vibrant with bright berry fruit and graphite and cedar in the aroma, yet it sweeps across the palate with juicy, ripe fruit and a hint of vanilla from the oak. Beautifully balanced, it finishes with light, ultra smooth tannins. Production was 250 cases.
Seeking out unusual wine regions for their great diversity seems to be high on the must-do lists for today’s sommeliers. At least, the hard working SOMMS. Makes sense because discovering new wines and/new regions pretty much validates their jobs. Recently the head of sommselect.com singled out the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA for its success with Pinot Noir and Syrah among others. He ended by praising Santa Cruz as “one of the few regions anywhere in the world hospitable to such a diverse range of varieties.”
Really? Now that “diverse range of varieties” phrase struck a chord. Coincidentally over the last 2 years, I’ve been interested in the same subject. Well, as much as I enjoy wines from Santa Cruz, there are other regions working with a far wider range of varieties that make Santa Cruz seem normal.
Santa Clara County, for example, has all of the mainstays, all of the Rhones, and, thanks to Guglielmo, some unusual Italian varieties. An even wider range of varieties was encountered during my visit to the Okanagan Valley. Not just a few remaining hybrids, but there’s an exciting diversity there including many obscure vinifera grapes like Chasselas and Pinot Auxerrois, both made into impressive wines.
What also ties these two regions together is neither has what could be called a signature wine. A wine that consumers automatically equate with that place, like Napa Cabs or Amador Zins.
So this lack of a signature wine leads us to another region where winemakers actually seem to enjoy working with a diverse range of varieties: the Rogue Valley in Southern Oregon. Because it has so little in common with the Willamette Valley, winemakers get a little touchy if you refer to it as “The other Oregon” wine region.
Yes, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are grown here, but so too are Cabernet, Zinfandel along with Spanish, Italian, and the full range of French grapes. And one or two Portuguese.
How Do you Define Diverse?
In the Rogue Valley, it is common to grow a dozen or more varieties within a small estate. Established in 2004, Quady North has 15 acres under vine and grows 12 different varieties. Most are Rhone grapes, but it also farms Cabernet and Cabernet Franc. On its 40 acre estate vineyards, Schmidt Family Vineyards in Applegate Valley grows 14 varieties, and produces 6,700 cases a year. It also makes 25 different wines in a given year.
Its neighbor, Wooldridge Creek, one of the oldest wineries, has 56 acres planted to twelve varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Viognier, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Tempranillo. And a similar wild assortment is seen in many, many other wineries across the entire Rogue Valley. The Weisinger Family, on the eastern edge in Ashland is said to specialize in Tempranillo, Pinot Noir, Rhone and Bordeaux varietals, as well as proprietary blends. Quite diverse for a 3,000 case annual output.
But are these wineries growing a dozen or more varieties like the proverbial jack of all trades, master of none? It seems crazy for small vineyards to grow grapes from Bordeaux and Burgundy, along with the Rhones. Then add a few from Spain and Italy and it seems way beyond normal.
At Belle Fiore Winery, where 56 acres are planted to such a wide mix which includes many unusual Italian varieties, the owners have identified what they call “16 micro-blocks” based upon soil types and elevation. Two-Hawks’ winemaker, Kiley Evans, has singled out several blocks based on soil types led by a Darow Series of wine grown in one predominant soil. So the soils and sites are indeed diverse.
NOT THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY
Taking its name from the Rogue River, the Rogue Valley wine region wears that rogue title well. Approved as an AVA in 1991, the Rogue Valley is the southernmost growing wine region of Oregon and the Valley is 70 miles wide by 60 miles long. The area runs from Ashland in the southeast through the north and south sides of Medford and stretches to Grants Pass in the west.
Today, this high elevation (1,000-2,300 foot level) generally mountainous growing area is home to 100 wineries. While most of these wineries started after 2000, the Rogue Valley is Oregon’s oldest wine region, with first vineyards planted in the 1850s. And it is home to the State’s first operating winery opened in 1873.
Vineyards have been expanding recently and now cover around 5,000 acres, growing no fewer than 70 varieties. Yes, from Albarino to Zinfandel, the roster includes the obligatory Chardonnay and Cabernet and, no surprise, Pinot Noir. But with vineyards planted at different elevations with different aspects, the Rogue is no Willamette.
Because most of today’s vineyards were developed after 2000, many wines, Rhones, Spanish, or Italian, are likely made from relatively new vines. Typically, vineyards are densely planted and organically grown with “sustainable” a popular theme.
Dancin is one of a handful on wineries making a Pinot Noir, but as owner Dan Marca explains,
“ Our site was created for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with its north, northeast facing aspect, 1800 foot average elevation and shade occurring beginning at 5:45pm (depending on the Block) throughout the growing season. We are finding that we can produce delicious Pinot Noir with great flavors and balance at alcohol levels in the mid to upper 12’s to the very low 13’s. Our wide diurnal swings allow for flavors and ripeness to occur during the day with acids retained during the overnight hours. We can see daytime highs to overnight lows vary by 40 degrees!”
And he adds that the same Pinot Noir clones ripen later at his site than they do in McMinnville or Dundee.
Dancin’s vineyards are in the mid-section of the Rogue Valley, just outside Jacksonville. Far to the west is the The Applegate Valley AVA which was established in 2000 as a sub-region within the Rogue. With over 700 acres under vine, the Applegate Valley “has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, like much of coastal California. However, it has four very distinct seasons, a relatively short growing season, and fog is not a factor. Winter is cold, with occasional snow. That allows the vines to go into full hibernation. Half of the area’s annual 20-30” of precipitation arrives in winter.”
Because the growing season is on the short side and features cold nights and wide diurnal swings, the Applegate Valley AVA is best-suited to grapes which ripen quickly or are pleasing at low levels of ripeness. Here, veteran viticulturist Herb Quady who manages many vineyards in addition to his own for Quady North, is a strong advocate of Rhone varieties. He is joined by the founders of Cowhorn Vineyard who planted 25 acres to the Rhones. He explained his choice this way:“While our latitude is a bit lower than the Rhône, and our growing season is shorter, other qualities are similar, especially to Châteauneuf-du-Pape: river-side bench-land with little rain, hot summers, and rocky soils that don’t hold much water.”
But even in this corner, the Rogue Valley is not the exclusive Rhone Zone. A few miles away from Cowhorn, Red Lily Vineyards has emphasized Tempranillo planted along benchlands of the Applegate River and has vines located on three distinct sites. Winemaker/owner Rachael Martin tells us her “newest vineyard site planted to Tempranillo “has a predominantly northern aspect on a varying slope surrounding a knoll, and sits at an average elevation of 1500 feet.” And another vineyard site “has a predominantly western aspect on a 12% average slope that rises to an elevation of 1630 feet.” She makes Tempranillo in three styles, including a Rose.
As specialists, Dancin and Red Lily are rare in this region where it is more common to grow a dozen or more varieties within an estate. But, looking closer, Dancin makes 4 distinct Chardonnays, 4 Pinots from different blocks or different clones. It also makes a Syrah and a Barbera. Its kindred spirit near Ashland is Irvine & Robert Vineyards. Also specializing in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, it typically bottles 3 of each varietal, all small batches identified by clone or vineyard block. And, no surprise, makes a rare Pinot Meunier.
However they go about it, Rogue Valley winemakers are making most wines in small batches based upon some unique condition, be it soil, micro-climate, clone, or block by block.
And this is how I read the situation after talking to winemakers at Peter William, Weisinger, 2-Hawk, Quady North, Goldback, and Schmidt Family: winemakers revel in the diversity. Making a wide variety of small batch wine is what being a winemaker is all about. Hands on winemakers: they can be creative and make decisions that they were trained to do. They dont have to be told what to make and how to make it from the sales team, the bosses, and the market or some focus group.
But since consumers naturally like to have reliable information and advice, the question of what is the Rogue Valley’s signature wine needs to be addressed. Not long ago, W. Blake Gray writing for winesearcher.com made a case for Malbec as the region’s best. He included wines from the Umpqua Valley but highlighted the Malbecs from Weisinger Family and 2-Hawk.
Though I share his enthusiasm for those Malbecs, his argument largely based upon grape prices failed to convince Malbec is it. On my first few visits, I thought the star was Syrah, but then I tasted a stunning Grenache from 2-Hawk, a beautiful Viognier from Quady North, Cabernet Franc from several wineries, and more recently Tempranillo from Peter William Vineyard and others. And then there are creative blends such as Tempranillo and Syrah.
In fact one could easily argue that the standout Rogue Valley wine is Cabernet Franc. While admittedly being on the Cab Franc bandwagon, I draw support from the excellent medium bodied versions made in Applegate by Quady North, Schmidt Family, and Wooldridge Cellars and then head south east to Ashland and add Cab Francs from Belle Fiore and Weisinger Family. Here’s a tip: when released in the Spring of ‘22, Weisinger’s 2019 Cabernet Franc will rank as one of the best made in the West Coast.
Tempranillo, the third most widely planted variety in the world, has not yet established a beachhead anywhere in the USA. Given the Spanish heritage, that’s odd. But there’s more new acreage being developed in the Rogue Valley. Today, close to 100 wineries offer one in their tasting room.
Winemakers, Not Rock Stars
Giving the great diversity of varieties that can be successfully grown, the Rogue Valley is attracting young, creative winemakers. Goldback is a new winery launched in 2016 by Andy Myer. In an interview, he explains:
“Wine had always been of some interest to me, but the big moment happened after I moved to Oregon from Pennsylvania in 2006. I was transferring to Willamette University in Salem and was looking for a summer job. I answered a craigslist ad for a tasting room job for the summer, which just happened to be for Cristom Vineyards. Within 15 minutes of driving up the driveway for the interview, a lightning bolt struck. I knew that working in wine was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”
From there, he gained experience by working at William Selyem and Hirsh in Sonoma, Felton Road in New Zealand, back up to Wahington at Mark Ryan and then to Cape Mentelle in Western Australia.
From these experiences, he came to favor “a minimalist approach to winemaking and aims to preserve natural acidity in whites and tannin integration in reds.” After wandering the wine globe, his search for a region took him to the Rogue Valley.
The region’s diversity fits in perfectly with Myer’s view of wine:
“Wine itself is irreducibly complex. The fact that you could spend your entire life working one piece of land with one type of grape and never quite figure it all out, because there are thousands of variables every year in growing grapes, and about the same in making wine. That it’s impossible to make the same wine twice… and that every vintage everywhere is completely different.”
For detailed reviews of Goldback and other Rogue Valley wineries, see my reviews at
Norm Roby's Unfiltered Guide to Savvy Wine Shopping 