slides: The Land of Pinot Noir: Winemaking in Southern Oregon

Saturday, August 08, 2015

Carrie Wynkoop, GoLocalPDX Guest Contributor

Southern Oregon: A land of milk and honey – and wine, so much good wine.

I recently spent a month in Southern Oregon hunting for great wine, and I have to tell you: there are some extraordinary wines down there.

Yes, Oregon is the land of Pinot Noir, but there is so much more to this state. I met with over 25 different winemakers during my time in Southern Oregon and while I did enjoy quite a few Pinot Noirs, what impressed me most was the huge variety of other wines being made – from Tempranillo and Syrah to Viognier and Marsanne Roussanne.

The Southern Oregon wine community has really come into its own over the past few years, recognizing what it’s good at and weeding out what it isn’t. Even the New York Times has taken notice. The article “Only Hours From Napa, but a World Away” from last summer helped put Southern Oregon wineries on the map.

Stunning landscapes, gloriously warm weather, and a laid-back vibe amongst winemakers – not to mention no traffic – makes this region one of my favorite places to visit.

I’m excited to share with you just a taste of the fabulous wineries I visited and look forward to introducing Cellar 503 members to more of them as the year goes on.

See Slideshow Below: The Land of Pinot Noir: Winemaking in Southern Oregon

Carrie Wynkoop is the founder of Cellar 503, a new wine club featuring unique, high quality, affordable wines that represent the full range of great Oregon wine. Cellar 503 is for anyone who loves Oregon wine and wants to explore.

Related Slideshow: The Land of Pinot Noir: Winemaking in Southern Oregon

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Folin Cellars

Rob Folin is not your typical winemaker. He admits that he’d absolutely rather be down in the cellar than standing behind the bar talking to customers. He makes wine because he loves it, not because people want to buy it. But, boy, do they want to buy it. Rob and his assistant winemaker Chris Jiron are young and energetic and they’re putting Southern Oregon on the map – and doing it their way. Making high quality wines that they love, with grapes grown on their own estate and with their hands in every part of the process is the hallmark of Folin Cellars. While there is not a lot of Grenache planted in Oregon, Folin Cellars is dedicated to the continued evolution of this lush, delicate and approachable wine. The 2013 Grenache is fruity, with a sweet, ripe red fruit flavor. It has a spicy component that shines through.

2013 Grenache

Rogue Valley Oregon

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Wooldridge Creek

Greg and Kara Paneitz met while studying enology at Fresno State. With his background in chemical engineering and education in France and her background in food and marketing within the California wine industry, they were a perfect match. Their passion for making high-quality, small-lot wine that will last for years and their love of Southern France’s climate and winemaking style brought them to Southern Oregon in 2002. They spent several years buying grapes, making their own wines at rented locations when they fell in love with Wooldridge Creek Vineyard. Greg and Kara convinced vineyard managers Ted and Mary Warrick to partner with them to make the first estate wines with grapes that had traditionally been sold to winemakers all over the state, and a highly successful partnership was born.

This 2013 Gewürztraminer is the first Gewürztraminer that’s ever made the Cellar 503 cut and it is a special one! It has notes of spiced, poached pear and lemon cream pie with a clean mineral finish that is perfect for these lingering hot days of summer.

2013 Gewurztraminer

Applegate Valley

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Jaxon Vineyards

Jamie and Katherine McCleary were done with the hectic life of commercial freight shipping and wanted to explore their passion for food and wine. Looking for the perfect location to grow grapes in 2007, they hit on a gorgeous little valley between Medford and Ashland on the site of an old pear orchard.

With lots of hard work, they cleared the land and planted four varietals – Syrah, Tempranillo, Grenache and Viognier – to honor the similarities in climate of France’s Rhone Valley and Spain’s Rioja region. 2011 was their first harvest, but with help from winemaker Rob Folin of Folin Cellars, the McClearys have turned these exceptional grapes into exceptional, award-winning wine. They don’t have a dedicated tasting room yet, but are gracious and welcoming to anyone who wants to visit their home, see their amazing views and taste some outstanding wine.

The 2011 Tradicion is a blend of equal parts Tempranillo and Grenache, producing a Spanish-style red blend. A rich, succulent wine with complex fruity aromas and earthy flavors that will only become more interesting over time.

2011 Tradicion

Rogue Valley

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Season Cellars

Season Cellars may be one of the newest wineries in Southern Oregon, but owners Scott and Jennifer Henry are far from inexperienced. They both come from long lines of winemakers and vineyard managers and set out on their own to create a line uniquely their own.

They own no land, and rely on their years of relationships with growers throughout the region to source the very best fruit to make uniquely Southern Oregon wines. Their name and their label represent the various meanings of Season in their lives – the seasons of the vineyard, the seasons of the location that they love and the season of their life that enables them to bring this intensely personal project to life.

In one word, the 2014 Viognier is … "tropical". A dense bouquet of mandarin orange, star fruit, and banana takes your palate to a rich, lush jungle of guava, pineapple, and passion fruit. This is a luscious wine that will help you celebrate the lingering days of summer.

2014 Viognier

Southern Oregon