Pizza, wine combine quite nicely
There was a time when most Rogue Valley pizza parlors had rather limited wine selections.
That's changing.
Kaleidoscope Pizza led the way when it came to Medford, offering a wide selection of wines from all over Oregon and other regions, including dozens of local labels.
Wild River Brewing Company, which opened a branch in Medford a little over a year ago, also is doing a good job with Southern Oregon wine. Its list is more modest than Kaleidoscope's but offers variety both in varietals and pricing.
It pours two house wines from Foris of Cave Junction, made especially for Wild River, which also has restaurants in Grants Pass, Cave Junction and Brookings. There's Wild River Chardonnay and Wild River Red, each $3.75 a glass, $7.95 per half-carafe and $14.95 for a full carafe — good local wine at an attractive price. I had a glass of each with dinner the other night. The red, a blend, was the better of the two.
The arrangement with Foris came about when Wild River owner Jerry Miller told the winery that he had an interest in purchasing local wines that he could carry on tap in his restaurants, says Foris co-founder Ted Gerber.
"As a trial, he brought some of their kegs out to be filled with a red and a white wine. The chardonnay was stainless-steel-tank-fermented, and the red blend is a combination in descending order of cabernet franc, merlot and cabernet sauvignon. The idea was to taste through the winery and find components that were soft and drinkable without further aging.
"This is the only restaurant that we have tried marketing our wine in this fashion," Gerber adds. "Drinkability and price sensitivity were the two goals with this project."
The wine list at Wild River in Medford also features seven other wines, all of them local, from Valley View, RoxyAnn, LongSword, Fiasco (Jacksonville Vineyards) and Bridgeview. These are more expensive, from $21 to $35 a bottle. Two are available by the glass, starting at $4.
Bottles of these wines were displayed on the bar during my most recent visit — a commendable touch. My only suggestion: I've had to ask for the wine list each time I've been there. Why not put it on the tables or in the menus?
A GROWING NUMBER OF Rogue Valley restaurants feature wines made by nearby wineries but with the restaurant's own label. The Regency Grill at the Rogue Regency and Rosario's, both of Medford, come to mind. Each has private-label wines from Valley View of Ruch (as does Harry & David's Country Village store). And Oregon Cabaret Theatre of Ashland offers patrons a choice of three made for the theater by Weisinger's of Ashland.
THERE'S MONDAVI, AND then there's Mondavi. In Rogue Valley supermarkets, you see that famous California name on various wines from various winemakers. Many are relatively inexpensive. I recently sampled Woodbridge by Mondavi 2007 Riesling, which has a nice bite to it and is creamy and spicy. Woodbridge 2007 Chardonnay, poured in a number of Rogue Valley restaurants, is an average one of its kind with mild oak and a hint of sweetness. Both are about $8.
Another group — Robert Mondavi Private Selections — includes an excellent 2007 Pinot Noir, juicy and delicious for $11, and a pleasant, spicy 2007 Riesling ($9) that tastes more like a gewürztraminer. Less impressive is the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, also $11. While robust, it seems a bit too harsh and bitter.
Up around $20 are some higher-quality Robert Mondavi wines, among them a top-notch 2007 Fume Blanc, best of all the Mondavi wines I tried — delicious. Also $20 is its 2006 Chardonnay, fruity but light and not quite as impressive.
The Robert Mondavi Winery is perhaps best known for its upscale, award-winning wines at much higher prices, but some good values can be found in the $8-to-$20 range. Another label found on local shelves is Peter Mondavi's CK Mondavi brand. As noted in an earlier column, its jug wines (1.5 liters) are among the best of that group and often sale for less than $10.