Wine country lowdown: Southern Oregon
Appellations
The greater southern Oregon appellation is divided into the Umpqua Valley AVA to the north and the Rogue Valley AVA to the south. The Umpqua Valley contains a small sub-appellation, Red Hill Douglas County. The Rogue Valley contains the Applegate Valley AVA; the neighboring Bear Creek and Illinois valleys are not official AVAs, but they are considered distinct wine-grape growing regions.
The lowdown
Not so long ago, revolution was in the air in southern Oregon. A number of prominent winegrowers, angered by the seemingly singular promotion of northern Oregon pinot noir, were ready to secede from all statewide wine groups and go it on their own.
A peace of sorts has been reached, and southern Oregon's long insistence that its warm-weather varietals deserve attention of their own is now paying off. Wine Spectator magazine, an influential national publication, recently sent a reporter touring the Rogue and Umpqua valleys for the magazine's first-ever story on the wines of southern Oregon.
The region does, in fact, produce quite a bit of pinot noir. But its growing number of warm-weather varietals, from cabernet sauvignon to tempranillo and beyond, are what's gaining notice these days.
The perfect day
You can't go wrong anywhere in southern Oregon wine country, but consider a venture through the scenic Applegate Valley. Established as an AVA in 2001, the valley winds east of Medford off I-5. Start the day at Wooldridge Creek Winery (818 Slagle Creek Road, Grants Pass) first planted grapevines in the 1970s. The view alone, overlooking the Applegate River Valley, makes the stop worthwhile. Just west, Troon Vineyard (1475 Kubli Road, Grants Pass) specializes in small lots (mostly under 300 cases) of zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah and chardonnay, among others. New varietals include primitivo, petite syrah, rousanne and marsanne. Head south down Oregon 238 to Bridgeview Vineyards & Winery (4210 Holland Loop Road, Cave Junction). The operation's distinctive "Blue Moon" riesling and chardonnay stand out on retail shelves. For lunch, try Magnolia Grill (7360 Highway 238, Jacksonville; 541-899-8700) in Jacksonville. Intriguing fare awaits, including littleneck clams, Cajun crawfish won-tons or a blue bison burger. A visit to Valley View Winery (1000 Upper Applegate Road) in the tiny town of Ruch, about nine miles from Jacksonville, is a must. The Wisnovsky family continues a grape-growing tradition here started by pioneer Peter Britt in the 1850s. The winery itself is in a converted century-old hay barn.
The buzz
Wineries all over Oregon are scrambling to maintain sales in the face of an economic downturn, and places such as Valley View Winery are no exception. A recent sale offered a free bottle to customers who bought two bottles. That translates to an almost unheard of 33 percent savings. Ask other area wineries about their specials. As for what's inside the bottles these days, inquire about new blending possibilities. Southern Oregon's warm-weather varietals are grown with blending in mind, but new grapes such as rousanne and marsanne are making an already colorful palate just that much more interesting.