And it's finally getting some well deserved and long overdue attention.
Down in the southern part of Oregon, between Grant's Pass and Medford, there's this pristine, gorgeous and sun-kissed valley that's quietly been growing grapes and developing a thriving wine industry since the 1970s. While the Wilamette and the Umpqua got most of the attention with their Pinots, both Noir and Gris, the southerly Appelgate and Rogue River areas sort of resided in the shadows. Not any longer, I think.
Although it's grown there, this really isn't prime Pinot Noir country. Inland, and considerably warmer and drier, this is closer to the climatic range for Bordeaux varieties----and now some stunning Tempranillos and Sangioveses are starting to emerge as well.
I sampled a few of these while traversing the valley from North to South. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous, the valley is still bucolic and unspoiled (although I don't know how long that will last now), and it's easy driving past the winding river, the picturesque farms, the horse ranches, and the vineyards. There has been a boom of sorts for the last few years, and there's lots of new winery/tasting room operations dotted throughout the valley that aren't even on the official map yet, so it's still something of a surprise what you'll find.
There's something for everyone, from the long established highlights of the area, Valley View Vineyards (and trust me, there's a great valley view) and old reliable Bridgeview, to such new places as the fun tasting room (stuffed with some great and intriguing wines and impressive people) at Fiasco WInery and Fun Faire (aka Jacksonville Vineyards as well). There's also Troon Vineyards and Winery up-valley. Formerly owned by Mr. Troon (fortunately, a Scot, not a Pole), and now owned and run by part of the Quady family of California wine reknown, they have some intriguing wines, and the advantage of having some of the older vineyards in that part of the valley.
Easy to get there. If you're coming from the south, it's just south and slightly west of Grant's Pass, then a leisurely drive down to the great little tourist town of Jacksonville. Or if you're in an unconscionable hurry, you can jump back onto I-5 and bypass Jacksonville, but you'd be foolish to do so. If you're starting form the South you can either meander over from Medford to Jacksonville, then up, or you can charge further up I-5 and zip over to the Applegate on Hwy. 238.
Either way you can stop at some interesting and varied wineries, from tiny to surprisingly large, all along the valley. You'll meet some welcoming people and find some lovely wines.
My tip is check out the surprising number of Tempranillos on offer. The Applegate may turn out to be a place ideally suited for this variety on the west coast. I was quite impressed. Another delight was the Sangiovese; it's proven to be somewhat problematic for California, but it may be another variety particularly suited to the sunny slopes of the Applegate. I certainly found some good ones (particularly at the aforementioned Fiasco). The various and sundry combos of Bordeaux varieties were pretty damned good too. There's some nice, restrained (and, yes, I know the word restrained doesn't always go well with the variety, but as the Argentinians have proven, it's possible) Malbec. I liked them enough, I even took home a few bottles. Even some Merlot!
