Mar 29, 2010

The Steroid Vines of Valley View Winery

On the drive out to a hike in the Red Butte Wilderness area, Chris and I got distracted as we saw Valley View Winery's huge grape vines on the right-hand side. Look at these Cabernet Sauvignon veteran vines:




We gained composure and talked ourselves back into continuing to Stein Butte for a fabulous 9.4 mile hike in 70 degree weather. However, visiting Valley View didn't escape our mind, so we returned the next day to see these steroid vines up close and see what kind of wine they produced. Valley View Winery has been on our "to-visit" list for quite some time, but it bumped up in priority when Chef Bill Huebel of The Jacksonville Inn Dinner House mentioned their Tempranillo as a favorite of his.

The dreary day was brightened the minute we stepped into Valley View's cozy Tasting Pavillion and were greeted by Adrian. We tasted through their Anna Maria label Viognier, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, and Port. Chef Huebel was absolutely right as the Tempranillo ($26) was incredible and the definite standout in the offering.

While tasting we were reminded that Valley View Winery was originally established by pioneer Peter Britt in the 1850's. The winery ended when Britt died in 1906 and was restored in 1972 by the Wisnovsky family for their vineyard and winery planted in the Applegate Valley just nine miles from Jacksonville.  Twelve acres of vines were planted in 1972 and an additional thirteen in 1976.

The Tasting Pavillion showcases the early vintages of Valley View, which is really fun to browse through and see the evolution of their brand. The bottles pictured on the left are from the mid-seventies.

The Valley View Winery Tasting Pavillion is open daily from 11 a.m. -5 p.m. I am anticipating my return to Valley View this summer for a glass of Tempranillo prior to attending a Britt Festival concert- to pay homeage of course! Which reminds me, the schedule of Britt Festival performances will be released in two days (March 31st)!

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