Roam the Rogue on a new Weekend!

The annual Rogue Valley Fall Passport Tour has a NEW date and time. Previously held the Saturday after Thanksgiving, this year the Upper Rogue Valley Vintners will be hosting their event on Saturday, October 29th from 10am to 5pm.

Join them as each of the winemakers introduce their newest wines and share their creative inspiration and delicious food pairings with some of the best wines from each of these wineries:

Agate Ridge Vineyard 

Cliff Creek Cellars 

Crater Lake Cellars 

Daisy Creek Vineyard

Del Rio Vineyards 

Folin Cellars

LaBrasseur Winery

Ledger David Cellars

RoxyAnn Winery

Tickets are only $25 per person and include a commemorative Reidel glass; plus delicious appetizers and wine tasting at all 9 participating wineries. Tour is self guided.

Click here for tickets!

Abacela Launches Paramour, Gran Reserva Style Tempranillo

Abacela Launches Paramour, a new American wine style inspired by the great Gran Reserva Tempranillos of Spain

Abacela announced the release of its 2005 Paramour, a new American wine style and the winery's finest and most age-worthy bottling. For winery owners, Earl and Hilda Jones, Paramour is the culmination of their dream and 20-year odyesset to craft an American Gran Reserva style Tempranillo that was, until now, only made in Spain. There were just 170 cases produced in the inaugural 2005 vintage, which was patiently aged for six years; two in French oak barrels and four in bottle. Paramours will remain limited production, proprietary Tempranillo blends made only from their top estate vineyard selections in exceptional years. 

According to Earl Jones, "Paramour is an old Middle English word meaning 'other love.' We chose this name to reflect the last 20 years we've spent pioneering Tempranillo, and underscore the meticulous attention that goes into its production. Paramour is the reason we forsook careers in medicine in the early nineties and moved to Southern Oregon's Umpqua Valley to farm at the climactic edge." Hilda Jones adds, "We've had to keep the Paramour project a secret for a long time while awaiting vineyard maturity."

"We know that this 2005 vintage would be the first Paramour release right at the crushpad," says Jones.  "The 2005 season was characterized by a rainy spring and a dry, warm summer in which heat stress was minimal. The exquisitely ripe fruit was in perfect condition, and we selected only the finest lots for the Paramour concentrating on making a proprietary Tempranillo blend that is greater than the sum of its parts."

The 2005 Paramour was bottled on August 9, 2007 with sequentially numbered labels. The suggested retail price is $90 a bottle, or $540 for six tissue-wrapped bottles in a custom wooden case. 

The wine was released on October 15 to Abacela's Llaneros Wine Club members, who have exclusive access until November 12. In the meantime, the general public may place pre-orders online at www.abacela.com. Paramour will also be available in a select few restaurants and wine retailers in major metropolitan markets. 

Quady North Cab Franc Ranked "Best"

A very BIG accomplishment was awarded to Quady North Wines in the special issue of Wine & Spirits Magazine. They earned the "Best Cab Franc" title in the Top 100 Wines of 2011 article along with a well deserved 93 points.

Congratulations to Herb and the crew! It is very exciting to see a Southern Oregon wine make the list and this is one of the largest awards a Southern Oregon wine has been given.

Write Congressman Schrader and request he oppose HR 1161

A message from Sam Tannahill, President of the Oregon Winegrowers Association:

For the past several weeks, Steve Burns, the interim executive director of the Oregon Winegrowers Association (OWA), has been working quietly with Congressman Kurt Schrader and his staff in an attempt to convince the congressman to withdraw his sponsorship of HR 1161, the latest iteration of the CARE Act, which limits direct shipping, a bill OWA has been fighting for years.

Unfortunately, alerting Congressman Schrader that he is the only signatory in a wine producing district, has not changed his mind. The time has come for us all to put our full weight behind demonstrating to Congressman Schrader why the entire Oregon wine industry- indeed the entire US wine indsutry - is so opposed to the potential devastating impact of HR 1161 on wineries throughout Oregon and the United States. Your help is needed now more than ever to let Congressman Schrader know how critical defeat of HR 1161 is for Oregon's 420 winery and 850 vineyard owners.

HR 1161 would have a devastating effect on Oregon's $2.7 billion wine industry. Oregon wineries sell 21% of production direct to consumers, representing 35% of the revenues generated by Oregon wineries. Obviously, the financial impact of HR 1161 on the Oregon wine industry is significant.

It is time to make our position heard and in an aggressive grassroots campaign. OWA is taking its position public by reaching out to the media to let them know what is at risk for Oregon's burgeoning wine industry. Outreach to the press has already begun and will only intensify over time. You can help! Please write Congressman Schrader and let him know you are a member of the Oregon wine industry (or supporter) who is opposed to his position on this legislation and request he withdraw his support immediately.

Here's how you can reach Congressman Schrader: 
Write, email or call him. If you live in his district, let him know. If you don't, also write your congressman to oppose HR 1161.

Salem District Office  494 State Street, Suite 210  Salem, OR 97301  (503) 588-9100  (503) 588-5517 (fax)  Washington DC Office  314 Cannon HOB  Washington, D.C. 20515  (202) 225-5711  (202) 225-5699 (fax)  With your proactive support, we can all speak with one voice and let Congressman Schrader know why he should oppose HR 1161. Thanks for your support.

The Loss of a Legend, Dick Troon

Today we lost Southern Oregon wine pioneer and Troon Vineyard founder, Dick Troon.

From planting the first vines in the Applegate Valley in 1972, advocating for viticulture classes at the Rogue Community College, and mistakenly making 'Druid's Fluid,' Mr. Troon's contributions to the local and statewide wine industry are a big reason why many of us are involved in (or drinking) Southern Oregon wine today.

He touched many people's lives and will be truly missed. Please raise a glass in tribute to his vast accomplishments and spirit!

To learn more about Mr. Troon's incredible life, read Janet Eastman's article, A Daddy of Rogue Valley Wine.