Things to do / Travel Guide
Yet another blessed wine area on the West Coast can be found in the southern Cascades. In this mountainous region you'll find Rogue Valley, where a number of tributaries run off from Rogue River. The southern Cascades is a wild region, and you should expect no less from the wines.
It's also Shakespeare country, with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival going on in Ashland throughout the warmer months. You'll see Shakespeare references here and there, and certainly there's little better than sitting fall-time on the amphitheater lawn, eyes upon a play, with an open bottle of Merlot or a Cabernet coming from just over the next hill.
Due to Rogue Valley's similarity to Bordeaux, you'll find an emphasis on Bordelais wines, such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc.
Ashland Vineyards and Winery
So without further ado, please acquaint yourselves with Ashland Vineyards and Winery. The vineyard is completely organic, using no pesticides. If you find a ladybug here or a praying mantis there, think of them as you would nicks in fine leather. The winery specializes in the Bordelais varieties, and also in Pinot Gris, Dolcetto, Sangiovese, Viognier, Tempranillo, and a few more.
All Ashland's wines belong to the Shakespeare brand and are mostly named after the Bard's plays. And, by the way, the wines are laden with awards, from Oregon's Best to Wine Spectator's best.
Bridgeview and Valley View Wineries
Across the region, you'll find more Shakespeare lovers. These are the originators of the Blue Moon wine concept, Bridgeview Vineyard and Winery. They're properly in Illinois Valley, the Illinois River being a tributary of the Rogue. The vintner and founder have created their winery in the German tradition, owing to their German origins; as she'll tell you, “every German dreams of having a vineyard.” And we thought it was just the French.
The Blue Moon bottles of Chardonnay, are, which shouldn't be surprising, shaped like blue smiling moons. After that it's just pure good Chardonnay, with flavors of apple, apricot, and grapefruit. There's also the 2000 Reserve Pinot Noir, with a raspberry nose and acute red fruit flavors.
One more boutique winery for the wine lover, this one another family affair, is Valley View Winery. The family, the Wisnovsky's, opened the winery in the early 1970s, and it's their Anna Marie line that's really brought them renown. The Anna Marie Meritage is made from Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon, with the Merlot contributing mid-palate richness and the Franc adding aromatics. Both flavor and aroma are variations of chocolate, coffee, berries, and sweet oak.
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