Barrel of Fun Will be Had at This Year’s Uncorked – by Whitman Parker

Dave Palmer with his Jacksonville Vineyards wine barrels

For local wine lovers, good things are in store – make that “in-barrel” on November 20 during the Applegate Valley UnCorked Fall Barrel Tour. Spend the day sipping and sampling wines from the barrel – before they are bottled and released to the masses! UnCorked presents a chance for you to get a sneak peak of soon-to-be bottled wines, get to know your local winemakers and catch a glimpse of life behind the scenes at your favorite wineries. The event is held the weekend before Thanksgiving and provides a chance to sample and purchase wines for your holiday dinners and parties. UnCorked is non-competitive  – there’s no judging, no medals and no stress – it’s a time for winemakers and wine lovers to celebrate local wine together.

For only $39, you’ll get a pass to visit 15+ wineries from 11 am-5 pm and taste wines before anyone else! In addition to tasting, the wineries will be sampling a newly bottled release that’s paired with a great appetizer. UnCorked follows the picturesque Applegate Wine Trail, stretching from the outskirts of Jacksonville to the Grants Pass border. “These are the wines the Applegate vintners will be bottling and releasing soon,” says Mike Wisnovsky of Valley View Vineyard. Wisnovsky serves on the board of the Applegate Valley Oregon Vintners Association (AVOVA) and helped create the modern-day UnCorked event. Since then, he’s witnessed its popularity soar with locals and visitors alike. “Years ago Applegate UnCorked was primarily an educational event,” recalls Wisnovsky. “Our Fall Barrel Tour only had a handful of wineries but now includes almost twenty. The event has grown into a major wine and food happening and still includes instruction on wine directly from the winemakers and staff.” Valley View will be serving their 2009 Tempranillo from the barrel and a 2008 Merlot from the bottle, both crafted by award-winning winemaker John Guerrero.

This year, several new wineries will join the tour. AVOVA President Joe Ginet said, “On the heels of a fantastic summer World of Wine event in Jacksonville, my winery, Plaisance Ranch, is really looking forward to our first fall barrel tour. And, we’re joining other newcomers, Red Lily Vineyards and Serra Vineyards at UnCorked.” Ginet and his wife Suzie took home the Best of Show white wine medal at WOW for their 2010 “Ginet Rose.” For Uncorked, they’ll feature a 2010 Syrah from the barrel which will be paired with their own homemade chili. The Ginet’s raise certified organic, grass-fed beef cattle on their 210 acre Applegate Valley ranch, 17 of which are dedicated to grapes. On the education front, Ginet will be speaking on a favorite topic, “Terroir,” or “Sense of Place.” His talk will illustrate how three wines, each produced from the same Syrah grapes planted at three different vineyards within a five mile expanse of the Applegate Valley, emerged from the bottle with totally unique characteristics and tastes.

Newcomer, Serra Vineyards, owned by the Braden & Fernandes families will also make its fall tour debut this year. After purchasing the 75-acre Applegate Red Vineyard in 2009, Braden has added 13 new acres of Tempranillo and Malbec grapes. During UnCorked, visitors will note construction stakes above the existing tasting room – it’s the site of a planned 3800 square foot tasting room scheduled to break ground next spring. Serra’s marketing director Liz Wan says plans are now firmed-up for a “greener, sustainable-type of tasting room, possibly utilizing solar panels or wind turbines, reclaimed metal options and as much recycled material as possible.” In the meantime, UnCorked fans will utilize the existing tasting room and mingle on a newly-built picnic patio with stunning Applegate Valley views. Serra will serve a new release 2008 Pinot Noir and offer barrel samples of their 2009 Pinot Noir. Dick Braden remarked, “Uncorked is a great example of why the wine region in Southern Oregon is set for success… we focus on making the good stuff, we help our neighbors and we know how to have a good time.” Serra took home 3 Silver medals at WOW.

Serra borders Schmidt Family Vineyards, Rosella’s Vineyard and Soloro Vineyards and is a mere grape’s throw away from Troon and Wooldridge Creek Wineries. All six are clustered at the western edge of the Applegate Valley, closer to Grants Pass than Jacksonville. Cal Schmidt of Schmidt Family Vineyards will be offering tasty food along with a 2010 Cab Franc from the barrel. Rex & Sandi Garoutte of Rosella’s will offer-up a 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon from the barrel and a 2008 Merlot paired with a food selection from Pomodori’s Restaurant. Tim & June Navarro of Soloro will barrel taste their 2009 Syrah and pair their WOW Silver medal 2007 Syrah with a chicken cacciatore dish. To the east, Wooldridge Creek winemaker Greg Paneitz will be sampling a 2010 Zinfandel from the barrel. Chris Martin of Troon will showcase a 2010 Chardonnay from the barrel and pair a 2008 Petite Syrah with tasty appetizers by in-house master chef Tim Keller.

Chery Garcia's Art at Red Lily Vineyards

Nearer the Jacksonville end of the Wine Trail, Red Lily Vineyards will be barrel tasting its popular 2010 Tempranillo. Owners Les & Rachael Martin opened their upscale barn-style, rural-focused tasting room on August 19 of this year. “Since opening, we’ve had a great response and are just thrilled to be a part of UnCorked,” Rachael says. The Martins’ 20 acres of plantings include Tempranillo and other Spanish grape varietals. The couple took home a Silver Medal at this year’s WOW event for their 2007 Red Blanket Tempranillo. “We have high expectations for this year’s barrel selection and look forward to sharing it and showing off our new tasting room, winery and barrel room,” adds Les. For art fans, Red Lily will also be hosting an art show during UnCorked featuring Jacksonville metal artist Cheryl Garcia. The show, “Red Migration” is a collection of Garcia’s work themed in seasonal, fiery autumn colors. You’ll meet the artist and explore works on display, including her large-scale signature work, “Bolander’s Lily” and her World of Wine 2011 bottle tree, both of which are permanently displayed at the Red Lily grounds.

At Fly-Hi/Longsword Vineyard, winemaker and co-owner Matt Sorensen will be sampling a 2009 Dolchetto from the barrel. “This red Italian wine is related to Zinfandel but with the style of a Pinot Noir.” Sorensen will also be pairing a food selection with a 2010 Viognier.

Next door at Fiasco Winery/Jacksonville Vineyards, AVOVA V.P. Dave Palmer and his wife Pam will offer a 2009 Syrah from the barrel and a prosecco-style white paired with homemade butternut squash bisque.

Other barrel samples on the Applegate Wine Trail include Devitt Winery’s 2006 Steelhead Red Merlot. The Academy of Wine will sample its 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon from the barrel and a 2004 Cab from the bottle paired with Oregonzola-infused lamb shanks over mashed potatoes. Cricket Hill Winery’s Duane Bowman, who writes the popular wine column for the Review, is barrel tasting his 2008 Merlot and pairing a vegetarian polenta dish with a 2007 Bordeaux. Just down the way at Cowhorn Vineyard, vintners Bill & Barbara Steele are serving a 2008 Syrah paired with an herb-crusted yam coulis on crustini bread and pairing a 2010 Spiral 36 with Rogue Creamery cheeses. John Michelle Champagne Cellars will be pouring a newly-released bubbly paired with a cranberry-mango salsa. Finally, Bridgeview Winery is barrel tasting a 2010 Tempranillo and pouring its 2009 Pinot Noir paired with an irresistible cold-cured lox and dill appetizer!

Tickets for UnCorked may be purchased online at www.applegatewinetrail.com. UnCorked has gone green and will not be printing or mailing tickets. While ordering yours online, choose one of eight starting winery locations – Devitt Winery, Fiasco Winery, Plaisance Ranch, Soloro Vineyard, Troon Vineyard, Valley View Vineyard and Wooldridge Creek Vineyard. After checking-in at your starting point winery, you’ll receive a commemorative wine glass and be on your way to tour at your own pace. Like Dave Palmer of Fiasco & Jacksonville Vineyards said, “UnCorked is a casual and fun event with no rules dictating where and when you have to be…all of us at AVOVA hope to see you in the Applegate Valley where you’ll discover something new and exciting about our amazing wine region, our winemakers and wonderful wines!”