May 14th‐ ASHLAND, OR –Irvine & Roberts Vineyards is pleased to announce the appointment of Vince Vidrine as Winemaker of the Rogue Valley winery.
Founders Doug & Dionne Irvine and Duane & Kelly Roberts are thrilled to have Vidrine joining the Irvine & Roberts team. “Vince has a great deal of experience working for prestigious wineries in both Oregon and Burgundy and we’re confident he’ll expand on our initial successes to craft complex, balanced and elegant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.” said Doug Irvine.
An ambitious winemaker with extensive experience, Vidrine is focused on producing wine at the highest level of quality. Until recently, he was the Associate Winemaker at critically acclaimed Domaine Serene Winery in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. In addition to his role as a critical leader for Domaine Serene in Oregon, he has provided significant support to Château de la Crée, their Burgundy estate in the Côte d’Or of France, which produces wines from celebrated vineyards in Chassagne-Montrachet, Volnay and Puligny-Montrachet, Pommard and Santenay.
Previously, Vidrine was the Assistant Winemaker for Brittan Vineyards in McMinnville, Oregon which consistently produces wines that score over 90 points by important wine critics for both Brittan Vineyards and Winderlea Wines. Robert Brittan, who Vince considers one of his winemaking mentors, designed the new Irvine & Roberts state-of-the-art winery, currently under construction on the estate. Brittan will remain involved in the project on a consulting basis.
“I’m delighted we were able to add someone with Vince’s range of winemaking experience to our team,” said Irvine and Roberts’ Managing Director, Michael Donovan, adding that, “the appointment was the culmination of a five-month search which screened candidates from around the world to find the best person who shared our deep passion for making world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.”
Vidrine’s educational background includes earning a degree from Oregon State University, where he was the first student to graduate from OSU with a degree in Enology and Viticulture. His subsequent experience includes work with well-recognized producers throughout the world: Domaine Henri Naudin-Ferrand in Burgundy, Dry River Vineyards in New Zealand and Staglin Family Vineyard in Napa, among others.
“I am very excited about the opportunity to work with this team. We are all completely focused on producing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at the highest level,” said Vidrine. “With the completion of this new winery and with a meticulous farming program led by the Results Partners vineyard management team, this project is perfectly poised for an excellent start.”
Vidrine will be relocating to Ashland in June to begin work on finishing the new winery before harvest. He is looking forward to hiking and biking the many trails and mountain bike paths that surround this picturesque community known for its Shakespeare Festival, top-rated restaurants, music, art, proximity to Southern Oregon’s renowned fishing and outdoor activities and being named one of the Top Ten Wine Destinations in the World by Wine Enthusiast Magazine in 2016.
About Irvine & Roberts Vineyards
Irvine & Roberts Vineyards is a small family winery in Ashland, Oregon, where we practice sustainable farming to produce ultra-premium Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Our high altitude vineyard is blessed with distinctive soils, climate, and east facing slopes that produce wines with extraordinary balance, flavor and intensity. We believe great wines come from great soil, so we strive to be conscientious stewards of the land, protecting our vineyard soils through practices that are certified sustainable by LIVE. The new Irvine & Roberts Tasting Room at the estate vineyards is scheduled to open in late June 2017.
Contact us at www.irvinerobertsvineyards.com or (541) 482-9383. Located at 1614 Emigrant Creek Road in Ashland, Oregon 97520.
For more information: please contact Michael Donovan at (541) 840-4249 or michael@irvinerobertsvineyards.com