UnCorked is May 19!
Spring Barrel of Fun for Applegate Winery Fans
On Sunday, May 19, join the Applegate Valley vintners for their Spring UnCorked Barrel Tour. This is another not-to-be-missed day of fun for wine and food lovers, featuring wine and food pairings at 17 Applegate Valley wineries. Tickets are only $39 and include a commemorative wine glass, tastings and food. Several wineries will also feature live music and demonstrations related to winemaking! As always, DD’s (Designated Drivers) attend for free and may partake in all food offerings as well as complimentary soft drinks and water along the way.
The growing list of wineries west of Jacksonville, known collectively as AVOVA – Applegate Valley Oregon Vintners Association – holds fall and spring barrel tours, offering a fun and relaxed chance to taste wines directly from the barrel before they are bottled and purchased by the public. The wines are carefully chosen by each winery, as are each of the delectable homemade foods paired with the wines. The self-guided and self-paced tour kicks-off at 11 am and runs until 5 pm.
This year, Serra Vineyards will be a popular tour stop for those wishing to get a first look at the newest tasting room to open in the valley. Serra is located at 222 Missouri Flat Road, near other popular wineries including Troon Vineyard, Schmidt Family Vineyards, Rossella’s and Wooldridge Creek. Completed this April, the 3500 square foot building was designed to incorporate all aspects of the tasting experience. The eco-friendly building offers some of the most incredible views of the Applegate Valley from inside the tasting room and from a magnum-sized party deck. Serra Vineyards was the former home of Applegate Red, owned and farmed by legendary winemaker Frank Ferreira who passed away in 2009. Today, Ferreira’s original tasting room which resembles more of a snack shack, remains on the property under the shadow of the new tasting room. Going forward, it will be used as an ancillary tasting location and marketplace.
Today, Jacksonville residents Scott and Krissa Fernandes own the 75-acre property which includes the vineyard, winery and tasting room. Since purchasing the vineyard, which Ferreira had planted with Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc and Merlot, Scott and Krissa have planted 15 new acres with Tempranillo and Malbec. The tasting room is managed by Liz Wan, who doubles as Serra’s marketing director. Wan, who’s a major marketing force behind the Southern Oregon wine region, has worked on the World of Wine event in Jacksonville and the Rogue Valley Wine and Food event and others.
Cal Schmidt, Owner of Schmidt Family Vineyards, gives tastes barrel tastes
Scott Fernandes notes, “The new facility was designed and conceptualized by our family to reduce the potential negative environmental impact of a winery building on the landscape. We maximized efficiency of “Green Building” applications everywhere we could.”
The new facility includes an outdoor crush pad, an indoor tank room and production area, barrel room, kitchen, laboratory, tasting room and offices – all fabricated and manufactured with American steel, 89% of which was recycled and repurposed steel. Scott adds, “We also designed it with slope and position of the roof to maximize the future installation of solar panels to take advantage of the abundant Applegate Valley sunshine.”
In addition to Serra’s new digs, UnCorked guests will most likely get a glimpse of the new Wine Hopper van as it jets 15 guests from winery to winery during the event. The shiny black touring van is a new Mercedes Benz Sprinter Van, offering its passengers unparalleled comfort. Wine Hopper owner Brad Niva says the company now offers daily tours of the Applegate wine region with pick-up/drop-off locations in Medford, Ashland and Jacksonville. In Jacksonville, the Wine Hopper will meet guests every day at the corner of California and 3rd Streets at the Beekman Bank. After hours, on certain days of the week, the van is also available to rent for private tours to any of the region’s 127 vineyards and 40+ tasting rooms… for birthday parties, anniversary celebrations and other special occasions. Reach Wine Hopper at (541-476-WINE www.winehoppertours.com) and see their ad on page 3 of this issue.
Tickets for UnCorked are only $39 and are only sold online at www.applegatewinetrail.com. After logging-on, you may purchase tickets and select one of 7 wineries to start your self-guided and self-paced tour. Cheers!