Upper Rogue Wine Tour & Wine in the Woods

This Saturday was the second annual Wine in the Woods dinner at the Historic Prospect Hotel. The event was attended by 60 people from as close as Medford to as far away as Orange County, California. The meal consisted of five courses. My favorites were the Mushroom tart and the light pastry stuffed with berries drizzled with chocolate that was served for dessert. The entire dinner was delightful. Each dish was paired with two fine wines from the four winery members of the Upper Rogue Wine Tour. With winemakers or owners representing each of the wineries, the guests were able to get a personal impression of the effort and work devoted to each wine. This year was the first with no snow but we did have a birthday celebration. Jim Boyd, a Rio Club member, celebrated his 65th birthday. Jim was happy to celebrate at the very hotel where he and his bride were married. Fred and Karen, from the prospect hotel – along with their great staff– pulled off another great meal. We are already planning for next year.

The Wine in the Woods dinner is just one of many Upper Rogue Wine Tour events that happen each year. The Upper Rogue Wine Tour is a Non-profit group. From April to December, the group organizes “Upper Rogue Second Saturdays”. These events showcase the wineries, vineyards and farms in the Upper Rogue Region. Past events have included Women who Wine, What’s my Wine, Harvest Celebration, and the Wine Olympics.

The next Second Saturday is April 10th, Spring Cleaning - Case Sale.

Hope to see you then.

~ Jolee

The following wineries are members of the
Upper Rogue Wine Tour:

Agate Ridge Vineyard : 1098 Nick Young Rd, Eagle Point (541)830-3050
Crater Lake Cellars: 21882 Hwy 62, Shady Cove (541)878-4200
Folin Cellars: 9200 Ramsey Road, Sam’s Valley (541)855-2018
Del Rio Vineyards: 52 N River Road, Gold Hill, (541)855-2062

For more information on upcoming events visit our website at http://www.delriovineyards.com/eventcalendar.html.

The Wallace Family

At the dawn of the new millennium the world as Rob Wallace knew it changed. Lee Traynham had purchased a 900 acre ranch three years earlier in 1997 in a relatively unknown region of Southern Oregon. The land was destined to be transformed from a pear orchard to a wine producing vineyard. From 1998 to 2000 the pear trees were uprooted and the soil cultivated for a new crop. On the hillside overlooking the Rogue River, 200,000 vines were planted. They decorated the landscape of the historic Rock Point town the present day location of the Del Rio tasting room. It was Rob Wallace who Lee trusted to turn the new vines into a high quality vineyard and winery estate. Rob said yes to the new adventure in April 2000, packed up the moving vans, and headed north to prepare for the first harvest. His family joined him a few months later to settle into an exciting new life.

The Wallace family was embarking on unknown territory. Both Rob and his wife Jolee had grown up in small farming towns in Northern California and spent the first years of their marriage farming tomatoes. With their children Clayton, Jason and Fallon enrolled in the local elementary school in Gold Hill, they made connections with the community quickly. Rob and Jolee have maintained a unique and wonderful family style environment in all aspects of the vineyard. From the tasting room staff to the field crews, the people are at the heart of what makes Del Rio so great.

Today, all five of the Wallace’s have contributed to the present state of the vineyard. Rob is managing partner, deeply devoted to his crop, innovative business, and producing a high quality brand. Jolee runs the tasting room, organizing her joyful staff, facilitating events, and putting her creativity into each corner of the tasting room. Their twin boys, Jason and Clayton, now seniors in high school, have dedicated countless hours to helping out whenever possible, whether it is hauling cases to the tasting room or helping their mother facilitate events. Fallon, who is in the midst of her first year of high school, has been a bounding energy in her assistance at Del Rio. From vacuuming to boxing up UPS orders, she always has a smile on her face.

The Wallace family has dedicated the last ten years to Del Rio Vineyards and is excited to see the transformation and growth that has occurred in all aspects of the business. The vineyard is now home to fifteen grape varietals, ten wines under the Del Rio label that can be found in over ten states, and a tasting room visited by loyal customers. In addition to their devotion to the vineyard all members of the Wallace family are committed to the community. Jolee is a school board member for Central Point School District 6, Jason, Clayton and Fallon have provided many hours of community service through their participation in 4-H, and Rob has opened up Del Rio to hosting and donating to great fundraisers for local nonprofits.

The first ten years at Del Rio have been great and the Wallace family is looking forward to seeing what the next ten years hold. The future will be influenced by what makes Del Rio so unique. It is the love, care and commitment to a family oriented business, the Del Rio family.

Winter Wine Wonder!

Last Saturday, January 16, 2010 was Del Rio’s sixth annual Winter Wine Event in the winery. This party was one of most successful to date. We had beautiful weather, wonderful people, and delicious wines. Our 26 vendors provided such treats as chocolates, cheeses, coffees, and many other delightful treats. One of the favorites was meatballs and pulled-pork sandwiches from Rogue BBQ. Yummy!!!!

Besides the gracious staff of Del Rio, live entertainment was provided by Clint Ingbretson . He is known for his many singing impersonations of great artists such as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin, to name a few. He had guests on their feet and hips were a swaying every which way. The evening closed with many sipping their favorite Del Rio wine and trading stories by the fire.

Special Thanks to our Winter Wine Vendors. You ROCK!

Abuela’s Delights, Alpacas at Lone Ranch, Arbonne, Oregon Artisan Foods, Cary’s of Oregon, Gary West Meats, Good Bean Coffee Company, Great Harvest Bread, Green’s Gourmet, Harry & David, Homemade Confections, Krebsbach Fine Foods, Miriams’s Creative Cakes, Mrs. Britt’s, O’Brien’s Mountainview BBQ, Pholia Farm Creamery, Pickled Planet, R&D Ranch, Rising Sun Farms, Rogue BBQ, Rogue Creamery, Sandi’s Candies, Tam’s Gourmet Tweets, Taylor’s Sausage, The European Touch Day Spa, Vin Valet.

Hope to see you all next year!
~ Gloria

Lori & Steve - Rio Club members

Clint Ingbretson - Performed live!Guest & JenniferGuests & Gloria

Local wines (Del Rio) in famous places

Here is a great video on Del Rio from Channel 10 News!

6th Annual Winter Wine Event

Saturday January 16th, 2010

12:00 to 1:00 PM (Wine Club Exclusive)
1:00 to 5:00 PM (Open to Public)

Join us for our 6th Annual Winter Wine Event. This year it will be hosted in our winery, filled with amazing local vendors. Enjoy the return of last years musical hit, Clint Ingbretson, in his renditions of great entertainers such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Willie Nelson. Savor award winning wines and enjoy event only wine specials.

$10 admission includes logo wine glass & tasting.
Available for purchase at the door.

Event Wine Specials:
San Fransisco Wine Competition Silver Medal Winner!

2008 Chardonnay
$100/case for wine club members
$150/case for non wine club members

Local participating vendors:

• Harry & David Truffles
• Taylor's Sausage
• Great Harvest Bread
• Arbonne
• Alpacas at Lone Ranch
• Rising Sun Farms
• Tam's Gourmet Tweets
• Sandi's Candies
• Abuela's Delight
• The European Touch Day Spa
• R&D Ranch
• Cary's of Oregon
• Krebsbach Fine Foods
• Mrs. Britt's
• O'Brien's Mountainview BBQ
• Pholia Farm Creamery
• Gary West Meats
• Pickled Planet
• Dave Christy's VinValet
• Green's Gourmet Goodies
• Homemade Confections
• Miriam's Creative Cakes
• Good Bean Coffee Company
• Rogue BBQ
• Oregon Artisan Foods:
  Dagoba, Rogue Creamery, Hot Lip Soda, & Deux Chats

Hope to see you there!
~ The Del Rio Team

Singles Mixer a hit!

The Singles Mixer was a hit! We managed to get everyone out of their comfort zone and made them sit separately from their friend/friends they came with. We introduced ourselves by name and interests/hobbies. This was a catalyst for a lot of people to gravitate to others with the same interests. Our crash course winemakers left with a bottle of their very own Bordeaux creation. The winery was filled with laughter and smiles. By 3 o’clock, they weren’t ready to separate so the majority met up at a local restaurant, dining the evening away. After returning to my desk on Tuesday, I had several messages from attendees declaring what a wonderful time they had! I just can’t wait to see who shows up in the tasting room as a “couple” from this event. Good times indeed!!
~ Jen

Here are a few pictures from the event!

Gold Winning Viognier!

2008 Del Rio Viognier
Click here for Factsheet

Tasting Notes:
The nose displays aromas of orange blossom and intense Anise flavors. On the palate the smooth texture is held up by the acidity with a slight lemon characteristics. The barrel aging gives a light nuance of oak flavors and complexity to the wine.

Make sure to purchase a copy of Sunset Magazine in March! The issue will feature the 2008 Viognier!

Welcome to Del Rio's blog

It has taken us awhile to jump on the blog bandwagon, but we have made it. All of us at Del Rio are looking forward to sharing more about what takes place at 52 N River Road in Gold Hill Oregon. We hope you will join us and give us your feedback on your experiences at Del Rio. We also look forward to your comments on our wine.

2010 is going to be a great year at Del Rio. Jean-Michel will begin his third harvest cycle with us this coming summer/fall. The tasting room is booming as ever with a great increase in our wine club. The parties are getting bigger and better. And the news just came in that a few of our wines have kicked off the year with awards. The 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition's results are in - 2008 Viognier received a Gold Medal, The 2008 Pinot Gris & 2008 Chardonnay both were decorated with Silver medals and the 2006 Claret brought home a Bronze. The year is sure to be great.

This is just the beginning. Please share with us your experiences with Del Rio wine. We look forward to hearing from you.