2011 Pre-Harvest Report

A Winemakers Style

Today, I came across a great letter from our winemaker, Jean-Michel, describing his style of winemaking. Enjoy!


I believe that most of my wines represent my origins, my life experiences, my personality and my belief in winemaking. My family produces Muscadet in the Loire Valley, France. This vibrant wine is always on my mind when making whites. As a result, I like to feel some acidity on most of my blends. It’s helped the wine keep its freshness and lifts up the fruit as well as extends the mouth feel. My style of red wine comes from my experience in Bordeaux and Australia. I strive for fruity reds with a deep color as well as round and rich tannins. I barrel age red and white wines according to the vintage and its potential. In any case, I do not try to overpower the fruit of wines. To achieve the ageing that suit the wine, I select oak from France, Hungary and America. I also used lees ageing, Malolactic fermentation, and different techniques of maceration and yeast strains to create several nuances into the wines.


Ultimately, I want the taster to go back to my wines and find at each new sip another layer of complexity and aromas. A good wine in my opinion arouses curiosity by its originality, respectfulness of the fruit, balance, texture, and must express to its best the vineyard site and the work of the grower.


Hope it helps.


Sincerely
J-Michel

September 2011 Newsletter!

Open publication - Free publishing - More oregon

Del Rio's 2011 Summer Concert Series

Del Rio Vineyards & Winery is excited to announce our annual Summer Concert Series schedule. For 2011 we are offering a fun lineup featuring great Southern Oregon talent. From the folksy sounds of Kites and Crows to the energetic rock-n-roll of the Roadsters we have a fantastic variety of music for a beautiful venue. Join us on Friday nights; bring a blanket and a picnic dinner to enjoy on our tasting room grounds. Wine will be available for purchase by the glass or bottle. Admission is $7.50 for the general public & $5.00 for Del Rio wine club members. Please no outside alcohol.

JUNE

June 24th - Broadway Phil & The Shouters – 6:00-8:30pm
Broadway Phil and the Shouters have been rocking concerts and clubs since 1994. Building on a long tradition of West Coast blues, R&B and roots rock, the Shouters remain a hard–driving mainstay of the independent music scene in Oregon, California and beyond.

JULY

July 8th - Sweet Town Little – 6:00-9:00pm
Sweet Town Little is a new emerging, energetic, country band based in Brookings Oregon. A four man crew, the band is known for their country & progressive rock sound.

July 22nd – Mercy – 6:00-9:00pm
"Mercy" covers classic soul, R&B, rock and blues pumping fresh new life into them with the extraordinary vocal prowess of Lynda Morrison.

AUGUST

August 5th - Kites & Crows – 6:00-9:00pm
Kites & Crows, an indie folk trio, fresh off of Fall West Coast tour, are local favorites on Jefferson Public Radio's Folk Show with their new self-produced Golden Room ep released in November 2010.

August 19th - The Roadsters – 6:00-8:30pm
The Roadsters are an energetic, interactive, dynamic country/rock band whose strong male and female vocals offer variety & versatility. With a tight, hard-hitting rhythm section, they capture the best in classic & contemporary country, as well as vintage rock.

Del Rio's Kitchen: Volume 2

Susie Moore had the winning recipe from our staff bake off for our December wine club party. Enjoy her wonderful recipe!

Not a Creature Was Stirring . . . .

Ingredients:

• Maraschino cherries with stems
• Chocolate chips (white, dark, or milk) depending on the color of mice you want or flavor you want.
• Sliced almonds (for ears)
• Frosting for eyes & nose (you can use store bought tubes)

Instructions:
Rinse cherries and dry very well – the chocolate won’t stick if the cherries are wet (roll them around on a towel) Melt chips in a double boiler over hot NOT boiling water. (It is important not to let any moisture invade the chocolate while melting or it will burn into a big glob.) Dip each cherry including part of the stem into melted chocolate and place on waxed or parchment paper. Using some of the melted choco., place 1 morsel on cherry for nose and nestle almonds behind nose for ears. Decorate with eyes and nose with a color of your choice. Chill until set and you are ready to eat.

An evening of fine wine, gourmet food, and fabulous people!

Saturday marked the 3rd annual Dinner Under the Stars for Del Rio. I was thrilled to be an attendee for the event. The evening started out a bit breezy with the mighty wind making its way through the park, a sure sign that a storm was in the evening air. We, however, were lucky and the lightning didn’t make it all the way to Gold Hill. Instead, we were treated with five star service and a fun event. Our menu was melt in your mouth good. Platon and the Jacksonville Inn dinner crew were all wonderful servers. In addition to great food, Platon offered a window into each meal and entertaining stories of Greek life in East Africa.

Jean- Michel provided the inside scoop to each of the wines paired with our courses. He glowed as he spoke describing the process and characteristics of the 2008 Estate Reserve Petite Syrah, our 2010 World of Wine Gold medal winner. The evening was topped off by the sounds of talented local guitarist, Michael Cruz.

In the end, debates ensued over the favorite course. Mine was the Salmon Cannelloni, Jolee loved the Rogue Creamery Blue Cheese gelato and Rob said hands down the ribs were the best. Overall it was a yummy and joyous occasion. I learned from fellow dinner guest Ron Semoni about raising and showing miniature donkeys, enjoyed my first compressed watermelon, and once again experienced Del Rio at its finest.

Please enjoy the following pictures and we hope to see everyone back next year!

2008 Pinot Noir

2008 Del Rio Pinot Noir
*Will be included in the March 2010 Wine Club Release!

Price: $28.00/bottle & $22.40/bottle - Wine Club

Tasting Notes:
This 100 % Pinot Noir shows classic attributes of Pinot Noir from Burgundy with a deep color, cherry, prune, blackberry, and vanilla aromas. The nose gives way to a supple texture with violet flavors, impressive ripe tannins and a long finish. Enjoy it now or cellar for up to three years.

Food Pairing:
The wine will harmoniously accompany your meat and game dishes such as salmon, lamb chops, roast duck and wild mushrooms. Check out the Morel Mushroom recipe on the Recipe Exchange page.

March Wine Club Releases

Attention Rio Club Members . . . check what is coming to you in March.
March 1st, 2010 marks the special day for the shipping of wine club orders. If you pick up your wine it will also be ready on the 1st. So, what I am I getting in this order you ask?

Rio Club Members
You can expect a red and a white. This time around you will receive the highly anticipated 2008 Pinot Noir and the San Francisco Chronicle Gold Medal winning 2008 Viognier.

Red's Only Members
You will also receive the new 2008 Pinot Noir and accompanying it will be the sold out 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon.

In addition to wine, we have included a packet of seeds to make your spring bloom brighter!

In celebrating the wine club release we would like to invite you all to our March Open House, March 6th and 7th. For more information on upcoming events and happenings at Del Rio check out the calendar of events page on our website.

For more information or questions about the wine club please contact Jennifer at the tasting room, taste@delriovineyards.com.

Stay tuned for wine release notes!

Where to find Del Rio wine

We know you love to stop by the tasting room, but there are plenty of places around the Rogue Valley where you can pick up a bottle of Del Rio wine. Check out the list below. If your favorite restaurant or shop is not on the list, let them know how much you love Del Rio. Let us know where you would like to find our wine and we will work to make it happen.

Planning to eat out. The following restaurants have Del Rio on the menu:

Ashland

Alex’s Plaza Resaurant

Allyson’s Kitchen

Bambu

Beau Club/Geppetto’s

Callahan’s Lodge

Chateaulin Francais

Dragonfly Restaurant

Elegance

Lelas Café

Motif Restaurant and lounge

Oregon Cabaret Theatre

Pasta Piatti

Winchester Inn

Central Point

Matteo’s Italian Restaurant

Gold Hill/Rogue River
River’s Edge Restaurant

Rogue Riviera Supper Club

Ray's Food Place

Foot's Creek Market/Deli

Grants Pass

Blondies’ Bistro

The Brewery

Gooseberries

Miranda Mae Café

Morrison Lodge

One-Fifteen Broiler

Sophia’s Italian Kitchen

Summer Jo’s

Taprock Northwest Grill

The Vine Restaurant

Medford:

38 Central

Four Daughters Irish Pub

Kaleidoscope

Rogue Regency Inn & Suites

Rogue Valley Country Club

Sky House Bar & Grill

Wharf Fresh Seafood

Jacksonville

Jacksonville Inn

STORES:
Albertsons

Bi-Mart in Jacksonville and in Medford on Biddle

Ray’s Food Place in Jacksonville

Sherm’s Food For Less

Fred Meyer South & North

Harry & David Country Store

Tark’s Sentry Market

Shon N Kart – Ashland

Shady Cove Select Market

Market of Choice Ashland

Quality Market

Sherm’s Thunderbird Market

Wine Shops

All about Oregon

Ashland Wine Cellar

Corks

Cartwright’s Meat Co.

Gary West Meats

Pacific Wine Club

The Rogue Creamery

History of Rock Point

As the Rock Point bridge renovation project is underway, I thought it would be fitting to share a little bit of history on Del Rio's historic location.

Del Rio History 101

Del Rio began its existence as the small community of Rock Point, founded by J.B. White in the early 1850's. John fought in the Rogue Indian Wars from 1855-1856, serving under Captain William A. Wilkinson. In exchange for his services, he received land. He was appointed as a judge in the Dardanelles precinct in 1857 and two years later established the post office in Rock Point.

J.B. White developed a homestead on the north side of the stage road after the flood of 1861-1862 destroyed the bridge over the Rogue River and his home on the south side of the river. In

1863, John decided to open a store and sold his homestead to L.J. White. The cost of the property and improvements was $2,000. Soon after, L.J. decided to establish his own hotel at the edge of his property. He immediately began work on a new bridge, and in 1864 construction began on the Rock Point Hotel. On February 8, 1865, the hotel opened to the public with a grand ball. L.J. simultaneously established one of the first telegraph stations in the area when the hotel opened.

During the rest of the decade the small community of Rock Point began to flourish. Joining the hotel, and the post office, were homes, Abram Schuly's blacksmith shop, Hoymond and White's store, a saloon and a school. The record books from the Stage Company verify the regular use of the Rock Point Hotel as a stage stop. But with the passage of time, things changed. The Railroad prepared a right of way through the property. Lytte White died on October 28, 1878, and his sons and wife continued to run the stage stop at Rock Point. His son Henry bought out his mother and brothers and renovated the old hotel in 1887. But, by the turn of the century, the hotel had closed and Henry had returned to farming.

The future seemed bleak for the Rock Point Hotel. But, in 1907, it began a new period in its life. F.K. Deuel and others purchased the hotel and surrounding land. The property grew from a one-acre family orchard to an eight hundred acre valley orchard yielding leading varieties of pears, apples, cherries, peaches, apricots, walnuts and filberts. Del Rio Orchards were planted during a rapid period of growth in the Rogue Valley known as the "pear boom". During the 1920's the Rogue Valley Orchards flourished but struggled to stay afloat during the Great Depression. The Orchards revived at the end of World War II.

The Orchard and hotel remained in the Deuel family until 1997 when Lee and Margaret Traynham of California purchased the land. With the change of ownership, thus began a period of resurrection for the property. The Traynhams, realizing the historical significance of the structures, began restoration. This included the Rock Point Hotel, which is one of the oldest structures in Southern Oregon. They also began the transformation of a third generation pear orchard into one of Southern Oregon's premium wine grape vineyards.

Here are a few more fun pictures to look at:

The barn was originally the home of the fruit packing plant. Today is is home to the winery.

Here you can see both the old wooden covered bridge being replaced by the new bridge being built in 1919.

For more information on the bridge renovations please visit the ODOT website. www.oregon.gov/ODOT

Sweet February Savings

Sweet Savings are happening at Del Rio for the month of February - Free shipping for all online orders. Enjoy shopping from the comfort of your own computer. Click Here to visit our online store.

In the spirit of the upcoming holiday our tasting room employee Susie Moore has written a few prose she would like to share. Check out Susie's poem on gift ideas for the special someone in your life. We wish you all a Happy Valentines Day!

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.