Oregon’s Rogue Valley Wine Route: 9 Spots Not to Miss

This Illinois Valley vineyard team has been “farming heritage varietals of Oregon wine that originated in Alsace,” from Riesling and Gewurztraminer to Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir, since 1973.

The owners behind the historic and organic Valley View Orchard also produce wine made at Carlton Winemaker’s Studio in Oregon’s Willamette Valley with varieties “not often found in the AVA,” including a “lovely Cinsault Rose as well as Mourvedre, Carignan, and interesting field blends.” You can “pick up Elberta peaches and Cinsault Rose at the same location.”

While you’re in Medford, stop into Margo’s Wine Shop to get Maison Jussiaume wines, a project from Jean-Michel Jussiaume, “a local winemaker producing one of the best Blanc de Blancs in Oregon.”

With a “Harley Davison-like aesthetic,” this Jacksonville winery is “one of my favorites.” Their “outstanding Rhone-inspired red wines,” including Grenache, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah, are “reasonably priced.” Plus, they’re opening a new facility this year.

At this biodynamic producer in Applegate Valley, the “design aesthetic in their landscape was clearly as important as the quality of the wines.”

This Ashland winery is an “excellent, well-regarded producer of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay.” The tasting room boasts “lovely hilltop views.”

This is an “excellent producer of both wine and cheese,” and part of the Rogue Valley Farm Tour and Corps.

Farming in the Applegate Valley since 1898, the Ginets “have such a wonderful sense of hospitality with their own meats and lovely wine blends.” They’ve got an “incredibly diverse wine list served in their barn.”

For lodging, Pao suggests staying in this “beautifully restored, historic old lodge built in 1924 on the banks of the Rogue River.” Pick from cabins or an A-frame. “It’s surrounded by old-growth trees and I love the old Oregon feel of the interiors.”