By Cleve Twitchell
For the Mail Tribune
Back in the 1930s, Tom Vella, founder of Rogue Creamery in Central Point, decided to celebrate his heritage by holding an Italian Festival. A tradition began. This year's event was the 72nd annual.
When the creamery's new owners added a wine section a few years ago, it's not surprising that they stocked Italian wines along with a good selection of local labels. So you often see names like Tenuta, Fattoria and Fratelli alongside EdenVale, Daisy Creek and Devitt.
The Italian wines are anything but ordinary. They all come from small vineyards. That's where Thomas Kelly fits into the picture. He's with a firm called SV (Small Vineyards) Imports, specializing in finding good Italian wines in that category.
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1. Grapes are picked by hand. "No machines means no green grapes or overripe fruit get in to upset the balance," says Kelly.
2. Single estate. The families grow all of their grapes. No extra fruit is purchased.
3. Low yield. "The average winemaker in Oregon gets about five-and-a-half bottles of wine per vine," Kelly continues. "Corporate estates can wrest up to 10 or 12 bottles per plant. Small vineyards' wines average just one bottle per vine. We look for people who are so picky with their grapes that their neighbors think they're crazy."
4. Family-owned and small production. "We work with families whose goal is quality over quantity; artists and artisans who are content making a small amount of wonderful wine as opposed to expanding their production over time."
Visitors to the 2007 Italian Festival enjoyed samples of some of the wines. They start at about $13 retail and range up to $30, with many around $16.
Rogue Creamery, at 311 N. Front St. (Highway 99), pours complimentary sips of two or three wines — sometimes local, sometimes Italian — most Saturdays from 1 to 3 p.m.
A RED BLEND FROM WASHINGTON state was, for me, the highlight of a recent tasting at Pacific Wine Club in Medford. It's Sheridan Vineyard 2004 Kamiakin Red from the Yakima Valley. The wine is 44 percent cabernet sauvignon, 31 percent merlot, 21 percent cabernet franc and 4 percent syrah, with beautiful results. It retails for about $18.
Two others that impressed me at that event were Arbor Crest 2003 Columbia Valley Cabernet Franc ($17) and Forchini Vineyards & Winery 2004 Papa Nonno Tuscan Style Red ($19). The cab franc is an interesting Washington wine that blossoms and grows on you as you sip it. The Tuscan-style red blend comes from folks of Italian heritage who make wine in the Healdsburg, Calif., area. It's 58 percent zinfandel, 27 percent cabernet, 11 percent carignane and 4 percent mixed whites.
Pacific Wine Club, 3588 Heathrow Way, has tastings from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Fridays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays. Visitors can sample eight or nine wines for a modest fee.
BEASY'S ON THE CREEK is one of Ashland's most affordable restaurants, with many two-course dinners priced under $20 alongside more expensive ones. Similarly, the wine list covers a wide price range. You may be best off ordering from the by-the-glass section, which begins at $4.50.
I tried RoxyAnn Pinot Gris with a hearts of romaine salad. I thought this wine would be too delicate to accompany the spicy entrée that followed, Chicken Inca Inca with a sauce of jalapeños, garlic and lime juice. A chardonnay seemed a good choice. No local chardonnays were on the list, so I went with a brand called Lockwood from California's Monterey area. Sipped by itself, the wine seemed harsh, but that quality helped it stand up to the spicy chicken — a good marriage.
ELMER'S OF MEDFORD HAS upgraded its house wine to Columbia Crest of Washington state. I tried chardonnay with my salad and merlot with an entrée of pork chops, broccoli soufflé and vegetable medley. Each cost $4.50 per glass. The restaurant formerly served Copperidge wines from California.
AS BY-THE-GLASS WINE PRICES gradually rise around the Rogue Valley, with many in the $5-$6 range, it's pleasing to note that an occasional bargain still exists. One example: Bel Arbors Merlot at the Rogue Regency Inn's Regency Grill. When last checked, it was still $3.50. Decent wine, too.
Cleve Twitchell is a retired Mail Tribune editor and columnist. E-mail him at clevelinda@msn.com
