Page 123 - SOUTHERN OREGON MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

seeing where the magic happens. Herb’s dedication to quality win-
emaking is evident and his motto is “I will not make bad wine.” He
shared that the focus at Quady is always to craft the highest quality
wine possible. Herb says,” Making great wines is a team effort. It begins
with the attention that our vineyard stewards put into their work and
continues through every aspect of the process. No shortcuts. The most
important things to me are quality wine, values, authenticity, transpar-
ency, and sincerity without being pretentious. I just want to live, work,
and make great wine.”

From what I saw and tasted, the team at Quady is doing an excellent
job and it’s truly a family affair. Herb’s wife Meloney is the artist behind
the wine labels that grace the bottles. Each design started as an origi-
nal pen and ink and transformed into the artwork for the labels. I’ve
always thought the process of winemaking is art and this adds another
layer of creativity and beauty to the Quady experience.

Until recently, the production of the wines (including Barrel 42 Custom
Winecraft), the tasting room, and the vineyards were housed in three
different locations – Medford, Jacksonville, and Applegate. The new
facility brings it all home. Literally. Nestled on 100 acres you’ll find
the headquarters of Quady North and Barrel 42 Custom Winecraft
cofounded with Brian Gruber, and the original estate vineyards. The
new facility is a centralized location for the winemaking operations,
provides space for continued support of other local wine production
via Barrel 42 Custom Winecraft, and is located on the same property
where the original estate vineyards grow. There’s a large covered out-
door work area for crushing grapes, a production/fermentation room,
and multiple high-pile climate-controlled barrel rooms for storage of
the finished product in both wooden barrels and finished cases.

Head Winemaker Nichole Schulte is a partner in the business and brings
her own expertise to the process. Nichole studied wine law in France
where she fell in love with Rhone varietals. After helping with several
vintages at Troon she joined the Quady North winemaking team.

Another familiar face on the team is Production Member Sara Garr.
She’s been with Quady North for seven years and has a vast amount of
wine knowledge including studying for her Applied Associates Degree
in the Science of Viticulture and Enology from Umpqua Community
College. She has launched her own wine label, Circadian Cellars, with
its first release in 2018. I suspect Barrel 42 custom Winecraft is an
integral part of that work.

Production Manager Darius Price has been with Quady North for
about a decade and Joe Chepolis, has been working with the team since
2016 and has his own label, Sound & Vision. Kevin Breck, another team
member, produces wine under the North Bar Cellars label.

I’m a fan of wineries that feature small lot production emphasizing
quality vintages and Quady North does not disappoint. In addition to
the flight, I sampled the Cabernet Franc, which is my personal favorite.
This varietal is a bit unusual and, it’s been my experience that it takes a
special touch to craft a well-balanced Cab Franc. The varietal is similar
to Cabernet, but the buds open earlier and it lends itself well to colder
climates like Southern Oregon. It is believed to have been established
in the Libournais region of southwest France sometime in the 17th
century. The Cab Franc at Quady is estate grown in both the Mae and
Eevee “LIVE” certified sustainable vineyards (named after Herb and
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