Page 109 - Southern Oregon Magazine Winter 2021

look at the wines of the region, and that
inspired him to explore other producers in
better-known areas like Napa and Sonoma.
His interest in wine led him to working at
Hi-Time Wine Cellars, a well-respected
Southern California wine shop in Newport
Beach.

“I used to go there to buy wines like the
iconic 1978 Prieure-Lichine Margaux,” he
says. When they then asked him if he wanted
a job, he started out as stock boy and delivery
person. The real benefit of working there was
that he could buy wines at just 10-percent
over cost. At the time he was able to taste
through many of the great 1960s and 1970s
vintages of Bordeaux.

A LUCKY BREAK

When he had the opportunity to move from
retail to importing and wholesale, he jumped
at it, taking a job as director of marketing at
Vintage House, which later became the Henry
Wine Group. At the time, he oversaw Vintage
House’s menu printing program, which facili-
tated wine list additions and changes, and
had a chance to meet, cook, and taste with a
number of top local chefs.

“I knew enough about cooking to get in trou-
ble,” he says. He decided to formally learn
how to cook and headed to the Culinary SILHOUETTE
Institute of America’s Hyde Park campus in
New York, finishing his associate’s degree in JUICY COUTURE
1994. A few years later he became director of
marketing in California for what is LA EYEWORKS
now Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits.
The country’s largest wholesaler is now COACH
a merger of Southern Wine & Spirits and
Glazer’s Distributors. He spent a decade KATE SPADE
as marketing director for the wholesaler’s MAUI JIM
American Wines & Spirits’ fine wine division.
SMITH
THE MOVE NORTH
OAKLEY
While working in California, Enlow started
exploring vineyards in Oregon just north of
the California border. In his introduction to Eye Exams by Dr. Garry Kappel, OD FCOVD
the Rogue Valley seven years ago and on more
recent visits, he was struck by its beauty and CONTACT LENSES | GLASSES | SUNGLASSES
the range of wines that could be produced
there. “Seemingly anything could be grown 530 Crater Lake Avenue
here, and if in the right spot, could produce a Medford
541 774-3937
finished, world-class wine.” www.lassmans.com

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