Page 80 - Southern Oregon Magazine Fall 2018

FEATURE | wine

SOMETHING OLD

First, Congratulations go to Spangler Vineyards in Roseburg as Wine 30 years. The celebration is over, but they plan to continue producing
Press Northwest Magazine’s 2018 Winery of the Year. More recogni- great wines into the future.
tion for our region! Owner Pat Spangler tells of cuttings originally
from the Napa Valley brought here, stuck in the ground and taking After a bucolic Applegate Valley drive to Wooldridge Creek Vineyard &
root to form the current vines, including Cabernet Sauvignon planted Winery and settling on the patio, you know you’ve come to the right
in 1968. Like any area of life, there are always stories, and Pat has spot. Steve Grande, Assistant Winemaker, says, “We want people to
one. He’s been told that Khayam, the cheetah who inspired a statue at come and enjoy the wine and to enjoy the land.” The first grapes were
Wildlife Safari, is buried on his property. planted in 1978. On a something-new note, they brag about being
Oregon’s first winery, creamery and charcuterie. If you don’t care for
Henry Estate Winery in Umpqua has been making wine for decades. liver, you might rethink that opinion when you taste their liver pâté
Its founder, Calvin Scott Henry III (Scott) brought his wife and chil- topped with fermented Meyer lemons and a Chardonnay gelée. This
dren back to his family homestead and planted grape vines. Their first comes to you on a plank, along with cured meats, artisan cheeses and
release was 1980. homemade crackers from their charcuterie.

Weisinger Family Winery in Ashland planted the first vines in 1978, and Other area wineries date back to about that time. HillCrest Vineyard
later established the winery. This past summer they celebrated their in the Umpqua AVA lays claim to being the oldest estate winery in
30th anniversary with a July weekend of tastings, tours, barrel tast- Oregon (of the post-Prohibition era), opening in 1961 and market-
ings, food trucks and live music. In August, they hosted an anniversary ing its first vintage in 1964. In 2014, they were the only U.S. winery
Winemakers Dinner, a ten-course meal paired with wines of the past honored as global innovators at the 900-year celebration of the world’s

78 www.southernoregonmagazine.com | fall 2018