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ENLARGE
Rivers Edge Winery was Elkton’s first winery. Mike Landt and his wife, Vonnie, opened it in 2000.
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ENLARGE
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John Bradley is the owner of Bradley Vineyards in Elkton.
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ENLARGE
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Rod and Nina Pace, owners of Anindor Vineyards, in Elkton.
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ENLARGE
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Sue and Terry Brandborg, owners of Brandborg Winery in Elkton.
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ELKTON -- At least one in every 25 Elkton residents is currently involved in the wine industry.
That makes Douglas County's smallest incorporated city one of its most notable wine areas.
Four wine labels currently come out of Elkton, which has a population of less than 200.
There's John Bradley of Bradley Vineyards, who started growing grapes in Elkton in 1983. All the grapes were sold to other wineries until 2001.
That year, Bradley had grapes picked, but no one bought them.
"It was either make some wine or feed them to the cows," he said. "That was how our 2001 vintage happened."
Rivers Edge Winery was Elkton's first winery. Mike and Vonnie Landt opened it in 2000.
The couple purchased area vineyards in 1996, but commuted from St. Louis, where they worked as biochemists.
"We pretty much decided by 2001, 2002, that this was our long-range place in the world," said Mike Landt of making wine in Elkton.
It was around that same time that Terry and Sue Brandborg scoured the West Coast looking for the perfect place to grow pinot noir grapes.
"As soon as we drove into the area, it had the right feel and looked right," Terry Brandborg said of Elkton.
Rod and Nina Pace had much the same experience. Rod Pace had worked in mining for 25 years and was looking to grow grapes as a new career.
That makes Douglas County's smallest incorporated city one of its most notable wine areas.
Four wine labels currently come out of Elkton, which has a population of less than 200.
There's John Bradley of Bradley Vineyards, who started growing grapes in Elkton in 1983. All the grapes were sold to other wineries until 2001.
That year, Bradley had grapes picked, but no one bought them.
"It was either make some wine or feed them to the cows," he said. "That was how our 2001 vintage happened."
Rivers Edge Winery was Elkton's first winery. Mike and Vonnie Landt opened it in 2000.
The couple purchased area vineyards in 1996, but commuted from St. Louis, where they worked as biochemists.
"We pretty much decided by 2001, 2002, that this was our long-range place in the world," said Mike Landt of making wine in Elkton.
It was around that same time that Terry and Sue Brandborg scoured the West Coast looking for the perfect place to grow pinot noir grapes.
"As soon as we drove into the area, it had the right feel and looked right," Terry Brandborg said of Elkton.
Rod and Nina Pace had much the same experience. Rod Pace had worked in mining for 25 years and was looking to grow grapes as a new career.
The couple purchased vineyards in Elkton and started making Anindor Vineyards wine in 2005. They made the permanent move from Denver to Elkton in 2006.
"It felt like the type of place that could become a destination, and I think the wine that is produced here speaks to that as well," said Nina Pace.
<b>STUMBLING INTO WINE</b>
John Bradley is a winemaker and grape grower today. It's not what he set out to be, however.
Bradley was working construction in Douglas County throughout the 1970s. The economy turned bad in the 1980s, "so I was looking for something else to do," he said.
A friend mentioned growing grapes.
Bradley explored the possibility. He looked at different sites in the Umpqua Valley.
He settled on property which was covered in blackberries in Elkton.
"There was one little spot where you could see pasture land," he said.
There was another problem. What did Bradley know about growing grapes?
"It felt like the type of place that could become a destination, and I think the wine that is produced here speaks to that as well," said Nina Pace.
<b>STUMBLING INTO WINE</b>
John Bradley is a winemaker and grape grower today. It's not what he set out to be, however.
Bradley was working construction in Douglas County throughout the 1970s. The economy turned bad in the 1980s, "so I was looking for something else to do," he said.
A friend mentioned growing grapes.
Bradley explored the possibility. He looked at different sites in the Umpqua Valley.
He settled on property which was covered in blackberries in Elkton.
"There was one little spot where you could see pasture land," he said.
There was another problem. What did Bradley know about growing grapes?
"Nothing," he said.
It didn't stop him. He planted his vineyards in 1983. Even though he made "stupid mistakes" starting out, he was selling grapes by his fifth year.
He had his first substantial crop two years after that.
At the time, there were only seven or so Umpqua Valley wineries, compared to the 16 today. Bradley said he was selling to all of them, as well as some out-of-area operations.
That continued until 2001, when Bradley had an abundance of grapes and nowhere to sell them.
Having dealt with so many winemakers over the years, Bradley now says it was a natural progression for him to make wine out his grapes.
In 2006, Bradley and his wife, Bonnie, opened a tasting room perched above their vineyards, with additional space for weddings and events. Bradley makes his wine at River's Edge Winery. There is room, however, for a winery next to Bradley's tasting room.
Bradley said building that is a goal, at some point.
"A lot of what we've done, we've stumbled into," Bradley said. "It's worked out fine, but it's been interesting."
<b>'WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON AIRPLANES'</b>
When Mike and Vonnie Landt purchased Elkton vineyards in 1996, they were both working as biochemists at Washington University in St. Louis.
It didn't stop him. He planted his vineyards in 1983. Even though he made "stupid mistakes" starting out, he was selling grapes by his fifth year.
He had his first substantial crop two years after that.
At the time, there were only seven or so Umpqua Valley wineries, compared to the 16 today. Bradley said he was selling to all of them, as well as some out-of-area operations.
That continued until 2001, when Bradley had an abundance of grapes and nowhere to sell them.
Having dealt with so many winemakers over the years, Bradley now says it was a natural progression for him to make wine out his grapes.
In 2006, Bradley and his wife, Bonnie, opened a tasting room perched above their vineyards, with additional space for weddings and events. Bradley makes his wine at River's Edge Winery. There is room, however, for a winery next to Bradley's tasting room.
Bradley said building that is a goal, at some point.
"A lot of what we've done, we've stumbled into," Bradley said. "It's worked out fine, but it's been interesting."
<b>'WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON AIRPLANES'</b>
When Mike and Vonnie Landt purchased Elkton vineyards in 1996, they were both working as biochemists at Washington University in St. Louis.
They had both attended the University of Oregon. They liked Oregon, but they decided to follow their careers.
"There aren't that many jobs for biochemists in Oregon," Mike Landt said.
He said he and his wife began feeling like they'd reached a pinnacle in their scientific careers during the late 1990s. They started talking about returning to Oregon.
They were living in the inner-city with noise, traffic, crime and pollution.
They looked at Elkton as an appealing change. They made their first River's Edge wine in 1998.
The Landts worked part time at the university before turning to wine full time in 2005.
"We spent a lot of time on airplanes," Landt said.
River's Edge has increased its production by 20 percent each of the last five years. In 2006, it produced 2,300 cases of wine.
Landt said the winery probably won't grow in the immediate future. He said studies show that 2,300 to 3,000 cases is a level that a family operation can sustain without hiring employees and still make a decent living.
An addition to their facility is possible down the road -- he is going to try and grow olives behind the winery -- and Landt said they might focus more of their production on pinot noir in the future.
For now, however, he said he's pleased with his current crop level. Good wine, according to Landt, is really made in the vineyards.
"It's merely the winemakers task to not screw it up," he said.
"There aren't that many jobs for biochemists in Oregon," Mike Landt said.
He said he and his wife began feeling like they'd reached a pinnacle in their scientific careers during the late 1990s. They started talking about returning to Oregon.
They were living in the inner-city with noise, traffic, crime and pollution.
They looked at Elkton as an appealing change. They made their first River's Edge wine in 1998.
The Landts worked part time at the university before turning to wine full time in 2005.
"We spent a lot of time on airplanes," Landt said.
River's Edge has increased its production by 20 percent each of the last five years. In 2006, it produced 2,300 cases of wine.
Landt said the winery probably won't grow in the immediate future. He said studies show that 2,300 to 3,000 cases is a level that a family operation can sustain without hiring employees and still make a decent living.
An addition to their facility is possible down the road -- he is going to try and grow olives behind the winery -- and Landt said they might focus more of their production on pinot noir in the future.
For now, however, he said he's pleased with his current crop level. Good wine, according to Landt, is really made in the vineyards.
"It's merely the winemakers task to not screw it up," he said.
<b>BUZZ ABOUT BRANDBORG</b>
Terry Brandborg started a "garage winery" in 1986. From 1990 to 2001, he rented warehouse space to craft his wines.
It wasn't his main job, however. Brandborg worked as a shoreman in the San Francisco Bay area for 25 years.
When he decided to turn his passion for wine into a profession in 2001, he found the Umpqua Valley through friends who had moved from San Francisco to Sutherlin in the 1980s.
Brandborg said he was familiar with Henry Estate Winery in Umpqua and Girardet Wine Cellars in Tenmile. He didn't know about Elkton, though.
That quickly changed, as Brandborg, along with wife Sue, found a 145-acre site in Elkton to live on and grow grapes.
Their first bottling was 2,500 cases in 2002. Production has increased every year and reached 15,000 cases in 2006.
"We're striving to push that envelope all the time to be the highest level quality," Brandborg said.
The Brandborgs have built their business through marketing, as well as good wine.
They poured their wine at the International Pinot Noir Celebration in McMinnville. They were one of 50 Oregon wineries featured for 250 prominent wine buyers.
That event led to six new markets for Brandborg wine.
"There was a buzz about Brandborg among attendees," Terry Brandborg said.
It's not easy finding distributors for smaller labels, he said. Brandborg wine is in 12 markets nationally.
The couple travel around the country participating in wine events and winemakers dinners to promote their product.
"Until you do that, you're just a name in the book," Brandborg said.
<b>'THE MORE THE MERRIER'</b>
The marketing done by the Brandborgs does more than promote their name, it also brings attention to the Umpqua Valley and Elkton.
"His tasting room helps the flow for all of us," John Bradley said.
The Brandborgs have offered more than just wine in their tasting room. They have regular concerts that fill the two-story space.
Musical acts from folk to reggae to country to rock, have played Elkton at Brandborg Vineyard and Winery. It's been so successful, Terry Brandborg said, that calls are coming in from acts and booking agents interested in performing there.
Concerts draw people from Eugene, Roseburg and the outlying areas of those cities.
Tasters from all over the state and beyond have started making Elkton a wine-tasting destination.
Mike Landt said River's Edge has seen a substantial increase in tasting room visits over the last few years. It's no coincidence that it's happened as more wineries have opened up in close proximity.
Landt compares it to antique shops. People will travel to places that have an abundance of such shops, he said, but probably won't go out of their way to visit a town that only has one.
"So far, I have the opinion 'the more the merrier,'" he said about the wine industry in Elkton.
The newest wine name in Elkton is Anindor Vineyards. Rod and Nina Pace -- Anindor is their first names spelled backward -- purchased existing vineyards in August 2005.
They had moved locations every two to three years for his career as a mining engineer. They had property in Texas and Idaho, but neither was right for growing grapes.
Rod Pace discovered the Umpqua Valley in a wine book he purchased while passing through the Portland airport.
The Paces visited and were encouraged by the climate and the other winemakers.
"They were all quite helpful, as well, in helping us get started," Nina Pace said.
The wine for Anindor's 2005 was produced at Brandborg, which does custom crush for a number of clients. A mobile bottler comes to Elkton and spends several days traveling between the wineries when it's time to bottle.
Anindor produced 700 cases of wine this year and would like to hit 2,000 annually. The Paces are waiting on permits for a winery and tasting room and hope to have them open within the year.
None of the winemakers expect Anindor to be the last winery to open in Elkton, either.
"I think there's room for more and there will be more," Brandborg said. "I have no doubt about that."
* You can reach reporter Paul Craig at 957-4211 or by e-mail at pcraig@newsreview.info.
Terry Brandborg started a "garage winery" in 1986. From 1990 to 2001, he rented warehouse space to craft his wines.
It wasn't his main job, however. Brandborg worked as a shoreman in the San Francisco Bay area for 25 years.
When he decided to turn his passion for wine into a profession in 2001, he found the Umpqua Valley through friends who had moved from San Francisco to Sutherlin in the 1980s.
Brandborg said he was familiar with Henry Estate Winery in Umpqua and Girardet Wine Cellars in Tenmile. He didn't know about Elkton, though.
That quickly changed, as Brandborg, along with wife Sue, found a 145-acre site in Elkton to live on and grow grapes.
Their first bottling was 2,500 cases in 2002. Production has increased every year and reached 15,000 cases in 2006.
"We're striving to push that envelope all the time to be the highest level quality," Brandborg said.
The Brandborgs have built their business through marketing, as well as good wine.
They poured their wine at the International Pinot Noir Celebration in McMinnville. They were one of 50 Oregon wineries featured for 250 prominent wine buyers.
That event led to six new markets for Brandborg wine.
"There was a buzz about Brandborg among attendees," Terry Brandborg said.
It's not easy finding distributors for smaller labels, he said. Brandborg wine is in 12 markets nationally.
The couple travel around the country participating in wine events and winemakers dinners to promote their product.
"Until you do that, you're just a name in the book," Brandborg said.
<b>'THE MORE THE MERRIER'</b>
The marketing done by the Brandborgs does more than promote their name, it also brings attention to the Umpqua Valley and Elkton.
"His tasting room helps the flow for all of us," John Bradley said.
The Brandborgs have offered more than just wine in their tasting room. They have regular concerts that fill the two-story space.
Musical acts from folk to reggae to country to rock, have played Elkton at Brandborg Vineyard and Winery. It's been so successful, Terry Brandborg said, that calls are coming in from acts and booking agents interested in performing there.
Concerts draw people from Eugene, Roseburg and the outlying areas of those cities.
Tasters from all over the state and beyond have started making Elkton a wine-tasting destination.
Mike Landt said River's Edge has seen a substantial increase in tasting room visits over the last few years. It's no coincidence that it's happened as more wineries have opened up in close proximity.
Landt compares it to antique shops. People will travel to places that have an abundance of such shops, he said, but probably won't go out of their way to visit a town that only has one.
"So far, I have the opinion 'the more the merrier,'" he said about the wine industry in Elkton.
The newest wine name in Elkton is Anindor Vineyards. Rod and Nina Pace -- Anindor is their first names spelled backward -- purchased existing vineyards in August 2005.
They had moved locations every two to three years for his career as a mining engineer. They had property in Texas and Idaho, but neither was right for growing grapes.
Rod Pace discovered the Umpqua Valley in a wine book he purchased while passing through the Portland airport.
The Paces visited and were encouraged by the climate and the other winemakers.
"They were all quite helpful, as well, in helping us get started," Nina Pace said.
The wine for Anindor's 2005 was produced at Brandborg, which does custom crush for a number of clients. A mobile bottler comes to Elkton and spends several days traveling between the wineries when it's time to bottle.
Anindor produced 700 cases of wine this year and would like to hit 2,000 annually. The Paces are waiting on permits for a winery and tasting room and hope to have them open within the year.
None of the winemakers expect Anindor to be the last winery to open in Elkton, either.
"I think there's room for more and there will be more," Brandborg said. "I have no doubt about that."
* You can reach reporter Paul Craig at 957-4211 or by e-mail at pcraig@newsreview.info.
Elkton Wine
<b>RIVER’S EDGE</b>
<b>WHERE:</b> 1395 River Drive, Elkton <b>OPEN:</b> Daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day <b>FEATURED WINES:</b> Pinot noir, pinot gris, Gewürztraminer <b>OWNERS:</b> Mike and Vonnie Landt <b>LAST WORD:</b> Pinot noir has been probably the main catalyst in drawing both wine drinkers and winemakers to Elkton. “I anticipated demand for pinot noir would accelerate,” Mike Landt said. “It’s exceeded whatever wild dreams I’ve had. It’s just taken off here.” <b>INFORMATION:</b> (541) 584-2357 or www.riversedgewinery.com <b>BRADLEY VINEYARDS WHERE:</b> 1000 Azalea Drive, Elkton <b>OPEN:</b> Wednesday through Sunday from Memorial Day to Thanksgiving <b>OWNERS:</b> John and Bonnie Bradley <b>FEATURED WINES:</b> Pinot noir, dry Riesling, off-dry Riesling, baco noir <b>LAST WORD:</b> While many winegrowers targeted Elkton for its ability to grow pinot noir, John Bradley said it’s also an area that should be promoted for its ability to grow Riesling. “The Riesling grapes are just wonderful,” he said. “We grow it very well here in Elkton.” <b>INFORMATION:</b> (541) 584-2888 www.bradleyvineyards.com <b>BRANDBORG VINEYARD AND WINERY WHERE:</b> 345 First St., Elkton <b>OPEN:</b> Daily from Memorial Day through harvest and most weekends or by appointment the rest of the year <b>OWNERS:</b> Terry and Sue Brandborg <b>FEATURED WINES:</b> Pinot noir, pinot gris, pinot blanc, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, syrah, port of pinot <b>LAST WORD:</b> The Brandborgs have grown their winery production six-fold since 2002. Their success comes from a lot of hard work promoting their name and the Umpqua Valley, along with two other important qualities. “Not only are we risk-takers,” Sue Brandborg said, “we’re dreamers.” <b>INFORMATION:</b> (541) 584-2870 or www.brandborgwine.com <b>ANINDOR VINEYARDS OPEN:</b> The plan is to have a winery and tasting room opened within the year <b>OWNERS:</b> Rod and Nina Pace <b>FEATURED WINES:</b> Pinot noir, Riesling, pinot gris, Gewürztraminer <b>LAST WORD:</b> After Anindor Vineyards earned a gold medal by professional judges at the 2007 Greatest of the Grape in Canyonville, Nina Pace said she thought about all the help they had received in getting started from the other Elkton winemakers. “I think it was kind of a community award,” she said. “I was excited for Elkton.” <b>INFORMATION:</b> (541) 584-2637 or www.anindor.com |
