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ENLARGE
Melodie Hilton and susan Hauser sample wine at the Abacela Winery in Winston.
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ENLARGE
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The wineries of Douglas County offer a wide variety of selections.
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The Umpqua Valley wine industry is certainly never dull. An Umpqua Valley winery was featured in the Wall Street Journal. A Douglas County man won a veritable wine cellar of local wines. One local winemaker even introduced a new wine varietal.
There are currently 16 wineries and at least 28 operational vineyards in the Umpqua Valley, according to the Umpqua Valley Winegrowers Association.
Many of them brought attention to the area throughout the year in a variety of ways. Abacela Winery, for example, was featured in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post.
Southern Oregon was compared to “the rural Napa of 30 years ago,” in the Post article.
“That will send some people with their vacation luggage to visit this whole area,” said Earl Jones, Abacela owner, shortly after the article ran.
Stephen Reustle, owner of Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards, also got the Umpqua Valley noticed when his winery became the first to produce Grüner Veltliner in the United States.
Reustle successfully petitioned the Oregon Liquor Control Commission and the Department of Treasury, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to approve the grape variety name last year.
Grüner is an Austrian grape and Reustle produced 70 cases of it last year and hopes to double that in the year ahead.
Case production has continued to grow exponentially at Brandborg Winery in Elkton. The winery opened in 2002 and produced 2,500 cases. Last year, that number was at 15,000.
The expanded production has been helped by more wine drinkers becoming familiar with offerings from the Umpqua Valley.
“One thing that we’ve noticed in the last couple of years is we’re getting more and more people coming down from the major metro areas north of us,” said Terry Brandborg of Brandborg Winery, around harvest time in 2006.
Elkton has especially been gaining notice, with Anindor Vineyards and Bradley Vineyards both earning professional judging awards for their wine at the 2007 Greatest of the Grape event in Canyonville.
The annual Greatest of the Grape is the area’s showcase wine event. The 2007 winner for Greatest of the Grape was Palotai Vineyard & Winery in Roseburg.
Palotai’s 2004 Estate Syrah was voted the favorite wine by attendees.
“To me, the best thing is this is a people’s choice award,” he said after winning. “I make my wines for the public.”
Members of the public also have the opportunity to take home an awful lot of Umpqua Valley wine, simply by visiting five wineries.
The Umpqua Valley Winegrowers Association has a passport promotion, where visitors to different wineries get their winery association passport stamped.
With five stamps, the passport is then entered in a drawing to win a “wine cellar” from the area’s winemakers.
Last September, Jim Leet of Melrose won 20 bottles of Umpqua Valley wine in the drawing.
“This is just so wonderful,” he said of winning.
Information: www.UmpquaWines.com.
<b>ABACELA WINERY</b>
Earl and Hilda Jones sought a location where they could craft Spanish tempranillo wine.
They needed dry summers and cool winters to cultivate the essence of the grape. They found it in Winston and planted the grape in 1995.
Abacela has become known for its deeply colored wines with intense varietal character.
The tasting room is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for major holidays.
To reach the winery, take Exit 119 off Interstate 5, to Winston. Turn right on Lookingglass Road and follow for about two miles to Abacela at 12500 Lookingglass Road.
Information: 679-6642 or see the Web site www.abacela.com.
<b>BRADLEY VINEYARDS</b>
John and Bonnie Bradley have been growing grapes in Elkton since 1983. They opened their winery Memorial Day 2006.
Their first vintage was in 2001 and Bradley Vineyards produces pinot noir, a dry and an off-dry Riesling and a baco noir.
The wines have already earned praise and awards, including honors at the Greatest of the Grape the last three years.
The tasting room is next to the vineyards and there is a wedding venue that overlooks the grapes on the vine.
The winery is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. It is at 1000 Azalea Drive, one mile south of Elkton.
Information: 584-2888 or 584-2464.
<b>BRANDBORG WINERY</b>
Terry and Sue Brandborg opened their Elkton winery in 2002, believing they had found the ideal place to grow cool climate grapes.
In only a few years, Brandborg Vineyard and Winery has won local and out-of-state awards for several of its varietals, including a 2002 Umpqua Valley Pinot Gris. Brandborg’s wines are handcrafted with minimal intervention.
Brandborg wines are crafted from all local grapes, selected to best exemplify the wine’s flavor.
Brandborg’s tasting room plays host to musical and social events throughout the year. It is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Brandborg is located at 345 First St. in Elkton.
Information: 584-2870 or www.brandborgvineyardandwinery.com.
<b>CHAMPAGNE CREEK CELLARS</b>
David and Janiece Brown strive to provide enjoyment as much as good wine to visitors of their winery.
Champagne Creek Cellars is located just west of Roseburg, near the picturesque Callahan Ridge of the Oregon Coast Range.
The winery, which is housed in an 1878 hay barn with hand-hewn peg and post construction, is open year-round from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Champagne Creek’s annual music festival, Rhythm on the Vine, is held the third Saturday of September. The winery also hosts special events such as winemakers dinners.
Champagne Creek Cellars is three miles from Exit 125 off Interstate 5. Head west two miles on Garden Valley Road and 1.3 miles south on Melrose Road to 340 Busenbark Lane.
Information: 673-7901 or www.champagnecreek.com.
<b>GIRARDET WINE CELLARS</b>
The winery’s founders, Bonnie and Philippe Girardet, are considers among the founders of the state’s winemaking industry.
The family-owned and operated winery started when Philippe Girardet planted his first vineyards in 1971 and bottled his first vintage in 1982. Today, his son Marc handles winemaking duties.
Located in Tenmile, Girardet Wine Cellars features 35 acres across a shale hillside offering more than 30 varietals.
The winery, with a picnic area overlooking the vineyards, is located at 895 Reston Road and open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The winery is closed on major holidays.
Information: 679-7252 or www.girardetwine.com.
<b>HENRY ESTATE WINERY</b>
Henry Estate wines are sold in 24 states and several foreign countries. Its pinot noir is one of only a few Oregon wines to break into the Chinese market and three of its wines have even been sold at hotels and restaurants at Hong Kong Disneyland.
Located west of Sutherlin in Umpqua, Henry Estate Winery is one mile west of the Umpqua Store, at 687 Hubbard Creek Road. The tasting room is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for major holidays and Super Bowl Sunday.
Henry Estate also holds the Henry Goes Wine Festival each year on the third Saturday in August. The winery features a view of Coles Valley and Tyee Mountain, with a picnic area and memory garden.
Information: 459-5120, (800) 782-2686 or www.henryestate.com.
<b>HILLCREST VINEYARD</b>
Dyson and Susan DeMara purchased Oregon’s oldest varietal winery in 2003. Since then, they’ve worked to uphold its tradition while also creating their own legacy.
The couple previously ran a vineyard in Napa, Calif., and Dyson worked for the Robert Mondavi Winery. They came to Oregon so they could focus on small lots of handcrafted wines.
Pioneer grape grower Richard Sommer first planted wine grapes at HillCrest in 1961. It was the state’s first post-prohibition winery.
The DeMaras produce cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, valdiguie and Riesling, among other varieties, and also have a selection of “library wines.”
Tours and wine tasting are offered 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, year-round, except major holidays.
HillCrest Vineyard is at 240 Vineyard Lane, 10 miles west of Interstate 5, Exit 125 in Roseburg.
Information: 673-3709.
There are currently 16 wineries and at least 28 operational vineyards in the Umpqua Valley, according to the Umpqua Valley Winegrowers Association.
Many of them brought attention to the area throughout the year in a variety of ways. Abacela Winery, for example, was featured in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post.
Southern Oregon was compared to “the rural Napa of 30 years ago,” in the Post article.
“That will send some people with their vacation luggage to visit this whole area,” said Earl Jones, Abacela owner, shortly after the article ran.
Stephen Reustle, owner of Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards, also got the Umpqua Valley noticed when his winery became the first to produce Grüner Veltliner in the United States.
Reustle successfully petitioned the Oregon Liquor Control Commission and the Department of Treasury, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to approve the grape variety name last year.
Grüner is an Austrian grape and Reustle produced 70 cases of it last year and hopes to double that in the year ahead.
Case production has continued to grow exponentially at Brandborg Winery in Elkton. The winery opened in 2002 and produced 2,500 cases. Last year, that number was at 15,000.
The expanded production has been helped by more wine drinkers becoming familiar with offerings from the Umpqua Valley.
“One thing that we’ve noticed in the last couple of years is we’re getting more and more people coming down from the major metro areas north of us,” said Terry Brandborg of Brandborg Winery, around harvest time in 2006.
Elkton has especially been gaining notice, with Anindor Vineyards and Bradley Vineyards both earning professional judging awards for their wine at the 2007 Greatest of the Grape event in Canyonville.
The annual Greatest of the Grape is the area’s showcase wine event. The 2007 winner for Greatest of the Grape was Palotai Vineyard & Winery in Roseburg.
Palotai’s 2004 Estate Syrah was voted the favorite wine by attendees.
“To me, the best thing is this is a people’s choice award,” he said after winning. “I make my wines for the public.”
Members of the public also have the opportunity to take home an awful lot of Umpqua Valley wine, simply by visiting five wineries.
The Umpqua Valley Winegrowers Association has a passport promotion, where visitors to different wineries get their winery association passport stamped.
With five stamps, the passport is then entered in a drawing to win a “wine cellar” from the area’s winemakers.
Last September, Jim Leet of Melrose won 20 bottles of Umpqua Valley wine in the drawing.
“This is just so wonderful,” he said of winning.
Information: www.UmpquaWines.com.
<b>ABACELA WINERY</b>
Earl and Hilda Jones sought a location where they could craft Spanish tempranillo wine.
They needed dry summers and cool winters to cultivate the essence of the grape. They found it in Winston and planted the grape in 1995.
Abacela has become known for its deeply colored wines with intense varietal character.
The tasting room is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for major holidays.
To reach the winery, take Exit 119 off Interstate 5, to Winston. Turn right on Lookingglass Road and follow for about two miles to Abacela at 12500 Lookingglass Road.
Information: 679-6642 or see the Web site www.abacela.com.
<b>BRADLEY VINEYARDS</b>
John and Bonnie Bradley have been growing grapes in Elkton since 1983. They opened their winery Memorial Day 2006.
Their first vintage was in 2001 and Bradley Vineyards produces pinot noir, a dry and an off-dry Riesling and a baco noir.
The wines have already earned praise and awards, including honors at the Greatest of the Grape the last three years.
The tasting room is next to the vineyards and there is a wedding venue that overlooks the grapes on the vine.
The winery is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. It is at 1000 Azalea Drive, one mile south of Elkton.
Information: 584-2888 or 584-2464.
<b>BRANDBORG WINERY</b>
Terry and Sue Brandborg opened their Elkton winery in 2002, believing they had found the ideal place to grow cool climate grapes.
In only a few years, Brandborg Vineyard and Winery has won local and out-of-state awards for several of its varietals, including a 2002 Umpqua Valley Pinot Gris. Brandborg’s wines are handcrafted with minimal intervention.
Brandborg wines are crafted from all local grapes, selected to best exemplify the wine’s flavor.
Brandborg’s tasting room plays host to musical and social events throughout the year. It is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Brandborg is located at 345 First St. in Elkton.
Information: 584-2870 or www.brandborgvineyardandwinery.com.
<b>CHAMPAGNE CREEK CELLARS</b>
David and Janiece Brown strive to provide enjoyment as much as good wine to visitors of their winery.
Champagne Creek Cellars is located just west of Roseburg, near the picturesque Callahan Ridge of the Oregon Coast Range.
The winery, which is housed in an 1878 hay barn with hand-hewn peg and post construction, is open year-round from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Champagne Creek’s annual music festival, Rhythm on the Vine, is held the third Saturday of September. The winery also hosts special events such as winemakers dinners.
Champagne Creek Cellars is three miles from Exit 125 off Interstate 5. Head west two miles on Garden Valley Road and 1.3 miles south on Melrose Road to 340 Busenbark Lane.
Information: 673-7901 or www.champagnecreek.com.
<b>GIRARDET WINE CELLARS</b>
The winery’s founders, Bonnie and Philippe Girardet, are considers among the founders of the state’s winemaking industry.
The family-owned and operated winery started when Philippe Girardet planted his first vineyards in 1971 and bottled his first vintage in 1982. Today, his son Marc handles winemaking duties.
Located in Tenmile, Girardet Wine Cellars features 35 acres across a shale hillside offering more than 30 varietals.
The winery, with a picnic area overlooking the vineyards, is located at 895 Reston Road and open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The winery is closed on major holidays.
Information: 679-7252 or www.girardetwine.com.
<b>HENRY ESTATE WINERY</b>
Henry Estate wines are sold in 24 states and several foreign countries. Its pinot noir is one of only a few Oregon wines to break into the Chinese market and three of its wines have even been sold at hotels and restaurants at Hong Kong Disneyland.
Located west of Sutherlin in Umpqua, Henry Estate Winery is one mile west of the Umpqua Store, at 687 Hubbard Creek Road. The tasting room is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for major holidays and Super Bowl Sunday.
Henry Estate also holds the Henry Goes Wine Festival each year on the third Saturday in August. The winery features a view of Coles Valley and Tyee Mountain, with a picnic area and memory garden.
Information: 459-5120, (800) 782-2686 or www.henryestate.com.
<b>HILLCREST VINEYARD</b>
Dyson and Susan DeMara purchased Oregon’s oldest varietal winery in 2003. Since then, they’ve worked to uphold its tradition while also creating their own legacy.
The couple previously ran a vineyard in Napa, Calif., and Dyson worked for the Robert Mondavi Winery. They came to Oregon so they could focus on small lots of handcrafted wines.
Pioneer grape grower Richard Sommer first planted wine grapes at HillCrest in 1961. It was the state’s first post-prohibition winery.
The DeMaras produce cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, valdiguie and Riesling, among other varieties, and also have a selection of “library wines.”
Tours and wine tasting are offered 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, year-round, except major holidays.
HillCrest Vineyard is at 240 Vineyard Lane, 10 miles west of Interstate 5, Exit 125 in Roseburg.
Information: 673-3709.
<b>MARSHANNE LANDING</b>
Greg and Fran Cramer opened MarshAnne Landing in Oakland in 2003. In 2006 they expanded in a big way.
The Cramers built a new 2,400-square-foot wine cellar and a 1,000-square-foot tasting room. The outside looks rustic, but the inside has the feel of an art gallery.
There is a fireplace alcove and high ceilings inside and a covered deck outside.
Visitors can expect to sample unique wines, such as the award-winning Côte Du Umpqua 2002, a blend of syrah and grenache.
MarshAnne Landing is located off Interstate 5 at the Metz Hill exit. Its address is 175 Hogan Road and it’s open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday from May to October. Other times, please call.
Information: 459-7998 or www.marshannelanding.com.
<b>MELROSE VINEYARDS</b>
Owners Wayne and Deedy Parker moved from Fresno, Calif., because they said the Umpqua environment was the best they could find for growing high quality grapes.
Their winery is a renovated, 100-year-old barn with a stunning view courtesy of the back deck overlooking the lawn and 150 acres of grapes.
Tours are available as are tastings of new and current releases. Musical events are also hosted at the winery throughout the year.
It is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Melrose Vineyards is located at 885 Melqua Road, off Melrose Road, in Roseburg.
Information: 672-6080 or www.melrosevineyards.com.
<b>MISTY OAKS VINEYARD</b>
Steve and Christy Simmons moved from Alaska to Douglas County in 2002 to follow their wine-producing dreams.
The couple have planted 15 acres of grapes. Their property provides a variety of microclimates and they grow a variety of grapes, from pinot noir to cabernet franc and malbec.
They plan to have their tasting room open by Memorial Day 2007 and have an area plotted for a 2,400-square-foot winery down the line.
Misty Oaks is open weekends from Memorial Day to Thanksgiving. It is located at 2955 Cole Road, Oakland.
Information: 459-3558 or www.mistyoaksvineyard.com
<b>PALOTAI VINEYARD & WINERY</b>
The flavor of Europe’s old country was brought to Roseburg by Gabor Palotai when he opened his boutique winery in 2003.
Gabor, a native Hungarian, embraced the tradition of fine wine at a young age.
Palotai offers a popular red-wine blend called Bull’s Blood, a traditional Hungarian wine dating back to the 1500s. Palotai’s 2004 Estate Syrah was named the Greatest of the Grape by those attending the county’s showcase wine-tasting event in 2007.
The tasting room is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends or by appointment.
Palotai Vineyard and Winery is located at 272 Capital Lane, off Old Garden Valley Road near River Forks Park in Roseburg.
Information: 464-8127 and gabor@mbol.us.
<b>REUSTLE-PRAYER ROCK VINEYARD</b>
Gloria and Stephen Reustle worked for five years on starting their winery before opening in April 2006.
The couple, originally from New York City, moved to Douglas County in 2001 to retire — and start growing grapes.
Reustle-Prayer Rock offers a pinot noir, syrah, dry Riesling and introduced Grüner Veltliner as a new varietal in the United States, among other offerings.
There is no bar for tasting — instead, there’s an antique dining room table. The family wanted to create a family atmosphere where people can taste wine and get to know each other.
The winery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. It is located at 960 Cal Henry Road, Roseburg, next to the Norris Farms.
Information: 459-6060 or www.reustlevineyards.com.
<b>RIVER’S EDGE WINERY</b>
Vonnie and Mike Landt use two estate vineyards in the northernmost part of the Umpqua Valley for their wines.
Elkton Vineyard and Black Oak Vineyard were planted in 1972, making them among Oregon’s oldest.
Along with pinot noir, Rivers Edge specializes in Gewürztraminer. The house specialty is employing a low-technology, hands-on approach to winemaking. The simple techniques aim to preserve the best characteristics of the grape.
The winery overlooks the Umpqua River and the tasting room is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily throughout the summer. Appointments are welcome during the off season.
River’s Edge Winery is located on Highway 38 and River Drive, Elkton.
Information: 584-2357 or www.riversedgewinery.com.
<b>SIENNA RIDGE ESTATE</b>
A new Oakland winery joined the Umpqua Valley ranks in 2006. Sienna Ridge Estate is owned by Wayne Hitchings and Don Cartee.
Sienna Ridge offers a number of varietals. The winery has pinot noir, pinot gris, pinot blanc, chardonnay, zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, along with a late harvest Riesling and late harvest Gewürztraminer.
Sienna Ridge Estate is at 1876 John Long Road. Call for hours of operation.
Information: 849-3300.
<b>SPANGLER VINEYARDS</b>
Patrick and Loree Spangler have made their mark in the Umpqua Valley since opening their winery in 2004.
The couple left Chicago to pursue running a winery and landed in Douglas County.
Spangler Vineyards earned platinum honors from Wine Press Northwest’s Best of the Best in the Great Northwest competition in 2007 for its 2004 Sundown Vineyard Cabernet Franc.
Spangler Vineyards is at 491 Winery Lane, off Highway 42 in Green, a half-mile west of Interstate 5.
The tasting room is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
Information: 679-9654 or www.spanglervineyards.com.
<b>WILD ROSE VINEYARD</b>
Denise and Carlos Figueroa’s part-time wine business grew into a full-time winery in 2007.
The couple started their Dillard vineyards 12 years earlier. In 2002, they started bottling wine under their own label.
Demand kept growing and Carlos decide to retire from teaching to operate the winery.
Wild Rose grows pinot gris and merlot grapes. They also make a pinot gris port wine called Tears of the Rose.
The name of that wine and the winery comes from the fact that the Wild Rose property was literally covered in wild roses when they began growing grapes.
The winery is open noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, year-round. It is at 375 Porter Creek Road, about two miles up Rice Creek Road in Dillard.
Information: 580-5488 or www.wildrosevineyard.com.
Greg and Fran Cramer opened MarshAnne Landing in Oakland in 2003. In 2006 they expanded in a big way.
The Cramers built a new 2,400-square-foot wine cellar and a 1,000-square-foot tasting room. The outside looks rustic, but the inside has the feel of an art gallery.
There is a fireplace alcove and high ceilings inside and a covered deck outside.
Visitors can expect to sample unique wines, such as the award-winning Côte Du Umpqua 2002, a blend of syrah and grenache.
MarshAnne Landing is located off Interstate 5 at the Metz Hill exit. Its address is 175 Hogan Road and it’s open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday from May to October. Other times, please call.
Information: 459-7998 or www.marshannelanding.com.
<b>MELROSE VINEYARDS</b>
Owners Wayne and Deedy Parker moved from Fresno, Calif., because they said the Umpqua environment was the best they could find for growing high quality grapes.
Their winery is a renovated, 100-year-old barn with a stunning view courtesy of the back deck overlooking the lawn and 150 acres of grapes.
Tours are available as are tastings of new and current releases. Musical events are also hosted at the winery throughout the year.
It is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Melrose Vineyards is located at 885 Melqua Road, off Melrose Road, in Roseburg.
Information: 672-6080 or www.melrosevineyards.com.
<b>MISTY OAKS VINEYARD</b>
Steve and Christy Simmons moved from Alaska to Douglas County in 2002 to follow their wine-producing dreams.
The couple have planted 15 acres of grapes. Their property provides a variety of microclimates and they grow a variety of grapes, from pinot noir to cabernet franc and malbec.
They plan to have their tasting room open by Memorial Day 2007 and have an area plotted for a 2,400-square-foot winery down the line.
Misty Oaks is open weekends from Memorial Day to Thanksgiving. It is located at 2955 Cole Road, Oakland.
Information: 459-3558 or www.mistyoaksvineyard.com
<b>PALOTAI VINEYARD & WINERY</b>
The flavor of Europe’s old country was brought to Roseburg by Gabor Palotai when he opened his boutique winery in 2003.
Gabor, a native Hungarian, embraced the tradition of fine wine at a young age.
Palotai offers a popular red-wine blend called Bull’s Blood, a traditional Hungarian wine dating back to the 1500s. Palotai’s 2004 Estate Syrah was named the Greatest of the Grape by those attending the county’s showcase wine-tasting event in 2007.
The tasting room is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends or by appointment.
Palotai Vineyard and Winery is located at 272 Capital Lane, off Old Garden Valley Road near River Forks Park in Roseburg.
Information: 464-8127 and gabor@mbol.us.
<b>REUSTLE-PRAYER ROCK VINEYARD</b>
Gloria and Stephen Reustle worked for five years on starting their winery before opening in April 2006.
The couple, originally from New York City, moved to Douglas County in 2001 to retire — and start growing grapes.
Reustle-Prayer Rock offers a pinot noir, syrah, dry Riesling and introduced Grüner Veltliner as a new varietal in the United States, among other offerings.
There is no bar for tasting — instead, there’s an antique dining room table. The family wanted to create a family atmosphere where people can taste wine and get to know each other.
The winery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. It is located at 960 Cal Henry Road, Roseburg, next to the Norris Farms.
Information: 459-6060 or www.reustlevineyards.com.
<b>RIVER’S EDGE WINERY</b>
Vonnie and Mike Landt use two estate vineyards in the northernmost part of the Umpqua Valley for their wines.
Elkton Vineyard and Black Oak Vineyard were planted in 1972, making them among Oregon’s oldest.
Along with pinot noir, Rivers Edge specializes in Gewürztraminer. The house specialty is employing a low-technology, hands-on approach to winemaking. The simple techniques aim to preserve the best characteristics of the grape.
The winery overlooks the Umpqua River and the tasting room is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily throughout the summer. Appointments are welcome during the off season.
River’s Edge Winery is located on Highway 38 and River Drive, Elkton.
Information: 584-2357 or www.riversedgewinery.com.
<b>SIENNA RIDGE ESTATE</b>
A new Oakland winery joined the Umpqua Valley ranks in 2006. Sienna Ridge Estate is owned by Wayne Hitchings and Don Cartee.
Sienna Ridge offers a number of varietals. The winery has pinot noir, pinot gris, pinot blanc, chardonnay, zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, along with a late harvest Riesling and late harvest Gewürztraminer.
Sienna Ridge Estate is at 1876 John Long Road. Call for hours of operation.
Information: 849-3300.
<b>SPANGLER VINEYARDS</b>
Patrick and Loree Spangler have made their mark in the Umpqua Valley since opening their winery in 2004.
The couple left Chicago to pursue running a winery and landed in Douglas County.
Spangler Vineyards earned platinum honors from Wine Press Northwest’s Best of the Best in the Great Northwest competition in 2007 for its 2004 Sundown Vineyard Cabernet Franc.
Spangler Vineyards is at 491 Winery Lane, off Highway 42 in Green, a half-mile west of Interstate 5.
The tasting room is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
Information: 679-9654 or www.spanglervineyards.com.
<b>WILD ROSE VINEYARD</b>
Denise and Carlos Figueroa’s part-time wine business grew into a full-time winery in 2007.
The couple started their Dillard vineyards 12 years earlier. In 2002, they started bottling wine under their own label.
Demand kept growing and Carlos decide to retire from teaching to operate the winery.
Wild Rose grows pinot gris and merlot grapes. They also make a pinot gris port wine called Tears of the Rose.
The name of that wine and the winery comes from the fact that the Wild Rose property was literally covered in wild roses when they began growing grapes.
The winery is open noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, year-round. It is at 375 Porter Creek Road, about two miles up Rice Creek Road in Dillard.
Information: 580-5488 or www.wildrosevineyard.com.
