- Largest number ever for Rogue Valley’s top fine wine showcase
Medford, Ore. – Aug. 1, 2008 – The wine industry is hot in Southern Oregon, and not just in August. A record 46 wineries will show off their new vintages and perennial best-sellers at this month’s World of Wine Festival (WOW), up from just over 30 when the event started six years ago.
Scheduled Sat., August 23, 5 – 9 p.m., on the grounds of Del Rio Vineyards & Winery, 52 N. River Rd., in Gold Hill, the Festival is co-sponsored by the Southern Oregon Winery Assn. and the Rogue Valley Winegrowers Assn.
“This is a perfect opportunity for serious oenophiles and casual fans to be among the first to taste new wines made exclusively with Southern Oregon grapes,” said event chair Lee Mankin, proprietor of Carpenter Hill Vineyard in Medford. “Guests can meet the region’s top winemakers and find out exactly what they’re producing and why.”
Mankin noted that 70 types of winegrapes are grown in Southern Oregon and are made into 50 different fine wines. WOW was started in 2003 to promote the high quality of grapes from the Southern Oregon American Viticultural Area (Jackson, Josephine and Douglas counties). Proceeds from the event will help grow the regional wine industry, plus attract wine-tourism dollars.
Three nationally recognized wine professionals will judge the WOW competition on August 14. They are Dick Erath, Oregon wine pioneer and founder of Erath Vineyards, who now owns a 200-acre vineyard in Willcox, Ariz.; Karl Klooster, associate editor of Oregon Wine Press; and Wayne Belding, M.S., former chair of the Court of Master Sommeliers and current owner of The Boulder Wine Merchant, Boulder, Co.
WOW features live music by a popular jazz/rock band and top-flight local foods. On the menu that night are Rogue Creamery cheeses, salmon grilled by the Jacksonville Inn chef, baron of beef from Beef Billy’s BBQ and many other taste treats. A silent auction with unique wines, winery dinners and tours, restaurant gift certificates, and original artwork is also planned.
“Ticket sales are off to a very strong start,” said SOWA President Pat Spangler of Spangler Vineyards in Roseburg. “Only 500 people can attend and we always sell out.”
WOW tickets are $75 each and available at Ashland Wine Cellar, (541) 488-2111; Elegance Fine Wines in Grants Pass, (541) 476-0570; RoxyAnn Winery in Medford, (541) 776-2315; and Del Rio Vineyard, (541) 855-2062. For more information, visit www.worldofwinefestival.com.
As an added attraction, organizers are planning a WOW Golf Tournament on Fri., August 22, 8:00 a.m., at Eagle Point Golf Course in Eagle Point. It is a four-person scramble, with prizes for first, second and third gross and net, and competitions for long drive and closest to the pin. For more information or to register for the tourney, call Shelley Drewien at Troon Vineyard, (541) 846-9900 or (541) 944-1406.
Participating Wineries
Abacela, Agate Ridge Vineyard, Bendock Estate Wines, Bridgeview Vineyard & Winery, Brandborg Winery, Carpenter Hill Vineyard, Cliff Creek Cellars, Crater Lake Cellars, Cowhorn Vineyard & Garden, Cuckoo’s Nest Cellars, Daisy Creek, Del Rio Vineyards, Devitt Winery, Donovan Wines, EdenVale Winery, Folin Cellars, Foris Vineyards Winery, Griffin Creek Winery, Henry Estate, Longsword Vineyards, Madrone Mountain, Marshanne Vineyards, Melrose Vineyards, Misty Oaks Vineyard, Paschal Winery, Pebblestone Cellars, Red Lily Vineyards, Rising Sun Farms, Rocky Knoll, Rosella’s Vineyard and Winery, RoxyAnn Winery, Sarah Powell Wines, Schmidt Family Vineyards, Scott Henry’s Winery, Silvan Ridge, Slagle Creek, Soloro Vineyard, South Stage Cellars, Spangler Vineyards, Trium, Troon Vineyard, Valley View Winery, Volcano Vineyards, Weisinger’s of Ashland, Wines by Joe and Wooldridge Creek Winery.
