Summer is upon us and with summer comes longer days and lighter wines. We recently enjoyed a trip to Southern Oregon, where we selected summer wines from the Southern Oregon AVA, the Applegate AVA and the Rogue Valley AVA, which will be featured this summer. I love this wine country region because it is the perfect place to sample wines, take in a Shakespeare play, have a wonderful dinner at a fancy restaurant or enjoy a simple picnic along a mountain babbling brook.
The Rogue Valley AVA became an official appellation in 2001. It is the southernmost winegrowing region in Oregon. It’s made up of three adjacent river valleys (Bear Creek, Applegate and Illinois Valleys) that extend from the foothills of the Siskiyou Mountains along the California border north to the Rogue River. It is 70 miles wide by 60 miles long and encompasses the Applegate Valley sub-appellation. Its diverse landscape is derived from three mountain ranges: the Klamath Mountains, the coastal Range and the Cascades.
Rogue Valley is made up of three distinct valleys with progressively warmer microclimates, which enables the region to successfully grow both cool and warm-climate grape varieties. To the west, the region is affected by mountain and ocean influences, making it suitable for some cool-=weather varieties, including Pinot Noir. Farther eat, Rogue Valley has the highest elevations (nearly 2,000 ft.) of Oregon’s winegrowing regions, but it is also the warmest and the driest, making it well suited for warm-weather varieties including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.
There are approximately 16 wineries, 130 vineyards and 1,400 vineyard acres in the AVA. The predominant varieties grown are Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Trium Winery
During our wine jaunt to Southern Oregon, we stopped in at Trium, which is located on Pheasant Hill Vineyard in Talent, Oregon. We heard about this small winery over the years and we were highly interested in experiencing their flight of wines. We were not disappointed. The tasting room is small, but it resembles an ivy-covered English cottage with its front door nestled with ivy and a welcome sign to greet you. Outside, there is an amazing view of Bear Creek Valley and its rich agricultural land. When we entered, we were greeted by Laura Lotspeich, co-owner and manager of Pheasant Hill Vineyard. Her quick smile and friendly nature made us feel right at home. She easily talked about this winery and their philosophy: “Wine is made in the vineyard.” In this case, it would be three vineyards. All of their wines are produced from fruit which comes from Gold Vineyard, Evans Creek Vineyard and Pheasant Hill Vineyard. The name Truim is Latin for “of the three,” and all three vineyards are certified as LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon Safe.
Truim began making wine under their own label in 2003. Three longtime friends (Kurt and Laura Lotspeich and Nancy Tappan) had a dream of producing wines under their own label. After selling fruit to other wineries for more than 20 years, they took a leap of faith and the rest is history. With the help of veteran winemaker, Peter Rosback of Sineann Cellars, they have had remarkable success since 2003.
We started with their white wines, the pinot gris and their viognier. Both were superb. But we immediately got the “wow effect,” when we tasted their signature wine, the 2005 Growers’ Cuv’ee. This wine is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. This wine’s flavors continued to develop in your mouth, long after the first sip. It is one of those wines that you continue to talk about long after you have finished your first glass.
The wines at Trium are made by veteran winemaker Peter Rosback of Sineann Cellars. He has more than 20 years experience making wine in the U.S. as well as New Zealand and he is well respected in Oregon winemaking circles. They use one-third new oak, one-third 1 year old oak and one-third neutral oak for barrel aging.
Trium 2005 Growers Cuvee (600 cases produced)
This is their flagship Bordeaux-style blend of Merlot 62%, Cabernet Sauvignon 22%, and Cabernet Franc 16%. The classic Merlot mid palette of dark cherry, the top notes of the Cabernet france and the rich bottom notes from the Cabernet Sauvignon. It is bursting with ripe flavors and has a silky texture. It offers layers of dark fruit, supple tannins and moderate barrel toast. It will age well. Serve with meat or cheese dishes, especially the rich creamy blue cheeses.
Trium 2007 Rogue Valley Merlot (48 cases produced)
Once in awhile something special happens when Mother Nature, the grower and the winemaker each touch the fruit lightly and guide a wine to its complete expression. 2007 was one of those great years for Merlot from the Pheasant Hill and Evans Creek Vineyards. This single varietal with its medium body with hints of berry, plum and currant, pairs beautifully with creamy, rich cheeses, grilled lamb or it can be enjoyed alone.
LongSword Vineyards
During our wine jaunt to Southern Oregon, we were encouraged by Linda Kistner of Abacela Vineyards to stop in at LongSword Vineyards because they make a wonderful crisp Sparkling Chardonnay, as well as Dolcetto, Syrah and a Rose’. Since Sparkling Chardonnay is one of my very favorite summer wines, we didn’t hesitate to follow through with her suggestion.
Following the winding roads outside of Jacksonville, Oregon on Highway 238, we came across LongSword Vineyard. We arrived a little bit before 11 a.m., but it took us some time to work our way up their lane. We were greeted, or I should say, “challenged,” by a couple of geese who took on our van without ruffling a feather. We slowly moved our way toward the tasting room, but not without honking our horn, waving our arms and having a good laugh. We parked our van and we were greeted by owner and wine maker Matthew Sorensen, who was out in the vineyard, pruning his vines. He informed us that our greeters were Lewey and Dewey, two of the seven geese that serve as guards over the vineyard. Before our visit was over, we enjoyed watching all seven of his pet geese follow Matt around like he was the Pied Piper. His whimsical feathered friends are Hewey, Lewey and Dewey, Boras, Natasha, and Tweedledee and Tweedledum.
The new tasting room at LongSword was opened in 2009. Before that time, Matt said that they literally sold their wines from a road side stand. During the summer months, a typical visit to this winery might include music, food, wine and a spectacular viewing of para-gliders coming off nearby Woodrat Mountain and landing in the open fields of LongSword.
Matt is proud of his wine and he believes strongly that the wine is made in the vineyard. Matt and his wife, Maria Largaespada, moved to Oregon from Indianapolis in 1999 after working for 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry. Their dream was of growing grapes and making good wine. I believe that they have full-filled that dream. We learned from Matt that the name of their winery is actually the Spanish translation of his wife’s last name, “Largaespada.” Larga is Spanish for “long” and espada is Spanish for “sword.” Hence, LongSword. Their winery is a family affair and a proud one too. Although we didn’t get to meet his wife, Maria, we did get the opportunity to meet and visit with his daughter, Melinda. She and her father are personable and share a true love for their family business. We really enjoyed visiting with Matt and we thoroughly enjoyed his Sparkling Chardonnay and his Touche Rose.
Matt and Marie plan to keep their vineyard small, but they also plan to keep adding different varietals. Recently they planted tempranillo. This Spanish varietal should do nicely in the warm climate of Southern Oregon.
LongSword Vineyards Accolade “The Wedding Wine”, originally slated as a one time celebratory wine for the wedding of the owner’s son, Accolade is all fun. A mouthful of fruit with a hint of sweetness and just enough effervescence to tickle your tongue. This sparkling wine pairs with spicy foods as well as wedding cake.
Let’s Pair Up!
Venison Roast with Coffee and Red Wine Marinade Served with Carrot Wine Reduction—Pair with 2005 Trium Growers Cuvee. (Recipe provided by Laura Lotspeich—Trium)
Ingredients:
- 2 pound venison roast (beef roast can be used as well if you don’t have access to venison)
Marinade:
- 3 cups strong black coffee
- 3 cups Trium Growers’ cuvee
- 4 crushed garlic cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp Rosemary leaves
Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive heatproof pan and heat thoroughly. Allow to cool and pour over the roast. Marinate over night.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove roast from marinade and place in roasting pan. Roast—basting with marinade to internal temperature of 180 degrees (rare). Remove from oven and allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with carrot wine reduction over a multi grain pilaf.
Carrot Wine Reduction Sauce
- 1 bunch of organic carrots
- 1 bottle Trium Growers’ Cuvee
- 1 3-4 inch sprig of Rosemary
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- Salt and pepper to taste
Peel and cut carrots into 1 inch chunks and toss in olive oil to coat. Roast in 325 degree oven for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to evenly caramelize.
In a non-reactive heavy pan reduce 1/2 bottle of Trium Growers’ Cuvee by 1/2 stirring occasionally. Add the rosemary, cloves and cinnamon during the last few minutes of reduction. Puree carrots in a blender and carefully add the wine reduction to the puree. Taste to correct the salt and pepper. Drizzle over the sliced venison roast and pilaf. Pair with a bottle of Trium Growers’ Cuvee.
Macerated Berries and Whipped Cream—Pair with LongSword Accolade Sparkling Chardonnay (A fantastic dessert in the middle of summer)
Ingredients:
- 2.5 cups raspberries
- 2.5 cups blueberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp sparkling chardonnay
- 1.5 cups whipping cream
- 1.5 Tbsp confectioner’s sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Place the raspberries and blueberries in separate bowls. Sprinkle each with 2 Tbsp of the sugar and 1 Tbsp of the wine. Toss berries gently and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. In a chilled mixing bowl, beat whipping cream, confectioner’s sugar and extract on medium speed until soft peaks form. In wine glasses, layer raspberries, piped whipped cream mixture, and blueberries. Fill glasses half full. Pipe remaining whipping cream on top of the blueberries. (Note: try using other flavored extracts to the whipped cream—lemon, mint and almond work well.)
Tags: Cuvee, Longsword Wineyards, Merlot, Rouge Valley AVA, Semi Sparkling Chardonnay, Southern Oregon AVA, Trium Winery, Wine and Food Pairings