My third and
final stop of the first day of my tour of the Applegate Wine Trail was at
Wooldridge Creek Winery. While the previous wineries were located on the valley
floor, Wooldridge is located on a rolling hillside overlooking the Applegate
River Valley at an elevation of about 1,800 feet.
The winery and
vineyard was founded by Ted and Mary Warrick in 1978. They named it after the creek
that runs through the valley, which is named after the Wooldridge family who first
settled the property in the 1850s. Since then the vineyard has been expanded to
56 acres planted in twelve varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet
Franc, Syrah, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Viognier, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Malbec,
Petit Verdot and Tempranillo. The vines are densely planted at 1200 vines per
acre, running north to south to allow for maximum exposure to the sun. All the
vineyards are planted on Josephine soil, a soil type known for its excellent
drainage.
In 2002, Ted and Mary met
winemakers Greg Paneitz and Kara Olmo, who were in the area looking for an
ideal place to put their winemaking skills to good use. Until then, grapes from
Wooldridge Creek Vineyard had been sold almost entirely to wineries around the
state, with only a small amount being made into custom wine under the
Wooldridge Creek label. Once they met together they saw an opportunity to
combine the Warricks’ fruit with Greg and Kara’s winemaking skills and they
partnered to create Wooldridge Creek Winery.
Wooldridge Creek Winery is
committed to practicing sustainable winemaking. This includes the grapes from
the 200-acre vineyard which are organically grown and their wines carry the
seal of LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology), TerraVow, Salmon-Safe and
Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine. Wooldridge Creek produces about 2,500 cases a
year of wine, both varietals and blends, many of which are available only at
the winery.
At the winery
visitors can view the wine production area, view the barrel room in the man-made
wine cave and taste the wines in the tasting room. They can also sit out on the
patio or lawn that overlooks a beautiful flower garden, the vineyards and the
valley below.
While visiting I
sampled the following wines:
My first wine was
the 2011 Viognier. This wine has very floral aromas followed by pronounced
orange peels and tropical pineapple notes. On the palate it is off dry and yet maintains
balanced acidity followed by a medium (+) length finish. $24
The second wine
was the 2011 Rosé of
Tempranillo,
Applegate Valley. This wine has subtle aromas of strawberries, dried
cranberries, and a hint of spice. On the palate it is fresh and vibrant with a
medium (+) length finish. A really nice summer wine for $18 a bottle.
The third wine
was the 2009 Syrah, which is blended with 2% Viognier. On the nose it has fresh
red and black berry notes with subtle underlying floral notes. On the palate
the wine is dry with intense blackberries, blueberries, medium tannins, medium
acidity, and medium (+) length. This wine sells for $36 a bottle.
The final wine
was the 2008 Reserve Pinot Noir. This wine has aromas of black
cherries, ripe red plums, black tea and a hint of oak and spice. On the palate
it is dry, with medium acidity, medium (+) length finish. This wine sells for
$36 a bottle.
To visit or for
more information:
Woodlrige Creek
Vineyards and Winery
818 Slagle Creek Rd
Grants Pass, Oregon 97527
Phone: 1-541-846-6364
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