Harvest Your Own Adventure

Increase your wine knowledge on this one-day tour

By Michele Francisco

Wine can be a mystery. It’s frequently described with unfamiliar expressions. When you hear the common phrase, “wine is made in the vineyard,” do you have any idea what magic actually unfolds among the rows of grapes?

On Saturday, Sept. 21, 18 Umpqua Valley wineries will lift wine’s mysterious veil, granting visitors a glance into the enigmatic grape growing and winemaking process. This distinctive, one-day Umpqua Valley Harvest Tour is modeled after a “choose your own adventure.” Create your custom itinerary by selecting four different winery stops, all focused on either vineyard or cellar education.

Ali Rodgers, executive director of Umpqua Valley Winegrowers Association, explains, “We have put together a hands-on harvest experience hosted at multiple wineries around our Valley. It’s the only event of its kind in the U.S. Each winery is offering a different experience, and customers get to choose what they want to learn about.”

Take a stroll through the vineyard

Planned during harvest, tour participants can play winemaker, walking the vineyard rows, sampling the grapes for ripeness. Knostman Family Vineyard is on the North Umpqua River near Roseburg’s Riverbend Park. Winegrower Chuck Knostman says, “We are very excited to participate in the Umpqua Valley Harvest Tour. Our guests will join us in the vineyard to help evaluate grapes to see if they are ready to be picked. The harvest date is probably the single most important decision a winemaker will make in the life of a wine.”

Knostman continues, “Our guests will get to pick, squeeze, smash, taste and evaluate the grapes. We will be discussing what we look for in the grapes in order to harvest for the style of wine we make. After the grape evaluation, we will go to the tasting room for food and wine pairings. It will be educational, fun and delicious!”

Oakland’s Triple Oak Wine Vault is also hosting guests at their vineyard, on the edge of the small town. Owner Betty Tamm says, “Triple Oak Vineyard creates more than great wine. This event will provide a rare opportunity to tour our vineyard, nestled within an oak woodland. We will showcase our estate wines, plus other products from our boutique vineyard. Visitors will taste dolmas (Greek stuffed grape leaves) made from our vines, Verjus (juice made from unripe grapes we use for cooking and salad dressings), our Pinot Noir barbeque sauce and wine jellies made from different varieties of grapes. Everyone will crush and taste ‘just juice’ pressed from our grapes.”

Get a cellar education

“Oakland Creek Vineyards is one of the Umpqua Valley’s newest vineyards and we are excited to share our new tasting room in Historic Downtown Oakland as part of the Harvest Tour,” says Dr. Rachel Schelble, Oakland Creek Vineyards’ owner and proprietor. Next door to Triple Oak Wine Vault, be one of the first to visit the charming tasting space, complete with old brick walls and a bank vault of their own.

Schelble describes what guests will experience during their visit. “One of the best parts of harvest season is unwinding at the end of the day with a glass of wine so we plan to host ‘how to’ wine tastings. Expect to learn about the different parts of the wine-tasting experience– let’s explore wine using all our senses! We’ll explain visual cues that offer insights into a wine’s age.” She continues, “We’ll swirl wine in different glasses to release distinctive aromas. And we’ll sip and savor wine, paying close attention to the delicate balance of sweetness, acidity, tannins and flavors.”

To the west in Elkton, Knoll Vineyards will welcome tour guests to a 30-year-old barn converted into a winery. Owner and winemaker Leslie Beckley will describe “the magic of winemaking from grape to glass.” Nestled in the woods with views of nearby grapevines, “Our guests will enjoy a guided vineyard and winery tour, followed by a discussion on barrel aging, complete with tastings of our finest wines. Come learn about the crucial role of oak barrels in crafting our signature wines, as they impart complex flavors during the aging process,” says Beckley. “We’re thrilled to be part of the Umpqua Valley Harvest Tour, as it offers us the perfect opportunity to share our passion for winemaking and showcase the unique terroir that makes our wines truly special.”

Across the road from Knostman, a winding driveway leads up the hill to Cooper Ridge Vineyard. With expansive, tiered patios, every seat– both indoors and out– has commanding views of the Umpqua River and Valley. Harvest Tour participants can expect an education on Port wines. Wine club and marketing manager Heather Williams explains, “We decided to highlight our Port program and provide each guest the up-close and personal experience of how Ports are made, what they taste like in various stages of aging, as well as taste both a red and a white Port (our blond Port). Ports can be intimidating for many, so, in hopes of removing that intimidation factor, we are breaking it down.”

And, since Port and cheese represent the proverbial match made in heaven, Williams says, “Our pairings are cheeses from local artisans. The Rogue Creamery makes an amazing blue cheese we will be serving. Unfortunately, their other world champion blue won’t be released until September 25! We will have yet more cheese samples, local artisan bread and sweet bites: caramel from a local confectioner, and a flourless chocolate cake.”

A one-day wine school

Rodgers describes the Umpqua Valley Harvest Tour as the consummate opportunity for wine enthusiasts. “Participating wineries are allowing customers to experience what really takes place during harvest– as it is happening– giving them access no other wine region does. We’re excited to give guests a peek behind the curtain, something beyond the average tasting experience. This is a great opportunity for people who want to get their hands– or feet– dirty.”

Design your own itinerary from 18 exceptional Umpqua Valley winery opportunities, choosing four experiences using the custom ticketing software. Tickets, $85 each, include tastings, harvest experiences and paired small bites at four wineries. To read more about the other experiences available as well as purchase tickets, visit www.umpquavalleywineries.org/event/harvest-tour.

UMPQUA VALLEY HARVEST TOUR
Saturday, Sept 21, $85
11 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
www.umpquavalleywineries.org/event/harvest-tour

Participating Umpqua Valley Wineries:

Abacela Winery
Bradley Vineyards
Cooper Ridge Vineyard
Haines Creek Vineyard & Tasting Room
HillCrest Vineyard
JosephJane Winery
Knoll Vineyards
Knostman Family Winery
Melrose Vineyards
Oakland Creek Vineyards
Paul O’Brien Winery
Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards
River’s Edge Winery
Southern Oregon Wine Institute
Spangler Vineyards
Spire Mountain Cellars
Triple Oak Vineyard
Whitetail Ridge Vineyard

Michele Francisco spent her childhood reading and writing, eventually graduating from UCLA with an English degree. She attended graphic design school and began a career in design and marketing. After moving to Oregon in 2010, Michele studied wine at Chemeketa Community College and began Winerabble, a Northwest-focused wine blog. She has been a cheerleader for Oregon wine since her arrival.