Small but Mighty

Scrappy winemakers bring passion to Southern Oregon’s Indie Wine Mixer

By Paula Bandy

The Indie Wine Mixer: Southern Oregon Edition is making its highly anticipated return over Labor Day weekend. Wine lovers again have a rare opportunity to experience the independent wine scene up close. Join some of the state’s most exciting, small-production wineries in the heart of the Rogue Valley for a relaxed, community-driven celebration.

Founded in 2022 by Erich Berg, owner and winemaker of Ricochet Wines, the first Indie Wine Mixer was held in McMinnville. Berg confesses, “It was opportunistic and I needed to make money. I didn’t have a tasting room so I invited three other winemaker friends and split the cost. The locals loved it and I thought, ‘Well, let’s keep doing this.’ It’s grassroots and about making good wine for everyone, not priced for the one percent.”

The second event expanded to include 20 winemakers. “It was beyond my expectations,” he recalls. “What makes it different from other regional wine fests is having winemakers pouring their wines. You can engage with the people doing the work– those with calloused hands. People gravitate toward their stories.”

Created to highlight scrappy, self-made artisans juggling every aspect from vineyard to bottle and sales, many winemakers at Indie Wine Mixer produce fewer than 500 cases annually. Each crafts deeply personal expressions of place and passion.

Last year, Berg partnered with Sound & Vision Wine Co. in Talent to produce Indie Wine Mixer: Southern Oregon Edition. “We moved the equipment and furniture out of our tasting room, sold 200 tickets and crammed everyone in. It was wild, packed and really fun,” recalls Carmen Nydegger, Sound & Vision Wine Co. co-owner.

This year, over 30 winemakers gather in a larger space on August 30. “It’s a great wine sales event,” Nydegger emphasizes, “designed to support the wineries. With a low ticket price, people can instead spend their money directly with the wineries, contributing to the success of all these small businesses. Plus, attendees get to try unique wines that aren’t necessarily from around here.”

And, five percent of event proceeds support Rogue Food Unites, focused on food security, economic resilience and community collaboration. Learn more about their work at roguefoodunites.org. The Rogue Foodie food truck will also offer regionally sourced, organic food.

Spotlight on the Founders

Started as a passion project by Erich Berg in 2018, Ricochet Wine Co., has grown into a 2000-case winery based in McMinnville. Ricochet has a reputation for crafting terroir-focused, natural, low-intervention wines. With a nod to the name, Ricochet’s commitment extends beyond the vineyard, donating five percent of its annual revenue to local nonprofits, helping Oregonians in need “bounce back.”

Husband-and-wife Carmen Nydegger and Joe Chepolis started Sound & Vision Wine Co. in 2018 with one ton of Riesling and a big dream. Production has increased to 1300 annual cases of natural, low-intervention wines sourced from local, organically farmed vineyards. The couple’s minimalist, terroir-driven approach focuses on high-quality, esoteric wines made with limited additions and no synthetic additives.

Together, these winemakers and their indie peers are reshaping the Oregon wine narrative– one honest bottle, sip and shared story at a time.

The Indie Wine Mixer: Southern Oregon Edition
August 30, Noon to 6 p.m.
Tickets $40
Phoenix Plaza Civic Center, 220 N. Main St., Phoenix
indiewinemixer.com

The Indie Wine Mixer: Southern Oregon Edition participating wineries

Abundancia Vineyards
Augustina Cellars
Botaneity
Burton Bittman
Circadian Cellars
Cortell Collection
Dagger Daisy
Flipturn Cellars
Franchere
Goldback Wines
Gonzales Wine Company
Grit Cellars
guerrilla wine co.
Human Cellars
Iruai Wine
Jackalope Wine Cellars
Lafayette and White Cellars
Lagniappe Wines
Liska Wine Co
Little Crow
Lovely Wine Co.
Maison Jussiaume
Marr Cellars
Redolent Wine Company
Ricochet Wine Co.
Satyr Fire
Sound & Vision Wine Co.
TerraVita Vineyards
The Punch House
Throughline Wines
Twelve 32
Zē Wines

Paula Bandy and her dachshund, Copperiño, are often seen at Rogue Valley’s finest wineries, working to solve the world’s problems. She has covered wine, lifestyle, food and home in numerous publications and academic work in national and international journals. For a decade she was an essayist/on-air commentator and writer for Jefferson Public Radio, Southern Oregon University’s NPR affiliate. Most recently she penned The Wine Stream, a bi-weekly wine column for the Rogue Valley Times. Paula believes wine, like beauty, can save the world. She’s also a Certified Sherry Wine Specialist and currently sits on the Board for Rogue Valley Vintners. @_paulabandy.