Southern Oregon wine country is a different world from the Willamette Valley. Three hundred miles south of Portland, the Umpqua, Rogue, and Applegate Valleys receive more sunshine, less rainfall, and warmer temperatures, conditions that make Pinot Noir difficult but unlock the potential of Spanish, Italian, and Rhône varieties that struggle to ripen in the cool north.
Abacela Winery in the Umpqua Valley near Roseburg sparked a reassessment of Southern Oregon in the 1990s when Earl Jones proved that Tempranillo, Spain's greatest red grape, could produce world-class wine here. The success triggered experimentation across the region: Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, Albariño, Vermentino, Tannat, and Malbec all found advocates and markets.
The Applegate Valley, a tributary of the Rogue River in Jackson County, has emerged as the sub-region with the highest concentration of committed artisan producers. Cowhorn Vineyard, Troon Vineyard, and their neighbors farm the warm hillside soils with the same biodynamic and natural winemaking philosophies as the Willamette Valley's best, producing wines of genuine distinction that remain largely undiscovered by the broader market.
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