Friday, December 30, 2011

The Adventures of the White Merlot Continue

As the holidays have flown by, our White Merlot has had time to settle in. In early December we ended the fermentation process by placing the wine in the cold, inhibiting the yeasts from reproducing. Now the wine has been racked off the lees (the sediment created during fermentation) and sulfured. The wine created has a nice refreshing lightness and the sweet flavors enhance rather than overwhelm.  Next week we will rack one more time to increase the wine’s clarity in preparation for the next process, bottling.

But, before we can bottle we have one last order of business . . . we need a name for our wine! Please submit via a comment below, facebook or via email to lindsey@delriovineyards.com your name selection. All entries will be due by next Wednesday January 4th.

We have secured a date for bottling . . . those who helped process the wine in November are welcomed back to the winery to help us bottle. Please join us on Saturday January 7th from 3-5pm in the winery to bottle and take home your very own bottle of White Merlot. 

Friday, December 23, 2011

8th Annual Winter Wine Event

Join us on Saturday January 14th from 1pm to 4pm for our 8th Annual Winter Wine Event. This event is a delightful festival, which fills our winery with wonderful products from a number of local artisan producers of coffee and candies to savory BBQ. For only $10, enjoy wine tasting, a commemorative wine glass, samples of local products, and the great sounds of the Oregon Little Big Band.

Details: 
Saturday January 14th, 2012
12-1pm Early Entry for Wine Club Members
1-4pm General Public
$10.00/person - includes logoed wine glass. 


Participating Local Vendors:
Abuela's Delights
Cary's of Oregon
Gary West Meats
Good Bean Coffee Company
Homemade Confections
Krebsbach Find Foods
Mrs. Britt's
Oregon Artisan Foods
Pennington Farms
Pete's Gourmet Confections
Pickled Planet
Rogue BBQ
Sherry's Pasta
Smith's Pepper Sensations
Taylor's Sausage
The Cupcake Daily
Zorba's Chocolates
*In addition to samples vendors will be offering products for sale.


Live Entertainment by:
The Oregon Little Big Band

Michelle Le Comte and Tim Wallace play a repertoire of swing, rumbas, and soft jazz surely to delight.


Thursday, December 15, 2011

2011 Holiday Cheese Ball & Dip Recipes

All eight lovely dips were created by Del Rio tasting room staff members for the 2011 Wine Club Pick Up Party held on Saturday December 10th. It was at the party that our wine club members were able to enjoy each dip and select their favorite. Now that the voting is complete we would like to reveal our all our recipes and their creators.

1st Place: Blue Cheese Ball
Made by Jolee Wallace, Del Rio Vineyards owner

1 8oz cream cheese
1 stick of butter
1 small can of olives
Green onions chopped (use on the green part)
Small container of blue cheese

Soften the cream cheese & butter. Combine all ingredients.
Roll the shape of a ball on roll in your favorite nuts. Serve with crackers, bread or veggies.

2nd Place: Grandma Marianne’s Seafood Dip
Made by Lindsey Zagar(actually Lindsey's Mom)
2 – 4 oz shrimp
1 6 oz crab well drained
1 can mushroom soup
1 cup celery – chopped
½ cup onion – chopped
14 oz cream cheese
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
½ cup cold water
1 cup mayonnaise

In sauce pan over low heat beat cream cheese and soup until blended. Add shrimp, crab, celery and onion stir until smooth. Remove from heat and blend in mayonnaise. Into ½ cup cold water, mix gelatin until dissolved, pour into crab mixture and chill.

Nancy’s Pepperoncini Dip
Made by Gloria Eilefson

1 lb. Swiss cheese, coarsely shredded (don't use pre-bagged kind it won't work)
1/2 bunch green onions with tops, chopped
1/2 cup chopped pepperoncini
1 TBS. finely chopped jalapeno peppers (or to taste)
Mayonnaise

Combine the cheese, green onions, peppers in a bowl. Add enough mayonnaise to bind and mix well. Store in refrigerator for up to one week. Add additional mayo and pepper juice if needed. Serve with corn chip scoops, carrot sticks , etc.

Caramelized Onion & Bacon Cheese Ball
Made by Susie Moore

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion
8 oz. cream cheese softened to room temperature
6 strips bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and cut onion in half. Slice very thinly. In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook stirring frequently until golden (about 15min.) Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook stirring occasionally about 30min. Watch that the onions don’t burn. Allow onions to cool slightly then coarsely chop. Blend cream cheese, bacon, onion, vinegar, thyme, salt & pepper. Remove mixture and form a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve, roll ball lightly in mild parmesan cheese and display with olive penguins

Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread
Made by Juanita Wright

16oz. soft cream cheese
3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
½ cup toasted walnuts
½ cup whole cranberry sauce
1 teaspoon fine shredded orange peel

Cover and Chill for 4-24 hours. Serve with bread, crackers, or fruit.


Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheese Ball
Made by Jenelle Miracle

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter (not all-natural)
• 3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® SWIRLED™ Milk Chocolate & Peanut Butter Morsels
• Graham cracker sticks and/or apple slices
BEAT cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until blended. Spoon onto a large piece of plastic wrap; bring up all four corners and twist tightly (should form a ball shape). FREEZE for 1 hour 30 minutes or until firm enough to keep its shape. Place morsels in flat dish. Remove plastic wrap from ball and roll ball into morsels to completely cover (you may find it necessary to press morsels into ball). PLACE ball on serving dish; cover and freeze for 2 hours or until almost firm. (Can be made ahead. If frozen overnight, thaw at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.) Serve with graham cracker sticks and apple slices for dipping or spreading.

Holiday Cheese Ball
Made by Jennifer Kerrigan

• 1 (4-ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
• 5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 6 tablespoons chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions (white part only)
• 1/2 (2-ounce) jar diced pimientos, drained
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
Beat the cream cheese and milk in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on low until well blended. Add the Cheddar, Monterey Jack and blue cheese. Beat at medium speed until well combined. Add half of the bacon, 3 tablespoons of the pecans, the green onions and pimientos to the cheese mixture. Blend on medium speed until well mixed. Transfer the mixture to a large piece of plastic wrap and form into a ball. Wrap tightly. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours. Combine the remaining bacon and remaining pecans with the parsley and poppy seeds in a pie plate or large dinner plate. Remove the plastic wrap from the ball. Roll in the bacon mixture until well coated. Wrap tightly again in plastic and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 24 hours.

Dolores's Recipe is coming soon.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

White Merlot


A what?” “Yes, you heard me, a White Merlot.” Now, we all know what a Merlot is, but a white merlot? Let’s delve a little bit further to discover what this wine truly is about.

Merlot grapes were harvested on November 11, 2011, at 24° Brix. (Brix is a form of measuring the amount of natural sugar in the berry.) This number will help us determine the final alcohol of our finished wine.

After picking, the clusters were left in buckets for attendees of the URWT 2nd Saturday, Grape to Glass. Participants now had a great opportunity to get their hands a little dirty. This process consisted of de-stemming (pluck the fruit from the stem), sorting (bug, leaf & stem removal) and pressing. After we were sure that we had clean berries, the grapes were then heaped into a wood grape press. Luckily, we had some savvy participants here to help operate the manual press. Once the berries were inside the press, pressure was forced down upon the grapes by a ratcheting motion. This light pressing of the berries was just enough for the juice to flow without extracting the bitterness of the skins. The juice was then racked off into a 5 gallon carboy for fermentation.

The White Merlot was then inoculated with active yeast drawn from a winery tank. It was clear that fermentation had taken hold as the gasses released through the fermentation bubbler were filling the kitchen. It is now time to let the yeast work their magic. I realized today that we did not have to leave the back door open to ventilate the kitchen so I thought I would take the juice into Jean-Michel’s lab for testing. Upon analyzing the juice, it was clear that we were indeed almost finished! The Brix came in at 3.3 and the Ph was sitting nicely at 3.55. We will need to stop fermentation within the next couple of days as the desired outcome will be to have a slightly sweet wine. The flavor of this wine is delicate and has just the right amount of sweetness, without being too cloying, which is excessive sweetness. I’m still not sure what I can smell on the nose as there is still a lot of CO2 remaining in my glass which is a byproduct of the fermentation. After we rack this wine several times, the CO2 will dissipate. Stay tuned to find out what happens next!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Cranberry, Fig, and Pinot Noir Chutney

1 1/2 cups Pinot Noir
12 dried figs, diced
3/4 cup sugar
3 strips orange zest
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring the wine to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the figs, and let soak until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the wine and figs separately.

2. Combine the sugar, 1 1/2 cups water, the reserved wine, orange zest, and ginger in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the sugar has completely melted, a minute or two. Add half of the cranberries and cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries have popped and are very soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining cranberries and the soaked figs and cook for 5 minutes longer. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

3. Discard the orange zest and scrape the chutney into a serving bowl. Serve at room temperature or chilled. The chutney can be prepared 24 hours in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator. Bobby Flay's Bar Americain Cookbook 2011

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Thanksgiving Weekend!

Del Rio Vineyards & Winery invites you to our annual Thanksgiving Open House celebration. Escape to wine country, where friendly services and delicious wines await. This post holiday weekend is filled with something fun each day:

Friday: Black “Mystery” Case Special
Our doors open at 11am, but be sure to line up early for this amazing deal. All thirteen case boxes of our current releases from Rose Jolee to our 2008 Estate Reserve Petite Syrah will be wrapped in black paper and available for only $100.00. Limited to one case per customer and all sales are final. We hope to see you bright and early on Friday – we will have hot cocoa!

Saturday:
Escape to the warm tasting room where we will offer three new wine releases: 2010 Pinot Gris, 2009 Syrah, & the 2009 Merlot. Enjoy samples of light food pairings and delicious warm spiced wine. Be rewarded for participating in the nationwide event of shopping local! Bring in a receipt, proof of a local purchase (chain stores do not apply) and enjoy a discount of 15% off any Del Rio product from wine to t-shirts. As a wine club member enjoy the discount on top of your wine club discount.

Sunday:
Bring your family and friends to learn a little bit more about wine. Stop in for one of our quick and fun “Wine Tasting 101” courses taught by Jen. Classes will take between 30-45 minutes and are located in our upstairs ballroom. Three time slots will be offered: 12:30pm, 2:30pm and 4:30pm. To participate in a course there is a $5.00 tasting fee, however, it will be waived with purchase of wine.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Eat Local

Join us in supporting our local restaurants and wine bars. Check out some of our favorites and those that carry Del Rio wine: 

MEDFORD
ASHLAND
Bambu
970 N. Phoenix Ste E106, Medford, OR, 97504 (541)608-7545
Callahan's Lodge
7100 Old Hwy 99 S., Ashland, OR, 97520 (541)482-1299
Cicily's Pastaria & Grill
1451 E McAndrews, Medford, OR, 97504 (541)776-3500
Black Sheep Pub & Restaurant
51 N Main St E, Ashland, OR, 97520  (541)482-6414
Four Daughters Irish Pub
126 W Main Street, Medford, OR, 97501 (541)779-4455
Chateaulin
50 & 52 E Main, Ashland, OR, 97520 (541)488-9463
Elements Tapas Bar & Lounge
101 E Main St, Medford, OR, 97501 (541)779-0135
Dragonfly Restaurant
241 Hargardine St, Ashland, OR, 97520  (541)488-4855
Kaleidoscope Pizzeria & Pub
3084 Crater Lake Hwy, Medford, OR, 97504 (541)779-7787
Pasta Piatti
358 E. Main St., Ashland, OR, 97520 (541)488-5493
Porters Dining At The Depot
147 North Front Street, Medford, OR, 97504 (541)857-1910
Sesame Asian Kitchen
21 Winburn Way, Ashland, OR, 97520   (541)482-0119
Rogue Valley Country Club
2660 Hillcrest, Medford, OR, 97504 (541)772-5965
Standing Stone Brewery
101 Oak Street, Ashland, OR, 97520  (541)482-2448
Vinny's Italian Kitchen
970 N Phoenix Rd Ste# 10, Medford, OR, 97504 (541)618-8669
Taroko
62 East Main St, Ashland, OR, 97520 (541)488-7108
Red Lion Hotel
200 North Riverside, Medford, OR, 97501 (541)779-5811
Winchester Inn
35 South 2nd St., Ashland, OR, 97520  (541)488-1113
Thai Bistro
535 Stevens Suite  F, Medford, OR, 97504 (541)772-6200
Hyatt Lake Resort
7900 Hyatt Prairie Road, Ashland, OR, 97520 (541)482-1201
38 Central
38 N. Central, Ste H, Medford, OR, 97501 (541)776-0038
JACKSONVILLE
Café Dejeuner
1108 E. Main St, Medford, OR, 97504 (541)857-1290
Jacksonville Inn
175 E California St, Jacksonville, OR, 97530 (541)899-1900
Pomodori Ristorante
1789 Stewart Ave, Medford, OR, 97501  (541)776-6332
Bella Union
170 W. Cal St, Jacksonville, OR, 97530  (541)899-1770
Rosario's Italian Restaurant
2221 W. Main, Medford, OR, 97501(541)773-2230
Willows Bed And Breakfast
3347 Old Stage Rd, Central Point, OR, 97502 (541)665-3020
Rosso's Trattoria
31 S. Grape St, Medford, OR, 97501 (541)441-6122
UPPER ROGUE AREAS
The Wharf Fresh Seafood Market & Eatery
827 W. Jackson, Medford, OR, 97501(541)951-6000
Prospect Hotel & Dinner House
391 Mill Creek Drive, Prospect, OR, 97536 (541)560-3664
Adam's Ribs And Deli
2901 Doctor Park Drive, Medford, OR, 97504 (541)773-9696
Rogue River Lodge
24904 Hwy. 62, Trail, OR, 97541 (541)878-2555

Diamond Lake Lodge
N. Umpqua Hwy, Diamond Lake, OR, 97731 (541)793-3333

The Picnic Basket Deli
21873 Hwy 62, Shady Cove, OR, 97539 (541)878-4003
GRANTS PASS
Rosso's Trattoria
225 Se 6th Street, Grants Pass, OR, 97526 (541)476-8708
Galice Resort
11744 Merlin Galice Road, Merlin, OR, 97532 (541)476-3818
Summer Jo's
2315 Upr River Rd Loop, Grants Pass, OR 97526 (541)476-6882
Blondies' Bistro
226 Sw  G  Street, Grants Pass, OR, 97526 (541)479-0420
Taprock Northwest Grill
971 Se 6th Street, Grants Pass, OR, 97526 (541)955-5998
Hannah's Restaurant at Historic Steam Laundry
234 Sw 5th St, Grants Pass, OR, 97526 (541)450-4864
The Vine Restaurant
1610 Allen Creek Road, Grants Pass, OR, 97527 (541)479-8463
Mediterranean Bar & Grill
218 Sw G Street, Grants Pass, OR, 97526 (541)955-0549
Applegate Valley Ranch
13100 N Applegate Rd, Grants Pass, OR, 97527 (541)659-9336
Morrison Lodge
8500 Galice Road, Merlin, OR, 97532 (541)476-3825
Pongsri's Thai Cuisine
323 Ne  E  Street, Grants Pass, OR, 97526 (541)955-1662
Casa Amiga
200 Macdonald Ln, Grants Pass, OR, 97527 (541)956-8602
One-Fifteen Broiler
115 N.W.  D  St, Grants Pass, OR, 97526 (541)474-7115
The Soup Station
595 E Main St, Rogue River, OR, 97537 (541)582-9725
The Twisted Cork
210 Sw 6th St, Grants Pass, OR, 97526 (541)295-3094


Thursday, November 3, 2011

Free Shipping - Online Orders!

Enjoy free ground shipping for November

Just in time for the holidays and the gift giving season, Del Rio is offering free ground shipping for all online orders the month of November. 

Have your favorite bottle delivered for free this month or ship a gift bottle for free. Don't forget Wine Club members enjoy 20% off your wine purchase.

Start your holiday shopping today! Click here to enter our online store. 

** Excludes HI & AK**

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Wild Mushroom Soup

Here is the soup Jolee created for our Roam the Rogue event!

Paired with Del Rio Pinot Noir
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Servings: 4

Ingredients: 
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 whole small carrot, finely minced
  • 1 whole celery stalk, finely minced
  • 1 Tablespoon garlic, crushed and minced
  • 1 pound white mushrooms, sliced thin
  • 4 ounces, Chardonnay
  • 4 ounces, tomato juice
  • 4 ounces, chicken broth
  • 1 pint heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/4 cups water
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
Preparation Instructions:
Heat oil, over medium heat, in a large deep pot. Mince the carrot and celery nice and fine, too big and the soup will end up chunky. Toss into the pot and allow them to soften while you slice the mushrooms. Next, add your garlic, right as the carrots and celery start to cook down. Add the mushrooms to the pot and allow them to reduce and soften. Pour in chardonnay, and let it cook with the mushrooms for a few minutes. Add the tomato juice, and the chicken broth. Allow it to boil for about 5 minutes before adding the heavy whipping cream, and bring to a soft boil. Grate Parmesan and add it to the pot. Let this cook for a few minutes, until the cheese is melted and blended in with the soup. Add the cornstarch to the 1/4 cup of water, then pour into the soup. Lower the heat and let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes or so, until thickened. Salt and pepper the soup to your own tastes. Serve with crostini. 

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Drink Pink!

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Drink Pink at Del Rio Vineyards. Support breast cancer awareness by purchasing Del Rio's Rose Jolee.

We are offering a 6 pack bundle of Rose Jolee for $65.00. For every bundle purchased, Del Rio Vineyards will donate $5.00 to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure project. The promotion will continue throughout the month of October. *No other discounts apply.

Pink (Rose Jolee) Details:
Delightfully pink, with a fragrance of honeysuckle and roses, this delicately sweet wine is the perfect partner for fun! Aromas leap out of the glass in an explosion of peach and tangerine. The flavors of citrus balance well with the aromas and, a slight spritz completes this fun wine.

A Early Muscat Riesling blend, with a splash of Cabernet Franc and Syrah for color.
Retail price: $15.00/bottle

The Breast Cancer Awareness Bundle is available for purchase in the Tasting Room and our online store.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

A Winemakers Style

Today, I came across a great letter from our winemaker, Jean-Michel, describing his style of winemaking. Enjoy!


I believe that most of my wines represent my origins, my life experiences, my personality and my belief in winemaking. My family produces Muscadet in the Loire Valley, France. This vibrant wine is always on my mind when making whites. As a result, I like to feel some acidity on most of my blends. It’s helped the wine keep its freshness and lifts up the fruit as well as extends the mouth feel. My style of red wine comes from my experience in Bordeaux and Australia. I strive for fruity reds with a deep color as well as round and rich tannins. I barrel age red and white wines according to the vintage and its potential. In any case, I do not try to overpower the fruit of wines. To achieve the ageing that suit the wine, I select oak from France, Hungary and America. I also used lees ageing, Malolactic fermentation, and different techniques of maceration and yeast strains to create several nuances into the wines.


Ultimately, I want the taster to go back to my wines and find at each new sip another layer of complexity and aromas. A good wine in my opinion arouses curiosity by its originality, respectfulness of the fruit, balance, texture, and must express to its best the vineyard site and the work of the grower.


Hope it helps.


Sincerely
J-Michel



Friday, September 16, 2011

Remembering Jerry

Nearly 10 years ago, we opened our tasting room to the public. Soon after that day, a spry 70-year old man soon became our first regular. In those early days, we only had one person full-time during the week. Each time he came by, he would remind us that if we ever needed someone, to keep him in mind. Well, soon after that we took him up on his offer. That special person was Jerry Dynge. He started off by working every Saturday and Sunday. Not long after, we talked him into going from two days a week to five: Monday through Friday. During those early years here at Del Rio, Jerry did everything from grape samples to inventory and sales of wine to art festivals. He was our man. As we grew, we hired more and more ladies to help out. He loved them all very much. Jerry was always willing to do anything that needed to be done and helped us move forward. Working alongside Jerry was easy, he tended to the customer with great diligence and we were his back-up. The tasting room ladies enjoyed reminding Jerry frequently of their favorite pet peeve…daily customers would come in the tasting room, look around, and then ask for Jerry. When it was shared with the customer that Jerry had a day off, the look of disappointment in the customer’s eyes could not be overlooked. This was a true testament of his strong character as the most thoughtful and caring person. Jerry always went out of his way to make each person he met feel special. His love of art and nature was expressed through his work and his compassion for others was felt in the warm touch. He was a very special person to us all and will be greatly missed.
---  Jolee & Rob Wallace



A Prayer for the World

Let the rain come and wash away
the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds
held and nurtured over generations.
Let the rain wash away the memory
of the hurt, the neglect.
Then let the sun come out and
fill the sky with rainbows.
Let the warmth of the sun heal us
wherever we are broken.
Let it burn away the fog so that
we can see each other clearly.
So that we can see beyond labels,
beyond accents, gender or skin color.
Let the warmth and brightness
of the sun melt our selfishness.
So that we can share the joys and
feel the sorrows of our neighbors.
And let the light of the sun
be so strong that we will see all
people as our neighbors.
Let the earth, nourished by rain,
bring forth flowers
to surround us with beauty.
And let the mountains teach our hearts
to reach upward to heaven.
Amen.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Vineyard Hikes

September offers a chance to enjoy the beauty the summer season has created and we have the perfect way to get up close and personal with the vineyard. This month we are offering guided hikes throughout the vineyard. The hike takes you through our 205 acres of vines providing a spectacular view. It also offers the chance to sample the fifteen different grape varietals and they ripen for harvest.

Hope to see you on one or all of the following dates:

Sundays @ 9:30 am
9/11/2011
9/25/2011

Wednesdays @ 9:30 am
9/7/2011
9/14/2011
9/21/2011
9/28/2011

Things to Note:
• Bring comfortable shoes and a water bottle as we will be traversing over rolling hills.
• We will be meeting at the tasting room parking lot and departing promptly at 9:30am.
• Please contact Lindsey Zagar (541)855-2062 x7 with any questions.

Here are a few pictures from our first hike this Wednesday:






Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Wine & Dine in the Vines

WINE & DINE IN THE VINES
Sunday, September 11, 4PM

As in old world tradition, the Upper Rogue Wineries invite you to sit at our harvest table and enjoy a special six course meal prepared by Chef Bill Heubel of the Jacksonville Inn. Enjoy a meal full of local foods including produce from our very own vineyard gardens.

Tickets: $75.00
Purchase Online or Call us at 541.855.2062 ext 7
Dinner Location: Agate Ridge Vineyard

Dinner Menu

Fresh Fruits In Season, Assorted Cheeses
with Pickled Onions and Buttermilk Crackers
Cliff Creek Cellars Cabernet Franc & LaBrasseur Riesling

Seared Day Boat Scallops
over a Sweet Corn and English Pea Risotto Scented with
White Truffle Oil and Lemon Beurre Blanc
Del Rio Viognier & Cliff Creek Cellars Marsanne/Roussanne

Platon's Organic Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho
with a Mini Heirloom Tomato Salad
Folin Cellars Rose &Temperanillo

Mixed Sweet Greens and Cucumber Ribbon Salad
With Greek Feta Cheese and Summer Berry Dressing
LaBrasseur Merlot & Crater Lake Cellars Grenache

Duxelle Crusted Fillet of Beef over Spicy Seared Green Beans
With Rogue Creamery Blue Cheese and Candied Walnuts
Del Rio Petite Syrah & Agate Ridge Primitivo

Chocolate & Berry Cobbler
with Lavender Scented Cream
Agate Ridge Black Sticky & Crater Lake Cellars Recioto

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

The Trail Ends Here

The Wine Trail Ends Here
A World of Wine Event

August 25th, 2011
Location - Del Rio Vineyards
5pm - 8pm
$10 Admission
Wine Tasting – Enjoy all the Upper Rogue Wineries in one location!
Rogue Creamery Cheese & Great Harvest Bread Samples
Food provided by Fresco Foods

The Upper Rogue Wine Trail features six of Southern Oregon's premiere Winery & Vineyards:

*Agate Ridge
*Cliff Creek Cellars
*Crater Lake Cellars
*Del Rio Vineyards
*Folin Cellars
*LaBrasseur Vineyard

Fresco Foods’ Event Menu:

*Squash Blossom & Ricotta Fritters - garden variety squash, ricotta, green onions, flour & garlic pan fried in extra virgin olive oil. Served with Shiitake mushroom Basmati Rice & Snap Pea Salad 7-

*Tomato & Cheddar Pie - vine ripened Farmers Market tomatoes, extra-sharp Tillamok Cheddar Cheese, dill & cream sauce, baked in a buttermilk crust with snap-pea salad, fruit & bread 7

*Fingerling & garden medley - stir fried fingerling potatoes and garden variety vegetables served with polenta & corn relish 7-

*Fresco Ricotta Gnocchi with garden green beans & garlic 7-

*Lemon Quinoa Salad on a bed of mixed baby greens, fruit, bread & Fresco Green Goddess Dressing 6-

Desserts:
*Fruit Hill Farm Cherry Pie
*Fresh Blackberry Creamsicles 2-
Peanut Butter Chip Chocolate cookies 1.50

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Rock Point Wines Affair!

We are excited to announce the first annual celebration of our second wine label, Rock Point Wines. On July 30th 2011 we will host a complimentary public event; the first annual Rock Point Wines Affair. The celebration will include live music from TJ & The Country Spurs, Vineyard Hayrides, Pulled pork sandwiches available for purchase from Jeff’s Street Bistro, and complimentary wine tasting of all four Rock Point Wines for those 21 years of age and older. The festivities will be located our five acre park in the heart of the 200 acre vineyard. Stop in anytime between 1PM and 4PM.


The Rock Point Wines Affair will be the only day throughout the year to taste and purchase Rock Point Wines. We are offering tastes of all four wines: 2009 Rock Point Pinot Noir, 2009 Rock Point Pinot Grigio, River Rock Red, & River Rock White. In addition to the complimentary festivities Rock Point Wines will be available for purchase by the glass, bottle, and case. Event special pricing will be offered.

A bit of history on the label
Rock Point Wines is named after Del Rio Vineyards’ historic location just north of Gold Hill. The distinguishing Rock Point formation in the Rogue River became the name of a small community founded by J.B. White in the early 1850s. Rock Point has a colorful history consisting of the Rogue Indian Wars, gold mining, floods, the railroad, and orchards. Today, the only remaining reminder of the community’s history is the still standing Stage Coach Stop, the location of the Rock Point Hotel, a major stop on the California-Oregon Stage line.

Rock Point Wines was established in 2008 and has been steadily growing in distribution around the country. It is currently available to Oregon customers through our online store, select Costco locations and on tap at a few local restaurants. For more information on our second label please visit the website at www.rockpointwines.com.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Dinner Under the Stars

Join the Del Rio team this summer as we bring together wonderful gourmet food and our exquisite wines in the romantic setting of the Del Rio Vineyard. You will be surrounded by the beautiful vines as you dine on food prepared by the Jacksonville Inn and sip wine from the very vines that you dine with. The dinner will be accompanied by event special prices on wine. Live music by Tim Mitchell.

Tickets: $75.00
Call to reserve your spot today - Limited availability
Contact: Lindsey at 541.855.2062 ext 7 or Click to Purchase Online

Dinner Menu: 

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Zumba in the Vineyard!

Move to the music with this fun workout in the middle of the beautiful vineyard. Be sure to stop by the tasting room early to grab a taste of wine. Mention this blog post for a free wine tasting on our first Zumba night!

When: 6pm Thursday Nights
Instructor: Maralee Sheadel, Certified Zumba Instructor
Cost: $5/class (No reservations needed)
Location: Del Rio Vineyards Park Click here for directions
Questions: Contact Lindsey at 541.855.2062 ext.7
 
 

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Roam the Rogue Sneak Peak

Join Del Rio for the Roam the Rogue Spring Passport Tour this Saturday from 11 to 5pm.

This event is full of fun as you travel to the eight participating Rogue Valley wineries. Del Rio will be pouring three fantastic wines: Pinot Gris, Claret & Rose Jolee. This Saturday will mark the release of our 2009 Claret - Be the first to taste it on the Roam the Rogue tour. For our food pairing Jolee is wiping up a delicious dessert to pair with the fabulous Rose Jolee and the warm weather of Summer. To tempt your taste buds here is a look at the recipe:

Yogurt, Berries and Vincotto
Place 1 large tub of plain low fat yogurt in a colander lined with cheese cloth. Place in a bowl and set inrefrigerator letting liquid drain out.

Vincotto –
1 C. Red Wine
½ C. sugar
1 pinch cardamom
½ stick of cinnamon

Boil all together until it starts to coat a spoon and the water has evaporated. If it gets too thick just add a touch of water.

When the yogurt becomes firm like cheese, spoon into individual portion cups. Top with raspberries, sliced strawberries & blackberries. Top with a chocolate wafer. Drizzle the Vincotto over the whole thing. Perfect for summer, enjoy with Del Rio Rose Jolee.

Roam the Rogue - Spring Passport Tour
Saturday, May 28th - 11:00am to 5:00pm
Come join us as each of the Upper Rogue Valley winemakers introduce their newest wines and share their creative inspiration and delicious food pairings with some of the best wines from each of these wineries:




Tickets are only $25 per person and include a commemorative Reidel glass; plus delicious appetizers and wine tasting at all 8 participating wineries. Tour is self guided. Purchase tickets online.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Del Rio's 2011 Summer Concert Series


Del Rio Vineyards & Winery is excited to announce our annual Summer Concert Series schedule. For 2011 we are offering a fun lineup featuring great Southern Oregon talent. From the folksy sounds of Kites and Crows to the energetic rock-n-roll of the Roadsters we have a fantastic variety of music for a beautiful venue. Join us on Friday nights; bring a blanket and a picnic dinner to enjoy on our tasting room grounds. Wine will be available for purchase by the glass or bottle. Admission is $7.50 for the general public & $5.00 for Del Rio wine club members. Please no outside alcohol.

JUNE
June 24th - Broadway Phil & The Shouters – 6:00-8:30pm
Broadway Phil and the Shouters have been rocking concerts and clubs since 1994. Building on a long tradition of West Coast blues, R&B and roots rock, the Shouters remain a hard–driving mainstay of the independent music scene in Oregon, California and beyond.

JULY
July 8th - Sweet Town Little – 6:00-9:00pm
Sweet Town Little is a new emerging, energetic, country band based in Brookings Oregon. A four man crew, the band is known for their country & progressive rock sound.

July 22nd – Mercy – 6:00-9:00pm
"Mercy" covers classic soul, R&B, rock and blues pumping fresh new life into them with the extraordinary vocal prowess of Lynda Morrison.

AUGUST
August 5th - Kites & Crows – 6:00-9:00pm
Kites & Crows, an indie folk trio, fresh off of Fall West Coast tour, are local favorites on Jefferson Public Radio's Folk Show with their new self-produced Golden Room ep released in November 2010.

August 19th - The Roadsters – 6:00-8:30pm
The Roadsters are an energetic, interactive, dynamic country/rock band whose strong male and female vocals offer variety & versatility. With a tight, hard-hitting rhythm section, they capture the best in classic & contemporary country, as well as vintage rock.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Rock Point Case Club

Curious about the new case club? Check out our Rock Point Wines website for details and how to join.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

A New Del Rio Adventure . . .

Dear Del Rio Wine Club Members;

2011 is here and we are ready for a great and exciting new year at Del Rio. Since establishing the winery in 2004, our grape production and sales have been diversified with the growth of our own Del Rio brand. This year marks our seventh year of producing premium Del Rio wines and the expansion of the brand has taken Del Rio across the nation in distribution. Del Rio wine can now be found in restaurants and wine shops in fifteen different states from Washington to New York.

In addition to our estate label, we have established a second label: Rock Point Wines. The name comes from Del Rio’s historical location, once known as Rock Point, a thriving community in the late 1800’s with a hotel, post office, and general store. People would come from all over the valley to attend balls and functions at the Rock Point Hotel. All that remains is the newly renovated Rock Point Bridge and the hotel, now home to the Del Rio Tasting Room.

The Rock Point Wines’ label was created in order to diversify our production levels in the vineyard and winery. These wines are of excellent quality, designed as drink now wines at a more affordable price. Their purpose is to complement our signature label highlighting the level of quality we produce in our Del Rio brand and generating a stable, less complex, yet very consumable wine. First bottled in 2008, Rock Point was intended to be sold through distribution outside of Oregon, and just as Del Rio has experienced growth, so has Rock Point Wines. We now produce four wines under the label: River Rock Red, River Rock White, Pinot Grigio, and Pinot Noir. Rock Point Wines can now be found in three Oregon Costco locations, and it is also available through our new online store.

The upcoming March Del Rio Wine Club order is marking a new adventure for both Del Rio and Rock Point; we are launching the Rock Point Case Club! The Case Club will be a new avenue for consumers to acquire Rock Point Wines. As Del Rio Wine Club members, we would like to give you a first look at the new Rock Point Case Club and provide you with a great offer. The Rock Point Case Club will include twelve bottles of wine shipped biannually in April and October. Each shipment will include three of each of the Rock Point Wines. As dual members of both clubs you will receive each order for only $75. Shipping costs are $25 for West of the Rockies and $35 for East of the Rockies. For AK and HI shipping please contact us. All orders will be shipped. We are striving to keep our tasting room solely for Del Rio wines.

We look forward to another great year and the initiation of the Rock Point Case Club. We hope that you will enjoy your extra special gift of River Rock Red.

~ Cheers!
Jolee & Rob Wallace

Monday, February 14, 2011

A new video endeavor

Tasting with Jean-Michel: Estate Reserve Pinot Gris
Stay tuned for more videos with each new wine release.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

2011 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

The results are in and we are excited to announce the following Del Rio wines and their accolades:

2009 Viognier - Best of Class!!!!
The nose displays aromas of peach, grapefruit and fresh mint flavors. On the palate the smooth texture is held up by the acidity with a slight lemon characteristic. The barrel ageing gives a light nuance of oak flavors and complexity to the wine. - - $20

The light gold color of the Pinot Gris brings in the true varietal flavors of apple, pear with a touch of almond and vanilla. The creamy and buttery mouth follows and lengthens because of the acidity which will allow this wine to age well. - - $16

2008 Syrah - Silver
The intense and deep violet color of the 2008 Syrah is followed by a fusion of bay leaf, thyme and berry flavors. The mouth shows spicy black pepper aromas, vanilla and oak taste from the barrel ageing. - - $35

Del Rio Vineyards' Petite Syrah displays a deep red color followed by rich flavors of black currant, spices and finishes with intense tannins. The partial oak aging in French and American oak barrels adds further nuances to the wine. -- $48

2009 Pinot Noir - Bronze
Our 2009 Pinot Noir has a bright ruby color and displays aromas of cherry, rosemary, and vanilla. The nose leads to delicate violet flavors, accompanied by a structured mouth feel that will ensure long aging. - - $28

2008 Claret - Bronze
The 2008 Claret shows the qualities that have made this blend a favorite. The nose shows intense fruity notes of black currant and cherry. It is then followed by woody flavors of cedar and coffee. The 18 month barrel aging, contributes to a well balanced mouth feel with silky young tannins. - - $35

The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition is the an American wine competition and this year it drew in a record number of entries, 5,050 wine from 23 states. Southern Oregon wines did quite well at this years event. Here is a link to the full list of results: http://www.winejudging.com/medal_winners.htm