Even this sparsely populated wine region has grown in its number of wineries (now numbering 13) and vineyards.  Several new vineyards have been planted in the last five years, and a number of new wineries have opened their doors.

     Evidence of the Umpqua Valley's growth in popularity is also reflected in the large number of attendees to its annual wine events, sponsored by the Umpqua Valley Chapter of the Oregon Winegrowers Association. 

     Greatest of the Grape, for example, celebrates everything related to wine, and is held every spring (March 12 this year) at the Seven Feathers Hotel & Casino Resort in Canyonville, located in the southernmost reaches of the Umpqua Valley.  This event began 35 years ago and usually sells out quickly.  Six hundred tickets sold for the 2004 event. 

    "To be able to combine my winemaking experience and with new world techniques is just something really special to me," said Gabor Palotai, owner of Palotai Vineyard who defected from Hungary in 1982.  Gabor's first wine (his 2002 Select Harvest Riesling) earned Best Food and Wine Pairing when paired at the event with a pear Frangipani tart from Aromatic's Feast Catering.  The same wine earned a gold and a silver medal.  "It just blew my mind," he remembers.  "I just made it like my Grandfather.

     Another hugely popular spring touring event, the Annual Umpqua Valley Barrel Tasting Tour began some 21 years ago.  At that time, the event featured one bus and a single event. Today, both the number of buses and the number of days the event is held have increased, as well as the number of wineries participating.  This year's Barrel Tasting Tour(s) will be held on April 16 and May 14.  This round-trip bus tour will include seven stops with nine Umpqua Valley wineries presenting their wines for tastings.  The $40.00 tickets include your transportation, wine tasting, food pairing, and a souvenir glass.

New Umpqua Valley Wineries

     Two new winery tasting rooms opened in the last one-year period. One, a 100-year-old barn with a picturesque view at the Melrose Vineyards and the other for Brandborg Vineyard & Winery in Elkton. The new Palotai Vineyard now pours their wines from their beautifully located facility just five miles northwest of Roseburg.  Another new winery, Bradley Vineyards, does not have a facility for tastings, but you can find their products locally. Only last Thanksgiving weekend (2003) did MarshAnne Landing open the doors of its home-based winery for the debut of its many wines.  They continue to participate in regional wine events, and are otherwise open by appointment.

The Region and its 1960's Roots

     Many growers plant grapes hoping to take advantage of the area's climactic conditions, topography of nearby mountain ranges, and proximity to the Pacific Ocean to produce unique and flavorful grapes. There are also those who have known about the area's ideal grape-growing conditions for years.

     Richard Sommer (original owner of Hillcrest Vineyards in Roseburg) is considered by many to be one of the fathers of Oregon's wine industry.  HillCrest Vineyards was planted in 1961 and was the state's first winery, post-prohibition.  At that time, there were fewer than 100 acres of wine grapes in the state. Today, there are more than 12,000, and HillCrest Vineyard, as of July 2003, is owned by Dyson and Susan DeMara.  Most of the vineyards planted by Sommer were no longer healthy and were removed last year.  The DeMaras plan to replant this spring.  They continue to harvest grapes from a nearby vineyard originally planted by Sommer that remains healthy, using them to produce old-vines Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling and Zinfandel.

     Others followed Hillcrest's lead, and today, 11 wineries featuring tasting rooms reside in Douglas County. Several more are bonded wine producers, but do not yet have a place to sample their wares; even so, their wines can be found at area dealers.

     One of the wineries to follow in Hillcrest's footsteps was Girardet Wine Cellars. Bonnie Girardet and husband, Phillipe, were enchanted by the Umpqua region and Hillcrest's wine, discovering its vineyards on a vacation in the late1960s.  By 1971, the Girardets had established their own vineyard and winery.

    "This is an outstanding area for fruit, especially for grapes," Phillipe said. "We make wines that reflect the qualities of the Umpqua Valley region. Wines that compare with any from the best regions in the world."

     The local chapter of the Oregon Winegrowers Association encourages visitors to attend their wine-country events, but is quick to point out that self-guided tours the rest of the year are as easy as following blue information signs alongside roads, directing travelers on a wine loop stretching from Winston to Elkton.

Go to page 2 for a complete list and descriptions of

UMPQUA VALLEY WINERIES