Checking out the Umpqua Valley

Wines & Vines, April, 1991 by Bob McKendrick

1988 Oregon Pinot noir: Appellation, Elkton Vineyards; a.c., 12%; $10. In color, this is a pomegranate-red, bright and fruity. Some light oak on the nose. To the palate, there is an absolutely delicious rush of cinnamon and fruit, followed by light oak undertones.

Mansfield gives his soft-tannin Pinot noir a drinking time of five years. He also shared the following recipe with Wines & Vines readers:

"Melt some butter in a pan then sautee garlic. Crush the cloves then add 1/4 pound of blue cheese, thicken with sour cream to pasta sauce consistency and then add 1/4 pound of finely chopped walnuts. Serve over your favorite pasta. With a bottle of Callahan Ridge Pinot noir, the tangy richness of the walnuts and the tannin-richness of the Pinot go hand-in-hand."

GIRARDET WINE CELLARS & VINEYARD. Philippe and Bonnie Girardet. 895 Reston Road, Roseburg, Ore. 97470; (503) 679-7252.

Philippe Girardet is a native of Switzerland. His wife, Bonnie, is a native Oregonian. As an engineer at Cal Tech, he plain got fed up with the smoggy pressures of California and so it was that he and Bonnie found land near Roseburg with views of mountains, clouds and sky so beautiful it reminded him of his native Switzerland. Armed with a family background steeped in the joys of food and wine (his cousin Fredy Girardet operates a 3-star restaurant in Cressier, Switzerland) and a family crest dating back to 1473, the Girardets bought the land in 1970 and planted in 1971. Since then, the family has grown and now includes sons Jean-Paul, Mark and Daniel and daughters, Michelle and Marie-Claire. The vineyards are now 18 acres boasting some 30 varieties. Mark is buzzing the rows of grapevines with a model plane to chase the birds away (a nice alternative to shotgun casings covering the floor of the vineyards as is most common in the area, but let's face it, those birds are nasty little nippers).

The winery is small with an annual output of 8,000 cases. Philippe wants to make wines that reflect the qualities of the Umpqua Valley and he believes that one day the appellation, Umpqua Valley, will be as famous as Napa or Burgundy. ("Here we have a Spanish summer and a Burgundian fall.")

Since there is no time available as yet for a serious marketing thrust, Girardet wines are sold almost exclusively in Oregon. Their wines have taken 10 medals, including four silvers at the Oregon State Fair. Through a personal commitment to consistency of style and an energetic program of planting hybrid grapevines, Girardet wines are gathering kudos from out-of-state wine writers and afficionados as well as scores of visiting European winemakers. We chose a 1988 Cabernet Sauvignon bronze medal winner and a 1987 Reserve Chardonnay.

GIRARDET 1987 Reserve Chardonnay: Appellation, Umpqua Valley; a.c. 12.5%; $13.

In color, this is pale-golden with deep tones of gold suggesting time spent in wood. The Chardonnay bouquet lies under the delicate tones as well. Full on the palate. Not thick and overpowering as many Chardonnays; but light, filled with fruit flavors with a swift sweet finish that lingers. This wine took first place at the 19th Annual "Greatest of the Grape" festival in Roseburg in 1989.