On Biz: New Roseburg wine-bar Noir excited to share the passion

Downtown Roseburg’s first-ever wine bar, which could open in a couple of weeks at 630 Jackson St., above Bearly Used Beds, will be known as Noir.

The Roseburg City Council will hold a public hearing Jan. 14 on the issuance of a liquor license for Noir.

Entrepreneurs Nelson Frosland, Matt Hess and Thomas Krokoski plan a European-style wine bar containing three bars and benches along the walls to promote a social atmosphere.

Frosland, a sales manager for Girardet Vineyards, said Noir’s hours of operation will be 5 p.m. to midnight Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Hours of operation will extend during the tourist season.

Food will be catered with wine pairings by chef’s choice at Noir, Frosland said.

Noir also plans to reduce the wine-by-the-glass costs for customers by stocking some wines from the Umpqua Valley region by the barrel.

“Our goal is to carry every single wine produced in the Umpqua Valley in one spot,” Frosland said.

The bar, at about 1,500 square feet, should be able to accommodate 30 people at a time. The proprietors also plan to hire winemakers from the region as bartenders.

“We’re trying to educate people about our passion,” Frosland said.

Noir also plans to offer online mixed cases of wine from the Umpqua region with UPS shipping.

<b>NO LONGER LITTLE — OR BROTHERS</b>

Jennifer Murphy, owner of Little Brothers Pub at 428 S.E. Main St. in Roseburg, is changing the name of her establishment to Murphy’s House of Brews.

But that’s not the only change to the 31-year-old establishment famously open only during the week.

Murphy’s House of Brews will now be open 5 to 11 p.m. Saturdays as well, including 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Murphy’s is also introducing salads and wraps to its menu of burgers and fish and chips. It will offer six microbrews on tap.

And live music will play Monday and Friday nights.

Murphy, a 1994 graduate of Roseburg High School, purchased Little Brothers in 2007.

Information: 672-0912.

<b>LOGGING YOU CAN’T SEE</b>

Scott Allen Logging of Oakland will be awarded a 2007 Forest Practices Operator of the Year award Wednesday in Salem by the Oregon Department of Forestry.

Allen is Operator of the Year for Oregon’s southwestern region. Two other awards will also be given for the eastern and northwestern regions.

The awards recognize forest operators who practice exemplary habitat protection during harvest, according to a press release.

Kevin Weeks, public information officer for the Department of Forestry, said Allen was initially recognized for a logging project he conducted in the summer of 2006 near Rice Hill on the east side of Interstate 5.

Many people mentioned, Weeks said, that they weren’t able to tell a logging operation had occurred.

“It was really widely praised,” he said.

Weeks said foresters nominate each other for the Operators of the Year award.

The 2007 project Allen is being recognized for is one in Drain near houses and a 115,000-volt Bonneville Power Administration transmission line that has had minimal impact in the area, Weeks said.

After a nomination is made, the Department of Forestry tours each nominee’s current projects.

Allen was not available for comment.

<b>CHRISTMAS ALL OVER</b>

Each LSU and Ohio State player will be bestowed a Nintendo Wii and the iPod Touch for appearing Monday in the Allstate BCS National Championship.

Cool. But I’m figuring LSU fans will be more attached to their defibrillators as the Tigers pull out their last close game of the year.



• You can reach reporter Adam Pearson at 957-4213 or by e-mail at apearson@newsreview.info.