“Grape Expectations” this year as new wineries participate

Debbie Hackler couldn’t hide the excitement in her voice as she tried to summon language to describe her first-ever submission to Oregon’s oldest wine celebration, Greatest of the Grape.

She stumbled over the words for a minute, laughing at her lack of wine-related vocabulary. Then finally it came back to her, the sentence she has probably rehearsed since last year, when she and her husband, Henry Russel, decided to participate in the competition.

“My wine I entered is a classic white Bordeaux blend, mixed of Semillon and Sauvignon blanc grapes,” she said. “It’s an aromatic, light, fruity wine with just a touch of residual sugar.”

Hackler and Russel, the owners of Julianna Vineyards, are originally from the Midwest. They spent 25 years in the Air Force, traveling the world and learning about wine, before deciding to retire in Oregon.

When a vineyard went on the market, the couple jumped at the opportunity to purchase the property on Hess Lane, just down from River Forks Park. They spent the first of couple years working with the plants and figuring it out, said Hackler. Last summer, they decided to build a winery to accompany the vineyard that had already been established for 25 years. The 3,400-square-foot artisan winery with a small, intimate tasting room will open this May.

“It’s very scary, but very exciting,” said Hackler.

With the winery just completed in October and not yet open, it’s a big deal for Julianna Vineyards to be participating in Greatest of the Grape for the first time.

The wine celebration has evolved over the past 38 years and now features vintages from 28 wineries, with half being from the Umpqua region and the other half from Southern Oregon. The wines are paired with culinary creations from 14 Oregon restaurants. One restaurant is matched with two wineries through a random drawing.

Several weeks before the gathering, wines are judged by a professional tasting panel. Honors are announced the night of the festivities. A popular element of the event is the People’s Choice Awards for wine and wine/food pairings. Julianna Vineyards is working with Creative Catering of Winston.

The winners are ultimately awarded bragging rights for having the best grapes in Southern Oregon.

“Probably my biggest inspiration, because we are a new winery, is to get our name out there,” Hackler said. “I have no illusions of being the best winery in the valley, because there’s a lot of big boys that have been doing this a lot longer than us.”

The best grapes will be decided this year by three judges with a taste for and knowledge of vino. The panel consists of Bob Bentley, founder of the Olympic Peninsula Enological Society; Paul Sinclair, longtime member of the “Wine Press Northwest” tasting panel, and the Eugene Weekly’s Lance Sparks, a contributing writer who specializes in wine.

So you know ... <b>WHAT:</b> Greatest of the Grape, sponsored by the Umpqua Valley Winegrowers Association, is Oregon’s oldest wine celebration and features vintages from 28 leading wineries. The wines are paired with signature dishes from 14 area restaurants. <b>WHEN:</b> 7 to 11 p.m. March 15. <b>WHERE:</b> Seven Feathers Hotel & Casino Resort, Canyonville. <b>HIGHLIGHTS:</b> Live entertainment, a silent auction and wine/food tasting. <b>COST:</b> Tickets are $75 each and can be purchased at www.umpquavalleywineries.org. They can also be requested by phone or in person at Abacela Winery, 679-6642, Henry Estate Winery, 459-5120 or Melrose Vineyards, 672-6080. <b>INFORMATION:</b> 672-5323.

Another first-time submission the judges will taste this year comes from Misty Oaks Vineyard, a hillside property a couple miles west of Sutherlin. Steve Simmons, co-owner with wife Christy, said their winery is just old enough to have aged wines. They opened a tasting room at their vineyard last year and are making wines for the first time this year, but their grapes have been maturing since they planted them after buying the property in 2000.

Steve said in his opinion, Mother Nature plays the biggest role in viticulture.

“Finding the right place to grow grapes before you plant them is important, and that’s why the Umpqua Valley is so great,” said Steve. “It comes down to the farmer doing the right things for his crops and hoping everything else cooperates.”

Paired with Illahee Restaurant and Bakery in Glide, Misty Oaks’ submission is a 2005 Pinot-Noir the Simmonses named “Stuckagain Heights.”

The pinot is described as richly layered with lots of pepper on the nose, hints of saddle leather, black cherry and the slightest tease of creme brulee.

The theme of this year’s celebration is “Grape Expectations,” an appropriate title for the three new vineyards in the Umpqua Valley submitting wines this year (Becker Vineyard is also a new participant).

“I’m just expecting a good review,” said Steve. “It’s a great chance to see what the public thinks of our wine.”



• You can reach reporter Cara Pallone at 957-4208 or by e-mail at cpallone@newsreview.info.