Southern Oregon is Coming to Downtown Portland
Southern Oregon is a region to behold. Caves to rivers, forests to fields, Crater Lake to Ashland’s famous Shakespeare Festival: it’s all here. This part of Oregon also encompasses some of the finest land for growing wine grapes in the state. From its soil spring twisting vines of pinots, cabernets, Viognier, Mourvedre, Semillon and Grenache grapes – and many more that you may never have heard of. As a whole, it’s one of the most diverse wine regions in the world.
As a toast to that diversity, the Southern Oregon Winery Association fanned the flame of an idea for a unique wine and culinary event to bring its bounty to the rest of the state. That idea became Savor Southern Oregon, held for the first time in 2012. The region, which can be divided into the Applegate, Umpqua, Illinois and Rogue valleys, is represented at the event by its rich array of fruit, bottled and aged to perfection and poured into tasting glasses at Director Park in downtown Portland. Wineries like Krisselle Cellars, LaBrasseur Vineyards, Foris Vineyards, Jaxon Vineyards, Ledger David Cellars and Melrose Vineyards come together bringing bottles galore thanks to good growing seasons a few years back.
This year twenty-two Southern Oregon wineries will be joined in the epicenter of Portland by PDX epicureans Lisa Herlinger and Becky Burnett (Ruby Jewel Ice Cream), Kelly Myers (Xico), Rick Gencarelli (Lardo) and Johanna Ware (Smallwares), and all will show off their latest productions. The festival also offers wine touring information to interested visitors. Amongst the tables and booths you’ll learn the ins and outs of an underhyped wine scene and meet the winemakers helping to grow it from the ground up. On Saturday, September 14, come see for yourself what’s next in Oregon’s fastest-growing wine region.
Saturday, September 14 || 1-6 pm || Director Park, Portland, Ore. || Tickets: $39 advance, $50/door
