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Awen Winecraft 2017 Grenache Blanc
Putting Southern Oregon on the map
It was a brutally hot day at the Oregon Wine Experience festival in Jacksonville, Oregon. The vast majority of the wines being served were big, intense red wines. Wonderful wines, but on a hot day all you want is a glass of cold white wine.
And then, like an oasis in the desert, I came upon Awen Winecraft’s Grenache Blanc. One sip and I knew I had to know more.
Sean Hopkins and Tom Homewood had been garage winemakers in Santa Cruz for over a decade. They’d had trouble finding the right place to make their dreams come true when Sean visited Southern Oregon for a wedding. Before long, Sean moved his family to Medford and began experimenting with varietals unique to the Rogue and Applegate Valleys. After five years of research and planning, Tom arrived in 2016 and their dream became a reality.
Like many, Tom and Sean love the Spanish varietals that are quickly putting Southern Oregon on the map. Their wines are old world in style but with a twist that makes them uniquely Southern Oregon.
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
Awen Winecraft, Rogue River , Oregon
2017 Grenache Blanc
Grenache Blanc is one of the rarest grapes grown in Oregon, with only about 6 acres statewide, much of it in Southern Oregon. The grapes in this wine came from one of the highest quality vineyards in Oregon, Quail Run, in the heart of the Rogue Valley.
One important thing: Grenache Blanc is a unique varietal grape, not just a white edition of the more well-known red Grenache.
This is a versatile wine. It is designed to be paired with food – especially food with bold flavors – and yet is lovely on its own. At colder temperatures you’ll notice crisp apple flavors and hints of pear but if you let it warm up to room temperature you’ll get more tropical notes. With a long, lovely mineral finish this is a wine that won’t be around long!
A Cellar 503 selection in February 2020, Spotlight on Southern Oregon Rogue Valley | Grenache Blanc
