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EdenVale Winery Rogue du Rhône GSM
A tradition of innovation
In 1885, Joseph H. Stewart founded Eden Valley Orchards in the heart of the Rogue Valley in Southern Oregon. Considered the father of the commercial pear industry, it’s hard to imagine how Eden Valley was able to bring pears to market from such a remote place in the era before trucks and planes!
130 years later, there are still pears growing in the orchard — but Eden Valley’s tradition of agricultural innovation and leadership has found its way to the world of wine. With over a dozen varietals in the bottle, EdenVale Winery is a showcase for the Rogue Valley.
Ashley Campanella is one of the new breed of winemakers that’s finding their way without formal education. With a degree in marine science from a college in St. Petersburg, Florida, making wine was probably not on the career path.
But after coming home to southern Oregon, Campanella found her way to EdenVale in 2001 — first as a “cellar rat” doing all the unglamorous hard work. By 2004, she started making her own wine alongside EdenVale’s operation. And by 2008, she was leading the way as the head winemaker.
And what extraordinary wines they are!
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
EdenVale Winery, Medford, Oregon
Rogue du Rhône GSM
GSM is a big, bold red that combines the fruit of Grenache, the backbone and spice of Syrah, and elegance and acidity of Mourvèdre.
Traditionally found in the Southern Rhône in France, we’re starting to see more and more “GSM” blends in Southern Oregon. After all, these grapes thrive in the warm weather of Southern Oregon.
At EdenVale, each of these three wines is fermented and aged separately for several years before they are blended together. One of the hallmarks of EdenVale wines is how long they age their wines before they release them – an average of 3 to 4 years!
When you open the bottle you’ll immediately notice the ripe red berry smells mingling with a sweet almost buttery caramel smell. Once you start sipping, you’ll taste ripe bing cherries, chocolate and some white pepper spiciness on the finish.
A Cellar 503 selection in May 2016, Women Winemakers Rogue Valley | Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah
