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Explore Oregon’s Rogue Valley
Willamette Valley is typically what first comes to mind when someone thinks of Oregon Wine, but there is so much more to Oregon than that one region! Last August I had the opportunity to see for myself in a visit to the Rogue Valley as part of the 2021 Wine Media Conference. Look for more posts in coming weeks about several stops on our trip through this beautiful, lesser known corner of Oregon Wine Country.

Disclosure: I visited 2hawk Vineyard and Winery as part of a pre-conference tour of the 2021 Wine Media Conference. I paid for transportation to and from the conference and there was a fee for the pre-conference tour. The wineries and the Rogue Valley Vintners Organization also supported the tour financially.

(click on any photo for a full size slideshow)

2Hawk Vineyard and Winery
2Hawk Vineyard and Winery is located near Medford Oregon. Originally established in 2009, Ross and Jen Allen bought the property in 2014 with the intent to pursue the highest quality in the vineyard, the winery and in the tasting room. Ross leads the vineyard operations, currently planted to 26 acres. Ross comes to this job with over three decades of farming experience. Winemaker Kiley Evans leads the winery operations. Jen Allen is in charge of the hospitality efforts in the tasting room.

While not certified to any formal standard, Ross uses his extensive farming experience to guide their sustainable approach in the vineyard. Pest control is handled by encouraging natural predators like the winery’s namesake hawks, beneficial insects, and others. Water conservation is key. For instance frost control in the spring is performed by wind machines in the vineyard rather than sprinklers. They compost everything that comes out of the vineyard.

The winery was built with sustainability in mind as well. The winery is built into a hill and designed to utilize natural cooling. Solar panels provide over 75% of the power needs of the winery. No commercial yeasts are used in making the wines, only native yeasts cultivated onsite.

2Hawk Tasting Room and Lunch
The 2Hawk tasting room is likewise built with sustainability in mind. The materials used in construction are all recycled. The stones in the walls all come from the property, the timbers, flooring and ceiling are all recycled. The trim comes from grapevine cuttings in the vineyard. Even the barstools and tables are upcycled from old barrels.

On the day of our visit, we sampled 2Hawk wines and the food on offer at the tasting room. All the wines were nice, I was impressed with their Darow Series Tempranillo, so I purchased a bottle of each of their two Tempranillos to enjoy back in Minnesota. If you’re planning a visit, why not plan a visit? Follow this link to make your reservation!

Back in Minnesota with 2Hawk Tempranillo

2Hawk Tempranillo 2017 Rogue Valley Oregon ($34 at the winery) 13% abv
Eye: Medium ruby, lightly hazy
Nose: Medium plus intensity aromas of violets, ripe fresh sour cherries, strawberries, blueberries, dill, vanilla, tobacco
Mouth: Dry, high acidity, medium plus grippy tannins, medium alcohol, medium plus flavor intensity, medium plus finish. The flavors closely follow the nose with sour cherries, blueberries, dill and tobacco.
Observations: I really enjoyed this wine. Plenty of ripe fruit with excellent acidity and firm tannins. It’s not plush or overly extracted. The oak aging is clear but typical for this grape. Well done! Not intended to be a copy of Tempranillo from Spain, 2Hawk’s version does capture the typical aromas and flavors

2Hawk Tempranillo with Grilled Lamb Chops
I enjoyed the 2Hawk Tempranillo with one of my favorite red wine pairings: grilled medium-rare lamb chops. The Tempranillo had the body and intensity of flavor to match up with the char of the grill and the lamb flavor. The acidity and tannins in the wine balanced the fat in the lamb chops nicely. All around, a very nice meal.

Southern Oregon Resources
Here are some useful sources for more information about the region:

• Travel Southern Oregon website offers a host of activities, not just wine!
• For wine touring, Rogue Valley Winecountry offers lots of ideas
• 2Hawk Vineyard and Winery website for visit information and ordering wines