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Troon Vineyard is located in the Applegate Valley, within the larger Rogue Valley region of Southwest Oregon. Truth be told, the reason I chose the Rogue Valley pre-conference excursion was to take advantage of the chance to return to Troon Vineyard and Cowhorn Vineyard, which I had visited previously. The other wineries were a pleasant surprise, providing interest for future visits to the region. Stay tuned for more posts from our visits on the pre-conference tour.

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Troon Vineyard
With the support of owners Brian and Denise White, Craig Camp has built a team and converted the historic Troon Vineyard in Applegate Valley to Demeter certified biodynamic farming and winemaking. Last year, the team went further and became one of only two wineries in the US to achieve Regenerative Organic Certification. These efforts represent the forefront of sustainability, and being third party certifications, they are more than just public relations.

What does this mean for the wine? Troon wines are made from grapes well suited to the climate in Applegate Valley, the winemaking is carefully managed without any chemical additions or adjustments. New oak is avoided, and sulfite levels are kept to a minimum, limited only to a small amount at bottling. They are well worth seeking out, and available by mail direct from the winery if they aren’t in your local market.

Troon Vineyard “Garrique” Estate Syrah, Applegate Valley 2020 ($25 direct from the winery) 13.8% abv
Eye: Medium ruby
Nose: Medium plus intensity aromas of ripe red fruits: strawberry, cherry, black pepper, clean earth and leather.
Mouth: Dry, medium plus acidity, medium fine grained tannins, medium body, medium alcohol, medium plus flavor intensity, medium plus finish. Nice balance between savory black pepper, earth and leather and the bright fruit.
Observations: This wine leans more to savory aromas than many American wines. It shows nice fruit but the earthy side is an equal partner rather than something in the background. Also, the wine aromatics increased over several hours, with the fruit stepping to the front. Well done!

A Gloomy Minnesota Spring
I needed to run up to the lake for a few chores, and since it was just Otto and me, dinner was my choice. We’re having a pretty miserable cold, wet spring in Minnesota. It’s rare to still have ice on the lake at the end of April.

(click on any photo for a full size slide show)

Warming Up with Lamb and Syrah
After chores in the rain, I could take comfort in a favorite meal with a half-rack of lamb on the grill served with my all-around favorite lamb pairing: Syrah. Lamb pairs well with a wide variety of red wines, but I find that slightly gamey note in lamb echoes the meaty/gamey note often found in a nice Syrah. I keep the spices simple with a coating of minced garlic, rosemary and thyme. Cooked at low heat on our Weber gas grill, I just watch the internal temperature of the lamb and stop at 120°F. I rounded out the meal with a slaw mix with mustard vinaigrette and basmati rice. A nice reward for those rainy, cold chores!