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Bend to Bonanza to Ashland to Cave Junction, then Home

http://oregonwineandmusic.blogspot.com/2010/03/bend-to-bonanza-to-ashland-to-cave.html

Morning came with a soft gray sky and I thought I was in for a dank day. After checking out and stopping for

breakfast down the block, I headed south to Klamath Falls, then to Bonanza.
 

There is good reception down there so I was able to get good directions and get to the winery without much trouble.
 

This is really not where you would expect to find a winery, but boy do I like the wine!

12 Ranch was at the Newport show and I was told that if I came down to visit and I think they were a bit surprised

that I did.
Ken and Connie use Hungarian oak and it imparts a very unusual nose and richness to the pallet.
 

If you have ever been on a farm and smelled the wonderfully rich and pleasant aroma of freshly opened bale of straw

hay, you know the smell I am referring to. That is a close as I can come to describing the first notes I got on the nose

along with a deep rich dried fruit and a soft, elegant mouthfeel of the '05 Syrah ($25).
 

I also tasted the Merlot and was equally impressed: Same nose with more plum and spice. So good!
 

They are building their tasting room and winery and looking at the progress, I bet they will be done by the end of

Summer. Landscaping is lovely also.

They gave me directions on how to get to Ashland the best way. To bad I did not listen... I ended up on the curviest

road in Oregon! I would not advise anyone who gets car sick to even look at on a map!

Sunday, October 25, 2009

This week’s blog will be by guest writer SR.

It’s Saturday of the Memorial weekend and my wife and I are trying to avoid working on the house since it’s such a beautiful day for this time of year. My advice, we go to the local winery and experience their wines at the annual open house. It’s a beautiful drive in the country of about 15 miles from our home. Through cow pastures, past the Lost River and through miles of juniper trees and pasture land. Ducks, geese and the occasional deer are spotted as we cruise along.

We turn down the dirt road that has a large steel cutout of a wine bottle and says: 12 Ranch Wines. Open! With an irrigation ditch on the right and cows on the left we make our way down the half-mile road to the tasting room.

This is a working cattle and hay ranch. Their wine making started a few years ago as a hobby and turned into a business and those that enjoy their wines are glad they brought their “hobby” to the public. The winemaking building is set on the hillside and overlooks the valley below. The cedar building is larger than your first impression. The wine tasting area is in the front of the building and they have a few tables outside for the convenience of those that want to experience a glass of their favorite vintage. Recent improvements include two man made creeks with water falls on either side of the building and landscaping around the wine tasting area that include the aforementioned outside tables.

This is a boutique winery that only makes a few varieties of wine on a small scale. They purchase their grapes from the Applegate and Rouge Valley’s in Southern Oregon from the same vineyards year after year and in some cases from the same rows of grapes at those vineyards. Once the grapes are harvested they process the grapes in Klamath Falls, Oregon at their winery.

The wines they produce are: Viognier, Chardonnay, both stainless steel and oak aged, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and a red they call “Kenzie Red” a mix of 67% merlot and 33% Cab.

Today we will critique the Viogier wine they produce.

First off I will admit I have mangled the name of this wine for years. Not being fluent in Frog (French) I have called it by many names, none of which where correct! The true pronunciation is VEOnA all long vowels. Only by listening closely to the vintner did I finally discover the correct name. At least now if I ever order a bottle I won’t sound like a complete idiot!

The 2007 vintage was sold out and that piquet my curiosity. Not being a big white wine fan I had to know what was so special about this particular wine. They did have enough left from the previous year for tasting, so I decided to forge on. I was informed that the next bottling was a pre-sale and if I wanted any I would have to order now or forever wish I had! I am very skeptical when someone tries to sell me something that doesn’t exist yet, but after tasting the 2007 vintage I was sold!

This is a very mellow white wine that would be perfect for the summer picnic or with grilled fish or a light appetizer. I would even consider this a good drinking wine in the summer months while just hanging out. Their Viognier is stainless steel aged, so it doesn’t have the tannin dryness of an oak aged wine. It is dry however, but not to the point of being over bearing. The web site says it has peachy and apricot aromas and I can say without a doubt I can actually smell and taste the peach and apricot in the wine. A first for me! I can rarely taste all of the supposed flavors that wine critics claim are in a particular wine. This Viognier has a slightly sweet taste, not something that you notice at first, but a taste that lingers in the background, barely perceptible.

Over all this is one of the better white wines that I’ve ever experienced! Very nice fruit flavors and not too dry, with just a hint of sweetness. This wine has enough body to make it worthwhile and would be quite enjoyable just to drink. I ordered 2 bottles at the tasting and will order a case once it becomes available. Another first for me…

12 Ranch wines sell for between $13 and $25 per bottle. Not cheap, but definitely worth the money.

For more information about 12 Ranch Wines or to order go to their website: http://www.12ranchwines.com/ you’ll be glad you did!

12 Ranch Wines

4550 Burgdorf Rd

Bonanza Oregon

97623

(541) 545-1204

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