Anindor Vineyards

Entrepreneurs Rod and Nina Pace lead an amazing life. The couple is always on the go; his mining background takes them to other western states, including Arizona, where they have a second residence. However, the Paces’ winemaking passion keeps them coming back to their vineyard home just outside the town of Elkton. Rod’s background in agriculture (he took grape-growing classes in college) brought them to this northern part of the Umpqua region, where he could grow premium pinot noir, pinot gris, gewürztraminer, pinot blanc, and riesling. It’s a farmer’s dream. In fact, Rod and Nina refer to themselves as “grape ranchers”!

The name “Anindor” comes from Nina’s and Rod’s names spelled backwards and combined, and the moniker applies to both their vineyard and wine label. At Anindor Vineyards, sharp-shinned hawks do a great job of scaring away grape-eating birds, such as robins. It’s little wonder then that an image of this hawk graces the label on their wine bottles as well as other Anindor branding. The eco-friendly vineyard is certified sustainable by LIVE (Low Input Viticulture & Enology). However, with their desire to distribute their wines themselves to friends, family, and loyal fans, the Paces needed one more thing — a tasting room.

Located in a former hot-dog stand and bike shop on Second Street, the Anindor Vineyards tasting room provides an intimate space in which to experience its wines. For WineTrail trekkers who enjoy a manageable line-up of wines to sample, Anindor Vineyards offers the perfect wine-tasting oasis. For white wines, you can experience gewürztraminer, pinot gris, and riesling. For reds, your choice is pinot noir. All of them are estate grown. All are small-batch productions. And all are certifiably delicious, as approved by this tasting-room crawler.

The tasting room’s porch sits alongside Elkton’s main street and provides a shaded space to sit under and watch the world go by. I understand that food pairs nicely with pinot noir, but I discovered that a glass of Anindor Vineyards Pinot Noir on its own is great for sipping as you watch the traffic flow.

Cheers!