Devitt Winery

In early 2000, Jim and Sue Devitt came north from Napa to the Applegate Valley, following a successful winemaking career. They were looking for property with the intent to retire and found land in the spectacular Applegate Valley. They purchased some farm acreage where they could also grow grapes. Soon, with the acquisition of some nearby property, their initial 12-acre vineyard morphed into more than 20 acres. They just wanted to grow and sell grapes. However, in 2003, the market for selling grapes cooled, and they had a big problem: What were they to do with all those grapes? When Jim approached Sue with the idea of making wine again, she retorted, “When pigs fly!”

Within a year, they got their license, built the winery and tasting room, and opened their doors in July 2004 with their first vintage, pinot gris. Of course, the “pigs fly” comment gave them a natural theme and brand to distinguish their winery. Outside the winery, a winged-pig statue and a pig windsock with rotating wings welcome visitors and loyal fans. Inside the tasting room, visitors taste wine from a full line-up of reds and whites, including some labeled with the image of flying pigs.

Using certified sustainable grapes, Jim makes small lots (usually fewer than 200 cases) of chardonnay, viognier, a syrah blush, merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, and a dessert wine with the name Le Petite Oink. At an annual production of 2,000 cases, most Devitt wines sell at the winery and select retail and restaurants in the Rogue Valley. In the friendly tasting room, Devitt wine samples are complimentary. My personal favorite was a red wine called Precipice — a blend of merlot and zinfandel from the Devitts’ Old Stage Vineyards. Ready to drink, this red table wine would be a perfect match for pasta with marinara sauce, anything grilled or simply because it’s Tuesday (or Thursday). At only $16 a bottle, it’s a steal.

The phrase “If pigs could fly” reflects wishful thinking about something that can never happen. Fortunately, for us, in the case of Devitt Winery, pigs do fly. Oink!