Girardet Wine Cellars
Sure, you’ve heard of pinot noir, but what about Baco noir? Unless you are a devoted fan of Umpqua wines or claim to be a distant relative of its inventor, Francois Baco, chances are you likely have not heard of this grape. That will change, however, when you visit Girardet Wine Cellars in rural Tenmile, outside of Roseburg. Goodbye, pinot — hello, Baco.
I must confess that I am a recent Baco convert. Truth is, I had not heard of it before my sojourn in the Umpqua area. Now I wonder why we don’t find Baco noir in everyone’s cellar. The tasting notes on the Girardet Wine Cellars website states this about its Baco noir, “Displays a deep crimson color with great legs. Sweet, vibrant aromas of sun-ripened fruits with a little toasted vanilla. Silky fruit flavors build slowly and then linger on with toasty, spicy flavors in the finish. Incredibly drinkable with a luscious mouthfeel.” I love that word “silky.”
Girardet Wine Cellars is the product of Swiss-born Philippe Girardet and his wife, Bonnie. They met in the 1960s in California, but a trip to southern Oregon convinced them this would be an ideal location for growing premium wine grapes. Perhaps the location reminded Philippe of his native Switzerland, with its sloping hillsides in close proximity to the Rhône River. By the early 1970s, the couple had planted their vineyard, and today they grow more than 30 varietals of non-irrigated premium grapes.
Keeping it in the family, son Marc is now the vintner for Girardet Wine Cellars. In addition to Baco noir, Marc hand-crafts other varietals, including pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, and their hugely popular Grand Rogue blend, which consists of 14 different grape varietals and is priced to sell at $14 a bottle. At that price, you might want to pick up a couple of cases! Also, if you are a fan of non-oaky chardonnay that still has a buttery flavor, check out Girardet Wine Cellars Chardonnay — a blend that uses 30 percent new oak.
At 12,000 cases a year, Girardet Wine Cellars is one of the largest producers of fine wine in the Umpqua region. A steady stream of visitors wends its way to the winery, where Girardet sells most of its wines. Family owned and operated, Girardet Wine Cellars is a big reason why Umpqua is no longer the last great undiscovered wine region.
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Girardet Wine Cellars was featured in WineTrails of Oregon as part of the Umpqua Valley WineTrail South on page !
