Noble Estate Vineyard & Winery

Pulling into the parking lot at Noble Estate Vineyard & Winery, my partner, Kathleen, and I popped out of the car and stopped short at the sight of a huge mastiff dog sitting on the porch. He stared at us, probably wondering if we were friend or foe. I assured him in my best “aren’t you a cute dog” voice that we were friendly. As we walked down the garden path to the tasting room, it occurred to me that someone must be making regular Costco runs to buy food for this animal.

Situated on the outside of the quaint tasting room is a small pool, big enough for swimming short laps or executing a perfect cannonball on a smart-ass friend. Wrapped around the outside deck is a seating area with a beautiful view of the fir-treed grounds below. An outside cabana with deck furniture and a poolside barbecue grill beckoned us to relax. However, we were there for the wine tasting and made our way to the tasting room.

In 1999, Mark and Marie Jurasevich started Noble Estate Vineyard by planting pinot noir grapes. Exercising vine-by-vine hand crop management, they produce low tonnage crops ripe with intense flavors. As Marie notes in their literature, “It’s all about capturing the sun.” In addition to their own 6-acre vineyard, Mark has “acreage contracts” with select vineyards in the Willamette Valley and the Rogue River Valley. In total, Mark and his family produce about 1,200 cases of wine annually.

The charming tasting room offers wines to sample, comfortable furniture for relaxing, and plenty of wine-related accessories to purchase. For a small tasting fee, you can sample Mark’s handmade beauties, including pinot noir, chardonnay, pinot gris from Willamette Valley grapes, and cabernet sauvignon and merlot from the warmer Rogue River Valley. All of the Jurasevichs’ wines are graced by a distinctive noble fir tree label. Halfway through your tasting, you realize that these premium wines are crafted with singular attention and artfully presented. I couldn’t help but purchase a bottle of the Pinot Noir Willamette.

On our way out, I showed my receipt to the giant mastiff to prove that I had purchased the Noble Estate wine I was holding. I wouldn’t want that dog chasing me!