R. Stuart & Co.

The story behind R. Stuart & Co. is R. Stuart — or Rob Stuart to be exact — and the company he keeps. Rob’s résumé features winemaking experience gained up and down the West Coast, with a special focus on pinot noir. Prior to starting R. Stuart & Co., Rob was the winemaker for Erath Vineyards in nearby Dundee. However, it was only a matter of time before he created wine under his own label. The R. Stuart & Co. winery was born smack dab in the middle of McMinnville.

The “& Co.” in the winery’s name is the key to appreciating R. Stuart & Co., and I suspect the main company member is Rob’s wife, Maria — winery partner and the mother of their three children. She’s the brains behind public relations, direct marketing, and special events for R. Stuart & Co. Needless to say, with a background that includes four years as the executive director of the International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC), she’s well-qualified for the role.

Trish Ridgeway, the winery’s sales director, is another Erath Vineyard veteran, who now makes her home in Ireland. On a regular basis, she takes a flight to the States to place R. Stuart & Co. wines in wine shops and select restaurants throughout America. This includes the company’s second label, Big Fire wine, featuring literary poems on the label and liquid poetry in the bottle.

The low-key and relaxing R. Stuart & Co. Wine Bar is located in downtown McMinnville, on Third Street. At the wine bar, guests can sample R. Stuart & Co. wine flights, wine by the glass, or they can splurge for a bottle. Depending upon your taste buds’ preferences, there’s actually a lot to choose from, including pinot gris, a dry rosé, pinot noir (of course), a dessert wine, and a sparkling wine with the enchanting name Rosé d’Or. If quenching your thirst is a priority, there are also a couple of local beers on tap or in bottles to enjoy. What’s more, there are plenty of nibblies to pair with the wines and beer. Choices abound, with such mouthwatering eats as chèvre in salsa rossa, savory Asiago cookies, Juniper Grove cheese tomme with Molly’s Red Onion Marmalade, and an intriguing rustic Oregon country pâté.

Posted on one of the walls of the wine bar are the seven house rules. Space doesn’t permit listing all seven here, but rule no. 7 speaks volumes about R. Stuart Co.’s raison d’être: “Good friends, good food, good wine. Period.”