Stone Wolf Vineyards

Located on the outskirts of McMinnville, right off Lafayette Avenue, Stone Wolf Vineyards is a convenient stop on the McMinnville WineTrail. It’s a common occurrence on WineTrail treks to be greeted by a winery dog. Being that this is Stone Wolf Vineyards, wouldn’t it be interesting to have a winery wolf to greet you? Second thought, that might not be good for business. Instead, Stone Wolf visitors are welcomed by a winery cat named Frank. He and Sinatra have something in common: the blue eyes. Hence, the feline’s name.

Stone Wolf Vineyards produces its wine from one of two estate vineyards located in the Eola Hills of the Willamette Valley. At approximately 20 years of age, the vines are some of the oldest in the state. At Stone Wolf’s relaxed tasting room, visitors can partake of a number of its estate wines, including pinot noir, chardonnay, pinot gris, Müller-Thurgau, and its popular dessert wine called Idylle, made for people who have a sweet tooth — like me.

Linda Lindsay is the driving force and winemaker for Stone Wolf Vineyards. Linda’s goal from the beginning was to make food-friendly wine. To this end, she makes judicious use of oak in order to lower the tannin effect. Consequently, these are wines you can purchase today and feel comfortable serving tonight with your roasted turkey or grilled chicken salad.

By the way, have you heard the legend of Stone Wolf? I had not, but according to the winery, “The stone wolf stands tall and proud as guardian of the vineyards. From his stone sanctuary, he silently protects the land, his watchful golden eyes wary of any threat. If you let the magic of the stone wolf fable grace you with its spirit and strength, we believe you will discover the magic of the crop he safeguards — as fruit on the vine, the wine in your hand, and finally in the gift of a memory we hope you will rekindle again and again.” With this legend in mind, be sure to check out the winery’s label — the wolf’s staring eyes are mesmerizing.

However, the only animal I saw was Frank, and his blue eyes were anything but watchful. In between cat naps, he displayed a rather laissez-faire attitude toward any potential threat. He’s a great representative for the winery: relaxed, happy-go-lucky, and approachable.