Zenas Wines
Zenas (pronounced “zen-aws”) Wines honors the Howard family’s great-great-great-great-great grandfather Zenas Howard. He and some other brave souls risked life and limb when they hit the Oregon Trail and moved out west in 1856. A picture of Zenas hangs on the wall in the winery’s tasting room. He’s the guy with the long, white beard. Zenas, who probably imbibed some hard cider in his day, would be surprised to learn that his grandson five generations removed, Kevin Howard, crafts premium wines in his native Oregon.
Kevin’s calling is to make single-vineyard wines. Many of his wines are created from the fruit of Del Rio Vineyards far to the south in Rogue Valley. The grapes for his claret, cabernet franc, and merlot all came from this warm-weather region. Zenas’ riesling originates in a vineyard much closer to home —Montinore Vineyard in Willamette Valley. Essentially, Zenas Wines is a celebration of all things Oregon and can rightfully claim its wines as “made in Oregon.”
Kevin’s Bordeaux-style reds reflect the terroir of the vineyard’s soil and climate. He takes special care to produce tannin-tamed wines with minimal interference. These are fruit-forward, food-friendly wines, with that last trait touted by the winery with such food-pairing suggestions as braised leg of lamb and Zenas Claret (a blend of cabernet franc and merlot), or Zenas Merlot and roasted duck. De-lish!
WineTrail Tip: If hunger strikes, check out The Filling Station Deli near Zenas Wines. It offers great fare at won’t-break-the-bank prices. May we suggest a Reuben to pair with that bottle of Zenas Cabernet Franc you just purchased?
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Zenas Wines was featured in WineTrails of Oregon as part of the Carlton WineTrail on page !
