Great Grandma Marilynn, a diminutive woman with blond hair and blue eyes, raised six strapping children, three of whom have made a career in the wine business. As I’ve mentioned before, she drinks a single glass of Pinot Gris every day. Preferably with ice cubes.

Great Grandma is a woman of routine, excellent health, and good taste. She likes to gossip with her gray-haired girlfriends. She enjoys going out to eat. Born Irish, she’s as Italian as the family she married into: loving, loud, and full of good humor. I think of Pinot Gris that way too, a dry but friendly wine that can always be counted on.

Then there’s her grandson, to whom I happen to be married. James’s favorite wine is Sauternes.

Haven’t ever heard of it?

Sauternes is a very expensive and rare white wine made from grapes that have been allowed to raisin on the vine in a valley where a fungus called the “Noble Rot” takes hold and gives the final product a funky complexity. The best Sauternes is Chateau Yquem made on the estate of the French philosopher Michel de Montaigne.

If you’ve met him, you’ll know it makes sense that this would be James’s favorite wine. Latin was among his favorite subjects … in high school. He’s something of a walking encyclopedia. Ask him what he knows about sidewalks in Rome or the spirochete that causes Lyme disease, and you’ll be talking for several hours. James also has expensive taste. And likes nothing better than to be accused of being a wine snob.

James and I met in grad school, back in those blissful days when I knew next to nothing about wine. We invited Michael Holquist, an eminent professor of literature at Yale, to give a talk about Russian philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin. The university had some money to take Holquist out for dinner.

“What’s your budget?” he asked, sitting comfortably at the head of a large table surrounded by nine adoring albeit totally nerdy graduate students. Professor Holquist proposed a blind taste test – comparing an Australian Syrah with a California Cabernet Sauvignon. He’d heard much about the merits of Syrah made in Australia but wasn’t convinced we’d be able to tell the difference. What we expected to be a subdued evening of heady talk about literary theory quickly became a raucous foray into the world of wine.

When I think of Syrah I think of Michael Holquist: sophisticated, intelligent, smooth and instantly likeable.

What’s my favorite wine? I’m so busy trying all of the excellent local wines coming out of southern Oregon that I’m not sure I can choose a favorite just yet.

I like both the wines and the wine culture: the novelty of glass corkage, the fun of a wine adventure, the challenge of deepening my knowledge about wine, the excitement of attending a festival.

Does that mean I’m indecisive or well-rounded? I don’t know! I leave you to judge what my eclectic taste in wine says about me…

Tell me about your favorite wine! Have you ever thought about what your preferences for wine reveal about your personality?

Winemakers have to eat, too. And when these pros with well-trained palates are hungry, they know how to sniff out the best restaurants.

Something bland, something boring, something “off” triggers a snarl in them faster than a cranky teenager separated from her cellphone. On the flipside, if a dish is intoxicatingly fresh and precisely paired with other thrilling tastes, wham-o! Winemakers are happy.

Lean in closely and I’ll reveal a new place where Applegate Valley vintners go when they don’t feel like cooking: C Street Bistro.

In a tiny cottage tucked a few blocks off Jacksonville’s main street, winemakers gather with friends, family and fans. Here, Chefs Paul Becking and Michael Hite are having fun, too, partnering with Oregon farmers, ranchers and fishermen to create dishes that excite.

What does it take to get the attention of enologists fatigued by a day of evaluating immature wine, dosing out sulfur and listening to alcohol control officials? Hmmmm…

Try the barbecue pulled pork on a sweet cornbread pancake ($8) and duck confit waffle with egg ($14). Even the potentially humble lunch burger has a captivating story: The 6-ounce prime top sirloin patties are ground to order and cooked one at a time ($10 with sea-salt fingerling potatoes; add $3-$5 to top the burger with house-cured pastrami; mushroom, Gruyere and truffle mayo; or bacon jam, smoked bacon and pickled onions).

Friday’s and Saturday’s three-course dinners ($30; $45 with wine) change every week and deliver sky’s-the-limit pleasure. Dishes are inspired by one winery and the chefs’ wild imaginations.

For a RoxyAnn winemakers’ dinner in mid August, the amuse-bouche was a tempura squash blossom from Walker Creek Farms stuffed with king crab cream cheese and served with a sweet chili aioli. The first course was Port Orford’s seared albacore with Runnymeade Farm’s string beans, heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers and corn topped with a Muscatel vinaigrette. The salad was paired with RoxyAnn 2009 Pinot Gris.

The main course was a Moroccan-spiced lamb leg with Fort Vanoy Farms’ crispy polenta served with RoxyAnn 2008 Claret. Dessert was a tangy clafoutis made with blackberries and white peaches grown at Hanley Farm.

It’s no wonder that the chefs’ skills with in-season and locally produced food are applauded by another kind of flavor juggler – winemakers.

On a sunny day in August, Anne Root of EdenVale dropped in to chat with the chefs. This was weeks after her 2009 Viognier was served with – and was an ingredient in – Chef Becking’s miso-marinated black cod and grilled Japanese eggplant. Sometimes he adds barbecued rice balls to this dish.

Rachael and Les Martin of Red Lily Vineyards also dine here because their children – budding taste-bud experts – like to experiment as much as adults.

“Our kids even tried oysters for the first time there,” says Rachael. “We get the chefs’ weekly Facebook feeds and drool over their new menus.” She adds: “Being local business owners ourselves, we love to support other local places.”

Christine Collier and Chris Jiron of God King Slave Wines live on C Street. But they don’t frequent this bistro just because it’s in the neighborhood.

“We love their farm-to-table concept,” says Collier, “and their new energy, talent and creativity in Jacksonville.”

The GKS duo debuted their 2009 Syrah and Tempranillo blend at C Street Bistro in late August.

“We wanted to host a wine release party and it just seemed like a natural fit,” says Collier. “It is our regular hangout, so it was very comfortable to host something with them.”

Collier, who worked at a Willamette Valley winery before establishing her own label in the Rogue Valley, compares C Street Bistro to Nick’s Italian Café, the legendary winemaker haunt in downtown McMinnville. Nick’s motto: “Feeding Oregon’s Wine Country Since 1977.”

Before opening C Street Bistro in January, Chef Becking was part owner and executive chef of Elements in Santa Barbara, California. He moved here three years ago with his family. Chef Hite attended culinary school and worked in Portland restaurants before returning home to the Rogue Valley.

Pity the winemakers left behind in those cities. Where do they eat?

C Street Bistro, 230 E. C Street, Jacksonville, 541-261-7638, www.cstbistro.com. Open Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Janet Eastman covers food, wine and travel for national publications and websites. Her work can be seen at www.janeteastman.com.

I thought I'd touch on a few subjects in this week's column.

The first point of interest is the Southern Oregon World of Wine Festival, which will be held in Jacksonville from Aug. 24 - 27. World of Wine (WOW) is a pretty fine example of what a regional wine and food event can be when done well. The event will take place at the Bigham Knoll Campus, 525 E Street, Jacksonville, the home of the 1908 Jacksonville Old School. At least 60 wineries will be represented at this event. The four-day festival will include an evening cocktail reception to kickoff the festival, wine sensory events (along with scheduled activities at various wineries), and a Friday evening gala dinner ahead of the Saturday evening Grand Tasting.

This is going to be a nice event and a "not miss" for wine lovers and foodies.

I do understand that the two Best of Show winners were the 2010 Plaisance Ranch Ginet rosé and the Roxyann 2008 Tempranillo. Good for them. These are two nicely crafted wines, for sure. I know that the venerable Ned Armstrong from Roxyann thinks this is one of the nicest wines that the winery has produced among their lovely stable of red offerings.

Item No. 2: I love to tout wines from local wineries, when the wines merit special attention. Well, try the new release of riesling from Troon. This very lovely winery in the Applegate, off of Kubli Road, is making some very nice wines, including this spectacular 2010 "dry" riesling.

I am, admittedly, very fond of riesling, and crazy over well-made riesling. In my opinion, and I think this opinion is shared by many wine professionals, riesling has to be made well to pass muster. What I mean is that any little flaw in winemaking can and does stick out (fortunately or unfortunately) in a glass of riesling as there is no way to "hide" or "cover" flaws in such a delicate varietal. Many wines can (try to) mask flavors through various methods, but riesling is all about clean winemaking and exquisite balance. It's all out there in the sight, nose and palate.

This spectacular effort from Troon is a not-to-be-missed riesling, regardless if you are fond of the varietal or not. The nose is slightly tropical and also has a hint of peach freshness. The palate is generous, in fact, very creamy and elegant with good weight, nice grip and a delicious, long brace of aftertastes. Again, in all wines, particularly riesling, balance is everything and I cannot remember a more exquisitely balanced riesling in some time. The label reads "dry" and, in fact, the wine has .6 residual which, in my opinion, carries the fruit beautifully.

Ms. Neena Marks from Troon brought this to me to taste on Thursday and it was better and better with every sip.

One more item to note about this wine; 11.5% alcohol. This level of alcohol is perfect for the amount of slight residual sugar and complexity of fruit in the glass. A superb effort. $18 per 750ml.

On another note, it appears the gorgeous 2008 vintage pinot noir vintage is hitting its stride. And I suspect that many of the Oregon pinots will be gone by late fall. This vintage remains one for the books in classic elegance and refinement of flavor. I have been selling Oregon wine in Ashland since 1980 and I cannot remember a pinot noir vintage as overall classy and impressive.

The first great vintage which turned heads was the great 1985 vintage with David Lett for Eyrie pretty much leading the way in quality and elegance along with David Adelsheim, Dick Ponzi, the guys at Oak Knoll and a handful of others. It's fun to retail a great Oregon vintage like the 2008 because not only does it showcase Oregon, it brings folks back to taste the wine again and is, overall, a good thing for our region. I have had tremendous feedback, all of it positive, for the 2008 vintage and the messages keep coming back with the praise these hard working vintners deserve.

What are the wines you're aiming to taste at the WOW Festival Grand Tasting on Aug. 27? I hear there will be more than 200 selections, including 71 award-winners from the 2011 judging.

Lorn Razzano is owner of the Wine Cellar in Ashland. Reach him at razz49@aol.com.

Recently, we had some friends over for dinner. We ate outside at our wide glass-topped table near a tall oak tree and opened a bottle of handcrafted dandelion wine made from dandelions growing wild in Southern Oregon.

The surprisingly yellow wine had just a little sparkle to it. The dry taste held a hint of sweetness … a perfect “cooler” for a hot summer day.

But I’d be committing a crime of omission if I didn’t tell you that my husband, James, usually prefers a cold beer in the summer to a glass of wine.

There are several beers brewed locally — we buy beer in growlers from Standing Stone Brewing Company and Caldera Brewing Company in Ashland, and Southern Oregon Brewing Company in Medford.

Still, James’ seasonal proclivity for beer led me to thinking about all the reasons it’s better to drink wine:

1. No one ever got a wine belly.

2. They don’t make wine “light.”

3. You're not allowed to hold beer in your mouth, aerate it between your teeth by making a noise that sounds like a horse with a hairball and then spit it out, as you are expected to do when spending all day wine tasting on assignment to write an article for the Oregonian.

4. Wine doesn’t make you belch. (Well, it doesn’t make me belch. But beer does.)

5. Wine doesn’t give you halitosis.

6. I'd rather be called a wino than a beer-o.

7. If you aspire to be a connoisseur of fine Oregon fare, like steelhead caught in the Rogue River, sauerkraut made from red orach (a heirloom spinach grown on Whistling Duck Farm this year), and marionberry crumble, you have to learn to tell your Chardonnay from your Sauvignon Blanc, your Tempranillo from your Viognier, and your growers’ Cuvée from your Cabernet Sauvignon. Discussing the finer points of the hops content of Caldera Brewing Company's Ashland Amber just isn't as impressive.

8. If you were only a beer snob and drank no wine, you wouldn't be reading this column (unless I begged or used coercion).

9. Beer snobs won’t be attending this year’s Southern Oregon World of Wine but wine connoisseurs will be there in abundance.

Wine snobs and wine know-nothings, have you bought your tickets for the Southern Oregon World of Wine festival August 24 – 27th? Will I see you there?!

If we don’t drink a glass of wine during the weekdays, my husband and I almost always have wine — preferably Southern Oregon wine — on Friday nights.

Friday night is wine night at our house because we celebrate Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest that begins at sundown on Fridays and ends at sundown on Saturdays.

For religious Jews, Shabbat is a spiritual reset for the week, a time to rest, study Torah, and get back to a deeper connection to Judaism.

Since my family’s not religious — my husband isn’t Jewish and my 12 and 10-year-old daughters are avowed atheists — Shabbat is a day when we stay off the computer (for the most part), spend time as a family (sometimes), and eat French toast made out of leftover traditional Jewish bread called Challah.

To welcome the Sabbath we cite Hebrew blessings, first over the candlelight, then over the wine, and finally over the Challah.

Though it’s fun to tear off a hunk of braided Challah after blessing the loaf, the blessing over the fruit of the vine is everybody’s favorite. The kids raise their glasses of sparkling juice; my husband and I raise our glasses of southern Oregon red wine.

We drink, then clink.

“L’Chaim!” I say, which means “To life!” in Hebrew.

“Chin dan!” My husband cries, which is what his family says when they clink glasses. (We think it’s a regional pronunciation of “Cent’anni,” which means “one hundred years” — as in, “May you enjoy another hundred years of wine drinking” — in Italian.)

“GARAGE KEY!” My son, who’s seven, shouts.

My son revels in the Eastern-European-sounding gobbledygook of wishing us all a “garage key.”

He says it every week, and even though it’s not a new joke he dissolves into a fit of giggles, laughing so hard his whole body laughs too.

Seven-year-olds live for this kind of silliness, though I have my 43-year-old friend Sue to blame thank for teaching the kids to say “Garage Key.”

I take a sip of wine, thinking of how much work goes into making something this delicious and simple and sweet.

The week’s tensions slip away.

Like our local wines, life is filled with sweetness.

And garage keys.

What’s your favorite time and place to bestow a benediction and clink glasses after opening a bottle of wine?

About once a year I like to get back to basics in wine education.

As many of you may know, I teach wine appreciation at Southern Oregon University through the School of Business. The class is open to anyone who is at least 21 years old. In the fall I will teach two sections of the class during the evening. And I know already what the first question on everyone's mind will be: How do we describe what we taste? So, let's explore this question a little with some good, basic wine education.

As you know, every industry has its own jargon that drives the point home and allows colleagues around any industry to communicate with some sort of common understanding. Our jargon, the pipeline to mutual communication, is split between science and art.

One can tell the proclivity of a "wine person" by the words they use when talking about the wine industry, or more specifically, particular wines. Many of the wines described in, for example, microbial instances, are spoken not in scientific terms (for the most part, unless in a lab) but rather adjectives, such as "skunky" or "tanky," reflecting what may be happening poorly in the bottle and, of course, have scientific roots detectable in the lab. This is true, particularly, during commercial wine judgings when there are enologists paired with wine writers where the scientists describe wines in scientific terms and writers in adjectives. It's pretty funny to experience, but illustrates the two sides of the beautiful coin of wine.

This is not to say that wine writers do not have a modicum of scientific understanding or that the scientists in the room cannot wax eloquently about wine. It comes down to, I think, the level of comfort.

I remember a funny moment at a commercial judging when one of the judges — a very well-spoken, well-educated liberal arts professor — was describing a particularly "foul" wine as smelling like "old creek bed" and "poopy diapers" with a hint of "burnt match." At the same time, across the table there was a microbiologist talking in the same breath about sulfur problems in this wine. They were speaking of the same wine — one gentleman was a poet and the other, a scientist.

Another time, some months earlier, there ensued a particular discussion about a wine which was really quite beautiful and one very lyrical gentleman was using words such as "beautiful structure, plum overtones, spiciness, length and balance." Again, across the table another gentleman was talking about the same wine using words to describe it such as "Superb PH, slightly steamed oak, cropped back fruit, little press juice and skin contact." Obviously, one person made and evaluated wine for a living and the other was a writer and evaluator of wine.

At one point in the evening, the educator accused the scientist of being a bit too "picky" and tearing down the wines to the minute structures and not seeing the wine as a "whole." In other words, the sum of its parts. Metaphorically speaking, he talked about the beauty of a rose as an entity, but once the petals are peeled and the rose so "terribly exposed," it lost much of its allure. He went on to admonish the other judge not to become so "scientific" in his approach which was, needless to say, a poor choice of word. The enologist, much to his credit, did not get baited. He responded, in sotto voce, that verbage needed some sort of "grounding" as well.

Anyway, this was one of the only times I can remember when the two sides of the coin clashed, and, thankfully, this does not happen often. I do know, however, that there are some "lyrical" wine judges who are reluctant to judge with strong-willed lab folks. This is true the other way around, as well.

My answer to students is always the same: to show both sides of the coin by reading wine "descriptions" from both points of view on a specific wine and let them figure out which of the descriptions work best for them, or perhaps a melding of the two.

I'm happy to say we have had in class many folks from our very fine SOU chemistry department, which allows the class to see both perspectives.

My husband's grandmother is the picture of good health. At 92 (but who's counting?), she still lives on her own, plays golf every week, has lunch with her girlfriends, and drives her car. She spends time with her six kids and dozens of her grandkids almost every day.

The secret to Great Grandma Marilynn's health and happiness?

It's not the Irish genes. It's not the close-knit family. It's not the slender frame.

It's the Pinot Gris.

One glass. Every day. With ice. (Yep. Ice.)

We all know if you drink too much alcohol, you fry your liver and get those tell-tale broken blood vessels on your face.

But myriad scientific studies have shown what the French and Great Grandma Propis have known all along: a little bit of alcohol consumed daily is actually good for your overall health.

In case I said that too quickly, let me repeat myself: Moderate alcohol consumers enjoy better health than people who abstain or who overindulge in alcohol.

Wine in particular seems to have beneficial effects.

Drinking no more than a 5-ounce glass of wine a day (for women), or no more than two 5-ounce glasses of wine a day (for men), has positive cardiovascular benefits, slows the onset of certain degenerative disorders like Alzheimer's, and raises levels of good cholesterol.

Since Great Grandma is a white wine aficionado and since I've been particularly enjoying chilled white wines on these hot southern Oregon days (we had a viognier from Daisy Creek that was scrumptious, and James brought home a Pinot Gris from Henry Estate Winery for us to try at dinner with my aunt and uncle), I’m going to ignore the fact the science suggests that red wine is actually even better for you than white.

If Grandma Propis's youngest son Peter's experience is any indication, fine wine might be beneficial for another reason: to sharpen the memory.

“I'm a red wine drinker, but my favorite white wine is Pinot Gris from Oregon because it reminds me of the Pinot Gris Aunt Pam and I had in France,” Peter wrote me.

“It has more character and structure than its cousin Grigio from California. We were in Switzerland on vacation and drove over to Alsace to see my friend Jean Trimbach who owns the Trimbach Winery. We spent the day touring the winery and the area, eating and, of course, drinking Pinot Gris. After over 30 years in the wine business, that trip is one of my most memorable experiences. That’s why every time I pull a cork on a bottle of southern Oregon Pinot Gris, all of those memories come drifting back.”

Readers, what do you think about the health benefits of wine? A good reason to open a bottle now or perhaps over-reported media hype?

I was inspired by my bathroom scale to step up the aerobic side of my frequent wine drinking. So in early July, I hopped on two wheels and pedaled to a few Rogue Valley tasting rooms.

I was on a borrowed bike and squeezed into padded Spinning shorts I wore once in 1994. My new helmet, the price tag still dangling from the built-in visor, seemed to sit on top of my head like a plastic black-and-white beetle (what miniscule part of my brain was it protecting?).

Sure, I looked dopey. No matter. I was determined.

After mapping out my muscle tone and the region, I decided I was fit enough to conquer the flatish Bear Creek Valley wineries. I left my house near Emigrant Lake, flowed downhill into Ashland, jutted over to the Bear Creek Greenway and slid my way to Lynn Newbry Park off Exit 21 in Talent.

At 11 a.m., I met my friends Merry, Mike and Martin, who drove their bikes over in a van. From here, we traveled 14 miles to five of the eight Bear Creek Boutique Wineries.

It was a breeze. Really. Until … well, you’ll see. We headed northwest on Bear Creek Greenway toward Suncrest Road to get to Paschal/Tenuta Winery (1.2 miles). I had only visited this tasting room in the evening for wine paired with live music. Unfortunately, we arrived before it opened and were separated from the vineyard and wines by a very sturdy gate.

Martin, who claimed to be parched even though he had been riding for only eight minutes, whined: “I’m disappointed. I wanted to taste some wine.” We soothed him with promises of this valley’s variety of varietals.

We backtracked to the Bear Creek bike path and wiggled our way on Colver and Camp Baker roads to Pebblestone Cellars (4.2 miles).

We enjoyed refreshing tastes of Pinot Gris and Viognier, followed by a flavorful Merlot. We then ate our backpacked bread and cheese with a bottle of Cab Franc in the shade of trees and the century-old, ivy-covered building that serves as the tasting room.

After two hours of slacking, we pulled ourselves out of the patio chairs and were given the green light by Pebblestone owners Dick and Pat Ellis to shortcut it through their vineyard to reach Pioneer Road (you can take Hilsinger Road).

At Pioneer Road, we swung by StoneRiver Vineyard (1.1 miles) and open-by-appointment Aurora Vines (0.5 miles).

Feeling powerful, we headed toward Trium Wines, which maps out to be 4.4 miles away, mostly flat land on Colver, Walden, Foss, Wagner Creek, Schoolhouse and 2nd streets.

Until this point, Merry had been cheerfully calling our trip “Tour de Talent,” in honor of the Tour de France. Then we hit Rapp Lane off Rapp Road. This half-mile stretch has been since been dubbed, between curses, “Alps de Trium.”

After monstrous pedaling, we earned a spot on this scenic site, overlooking those *%&@^ #! hills. While Mike and Martin tasted Cab Sauvignon and Viognier, Merry and I sat on the patio with Trium owner Laura Lotspeich and learned about her sustainable vineyard and her getaways to Costa Rica.

At 4 p.m., surprisingly not sore, not sunburned and still not objecting to the feel of the bike seat under our butts, we headed home.

Throughout the day, there were jokes about not being able to cart home cases, gags about hiring a trouble truck to lug them and a few other silly notions that would only be funny if you were there.

And you should have been.

By bike, car or lama, it doesn’t matter. The newly formed collective of Bear Creek Boutique Wineries, with veterans like Weisinger’s of Ashland and Grizzly Peak Winery, and newbies like Ledger David Cellars, is still off the tourist radar, leaving plenty of country road and tasting room space for those of us in the know.

There is geographic map of the wineries on the website www.bearcreekwineries.com.

Here are the wineries, listed in order, heading to the southernmost part of the Rogue Valley AVA:

MEDFORD

Pebblestone Cellars
1642 Camp Baker Rd. Medford

(541) 512-1704 | www.PebblestoneCellars.com 


Pebblestone Cellars is a 26-acre property on an ancient riverbed of sandy, rocky soil.  Estate-grown wines are Rhone and Bordeaux varietals. Hours: May through October, Thursday to Monday from noon to 5 p.m.

TALENT

StoneRiver Vineyard
2178 Pioneer Rd. Talent

(541) 535-4661 | www.StoneRiverVineyard.com


On historic Brookbank Farms, one of Oregon’s earliest registered farms, StoneRiver is open Thursday to Monday from noon to 5 p.m.

Aurora Vines
2275 Pioneer Rd. Talent

(541) 535-5287 | vickinickerson@gmail.com 

 Located on an 87-acre mountain estate, the tasting room, open by appointment made one day in advance, offers Bordeaux-style Merlots.

Paschal/Tenuta Winery
1122 Sun Crest Rd. Talent

(541) 535-7957 | www.PaschalWinery.com


The Tuscan-like winery mades small-lot blends and Estate Pinot Noir. Open May through October daily from noon to 7 p.m.

Trium Wines
7112 Rapp Ln. Talent

(541) 535-4015 | www.TriumWines.com


The inviting patio and respected Bordeaux Growers Cuvee, Cab and Viognier are open to the public April through October daily from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Ledger David Cellars
925 Anderson Creek Rd. Talent

(541) 512-1808 | www.LedgerDavid.com


This winery, in a century-old orchard, offers 11 varietals of estate wines. The tasting room opens in the summer of 2012 but can be previewed with an advance call and during special events.

ASHLAND

Grizzly Peak Winery
1600 E. Nevada St. Ashland

(541) 482-5700 | www.GrizzlyPeakWinery.com
Wines crafted with Old World finesse in a hillside setting are offered Thursday to Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

Weisinger's of Ashland
3150 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland

(541) 488-5989 | www.Weisingers.com
Wine, hospitality and views have kept visitors returning year after year to this tasting room with a large deck, open May through October from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

I drove past a billboard on my way home from Portland last week announcing a wine tasting class at Umpqua Community College’s Southern Oregon Wine Institute.

Wine tasting was such a popular class where I went to college in upstate New York that the waiting list was a year long. I never made it off the waiting list, and since I graduated a thousand years ago, I don’t think they’re going to let me take it now.

Confession: I used to be the kind of person who chose a bottle of wine based on:

• Whether I liked the label.
• How much it cost (under $10 for every day, over $20 for gifts or a special meal).
• Whether it was red or white. If it was red, I bought it.

Don’t hate me. My knowledge of wine was so limited that all I knew about it was that:

• You should probably avoid wine while you’re pregnant (unless you’re French, in which case it’s required).
• The best port is made in Spain and tastes really good poured in the hollow of a half cantaloupe as an appetizer (I learned that during my junior year abroad.)

When you know very little about a vast subject (like wine or Icelandic cinema), no matter how interested you are in it, the subject can seem intimidating.

But once you start learning, you realize that it’s good fun to buy a bottle of southern Oregon wine and figure out what you like about it. Host blind taste tests with your friends and go wine tasting.

Rising Sun Farms tasting room at 5126 South Pacific Highway in Phoenix, Oregon has wine and delicious cheese and crackers.

Daisy Creek’s tasting room (at 245A N Front Street in Central Point) is sandwiched between a chocolate shop, Lillie Belle Farm, and an amazing cheese store, the Rogue Creamery.

Ask regional wine makers and vineyard owners to tell you everything they know about what you’re trying.

We know that drinking a moderate amount of wine is correlated with lifelong health benefits.

It turns out that learning about an unfamiliar subject is good for your brain, offsetting Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases.

According to health guru Andrew Weil, M.D., you don’t have to master the subject (be it a new computer program or a foreign language). Just the act of trying to learn about is beneficial.

There you have it. Whether it be a wine tasting class, your own PWEP (Personal Wine Education Plan), or total immersion by way of the World of Wine Festival, which takes place in Jacksonville, Oregon the week of Aug. 24-27, 2011, your brain will thank you for learning more about wine.