It’s a sunny weekend in the Applegate Valley. Three little sisters in matching pink dresses are rolling bocce balls under a canopy of trees in a spacious yard. Their picnicking parents relax nearby.

Across the lawn, other adults and children are sitting in deep armchairs shaded by a wooden pavilion. Lunch options are being served: sourdough pizza topped with blue cheese and red grapes or grilled chicken and white cheddar on lavender focaccia. For dessert, flakey profiteroles drizzled with chocolate sauce.

This pleasant outdoor scene is a step up from a public park. The chef-prepared meals and award-winning wines enjoyed by the adults give away the secret: I’m at Troon Vineyard. This family friendly vineyard and winery offers something for everyone, whether you’re five, 25 or 55.

Standing in front of a long wine bar is a big guy with a BabyBjorn strapped around him. I can only assume someone very tiny is sleeping inside that carrier. But all I can see is dad with a big smile and a glass of Zin in his hand. He nods at his wife and she relays an approving smile to the server behind the bar.

Kids on crush pads? Babies near barrels? You bet. As more 21- to 35-year-olds opt for a deeper wine education, there may be even more tasting room visits and parking lots flooded with SUVs.

It makes sense. Although vineyards are as uniformed as graph paper, they’re still fields in need of exploring by fidgety little legs. Many southern Oregon wineries are family owned, so it makes sense that families would be made to feel welcomed.

Troon isn’t alone. The six family-owned wineries along the Upper Rogue — Agate RidgeVineyard, Crater Lake Cellars, Cliff Creek Cellars, Del Rio Vineyards, Folin Cellars and LaBrasseur Vineyard — have long hosted free, kid-centric events. On the second Saturday of the month, from April through November, the party could include a summer Olympic-style cork-throwing contest, harvest festival with wagon rides, Lucille Ball-type grape stomping and even bowling with frozen turkeys.

Burgers are flipped on barbecues and gourmet entrees are prepared in sparkling commercial kitchens to attract food lovers of all ages to wineries. “Troon to Table” Chef Tim Keller uses locally purchased, in-season ingredients, giving families yet another wholesome reason to hang out near vineyards.

Troon winemaker Herb Quady, a 30-something father of two, notes the family-oriented atmosphere is genuine:

“We started the Easter egg hunt and other events for families just for fun, with no sense of getting a big financial return,” Quady said. “After all, kids aren’t buying wine. Inadvertently, the events have helped the perception of vineyards as kid friendly.”

Here’s to you, moms and dads, holding the Riedel glasses, and to you, little ones, clutching the sippy cups.

Readers, we want to hear from you. What is your family’s favorite vineyard activity? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below (yes, you have to register but it only takes a minute, honest.)

Journalist and consumer Janet Eastman demands better wine from Southern Oregon vintners. She drills hands-in-the-soil decision makers to deliver insight on their experiments and tests their results in a bottle. Email janeteastman@mind.net.