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.