TRAVEL
&
ESCAPES
Keep It Old School in Oregon
Roll through the Rogue Valley with Foris Vineyards winemaker Stephanie Pao.
FORIS VINEYARDS
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W I N E I S S U E 2 0 21
SUNSET.COM
This Illinois Valley vineyard team has been “farming heritage varietals of Oregon wine that originated in Alsace,” from Riesling and Gewurztraminer to Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir, since 1973. foriswine.com
FROM TOP: DINA AVILA; THOMAS KIRCHEN
Foris Vineyards winemaker Stephanie Pao tends to frequent older businesses in Oregon’s Rogue Valley. “The honesty of their product and pricing tends to resonate with me,” Pao says. This American Viticultural Area is the “southernmost wine growing region” in the state, according to the Oregon Wine Board. Nestled between the Siskiyou Mountains in the south to the Rogue River in the north, it’s home to a variety of grapes from Pinot Noir to Chardonnay. “I’ve come to appreciate that the AVA is diverse and integrated with different types of crops and ranches,” Pao adds. “Locals make a lot of comparisons to Southern France, but personally it reminds me of one of my favorite wine regions, McLaren Vale, Australia, in the sheer number of varietals grown and wines made.” Here, Pao offers her recommendations for making your way through northern Oregon: