By the time we reached Medford at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, I was ready to park the rental car. The scenic drive from Eugene had taken about two and a half hours, and I was excited to spend the next couple of days exploring an Oregon wine region that was new to me.
During our two days in the Rogue Valley, I visited three wineries: one on my own over lunch Thursday, then two more with Kel on Friday. Each place gave me a reason to stay awhile, from a patio next to a koi pond to a quiet seat under a cherry tree overlooking the vines.
Kel and I had explored Oregon's coast on an earlier food-focused road trip. This time, I was curious to see what a few days among Southern Oregon's vineyards would be like.
Getting To Know the Rogue Valley
Medford made a convenient base for exploring the Rogue Valley. From town, it was easy to reach vineyards and orchards without turning wine tasting into a marathon. Jacksonville was close enough for a walk and an ice cream break between stops.
Wine has a longer history here than I realized. Peter Britt began growing grapes in the 1850s and later opened Valley View Winery, making it Oregon's first official winery.
The modern wine scene picked up in the late 1960s and 1970s, when growers returned and Valley View was brought back to life. The Rogue Valley earned its own American Viticultural Area status in 1991.
What caught my attention most was the range of wines here. The valley has cooler pockets for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and warmer, drier spots where Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sauvignon Blanc thrive.
That variety showed up in our glasses. At DANCIN, I tasted Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. At Ravissant, I tasted Sauvignon Blanc and a Syrah rosé, followed by Mourvèdre and Merlot.
I didn't need to be an expert on vineyard conditions to notice the difference between the lighter wines I kept coming back to and the bolder reds that just weren't my style.
A Long Lunch at DANCIN Vineyards
On Thursday, I walked into DANCIN Vineyards and found a seat on the patio beside the koi pond. The sun was out, 73 degrees, and the view was one I could have stared at all afternoon.
The music drifted through the '60s: The Beatles, The Byrds, and "Dream a Little Dream of Me" as a tractor tilled soil in the distance.
DANCIN is named for founders Dan and Cindy Marca. They first hoped to plant Italian grapes, but advice about their hillside led them to start with Pinot Noir, then Chardonnay. Knowing that history made the two varieties I enjoyed most in my tasting feel especially fitting.
I chose a varietal flight that began with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, then moved to Zinfandel. Four of the five wines had won awards, including the 2023 Pas de Chat Pinot Noir, which took gold at the 2026 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. I liked both Chardonnays and both Pinot Noirs.
The Allegro Zinfandel was the boldest of the bunch and not really my style, but I was glad to try it. A bonus pour of the 2023 Onore Barbera added to the tasting.
For lunch, I had seared ahi tuna, followed by warm almond financier cakes with raspberries and a marionberry port wine reduction. With the koi pond, the music, and the relaxed pace of lunch, it was easy to lose track of time at DANCIN.
Dinner at Decant
That evening, Kel and I dined at Decant in Medford. Bob Marley's Legend was playing when we walked in, and we grabbed a table by the front window. Our casual clothes fit right in, even with the restaurant's polished cooking.
We started with lamb meatballs and mushroom bisque. I went for a Lily's Apricot cocktail, while Kel chose the Tiki Tease mocktail, which turned out a bit too tart for me.
We shared veal osso buco with pasta and finished with dark chocolate mousse with Chantilly, chocolate sponge cake, and orange zest.
Cider and Roses at Edenvale Winery
Friday began at Edenvale Winery, on the grounds of Eden Valley Orchards. Edenvale describes the property, established in 1885, as Oregon's first pear orchard.
The Root family acquired the property in 1999, and Edenvale made its first wine in 2001. Its pear cider draws on the orchard's older identity, which made it an appropriate choice for our tasting there.
We leaned into the orchard's history and tried two pear ciders: Full Pear and Cranberry Pear. I preferred the Full Pear. The cranberry cider was unfiltered, with a little sediment in the glass.
We brought marinated goat cheese and crostini out to the covered patio. Facing west, we had a gorgeous view and a light breeze on a partly sunny, 72-degree afternoon.
Yellow and red roses scented the air. Bumblebees moved from flower to flower, birds chirped, and sprinklers ran off to our left. I spotted beehives on the property and could hear farm equipment in the distance.
Edenvale was another place where sitting still felt like the whole point. We could have hung out longer, but the rest of the valley was calling.
Between tastings, Kel and I took a quick walk through historic Jacksonville, a former gold rush mining town. We stopped at Violets & Cream for scoops of Oregon Trail and Salted Waffle ice cream. The detour gave us a little time on foot before our last winery stop.
My Happy Place at Ravissant Cellars
I'd spotted Ravissant Cellars on the cover of Southern Oregon Magazine over breakfast on my first morning in Medford, so it was already on my mind by the time we visited.
We reached Ravissant Cellars around 3:15 and found a spot under a cherry tree facing northeast. The afternoon was partly cloudy and 76 degrees, with a light breeze, birdsong, and blue California scrub jays fluttering through the vineyard. There was no music, just the quiet broken by a few distant cars.
Ravissant is a newer name on an old vineyard. Cathy and Arlan Mendell bought Carpenter Hill Vineyard and released their first wines under the Ravissant label in 2025. The site's history goes back to a former pear orchard, tying together another thread from our trip.
The tasting was $12 for four one-ounce pours. I enjoyed the 2024 Sauvignon Blanc, but the 2024 Rosé of Syrah was my favorite-smooth and easy to sip. Of the two reds, the 2023 Merlot stood out. The 2023 Mourvèdre was a bit too bold.
We also shared goat cheese with pistachio and hot honey, and I tried a glass of frosé made with strawberry-cranberry juice and simple syrup. Still, what sticks with me is the view from under that cherry tree. Ravissant felt like my happy place, and the 90 minutes we spent there went by too quickly.
Our Rogue Valley trip wrapped up early Saturday with a rental car drop-off at Medford's airport and an Alaska Airlines flight to San Diego, then on to Austin.
I arrived excited to explore a new wine region and left thinking about the places where we sat: beside DANCIN's koi pond, among Edenvale's roses, and, most of all, under the cherry tree at Ravissant.
