MAE'S & EEVEE’S VINEYARD
The original planting was named "Mae's Vineyard" after elder daughter Margaux Mae. Mae's is planted to Syrah, Viogner, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Tannat, Malbec and Orange Muscat. In 2011, a second planting was named for younger daughter Serafina Eevee and was planted to Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Cabernet Franc, Grenache Noir and Malvasia Bianca. Both are "LIVE" certified sustainable.
STEELHEAD RUN VINEYARD
Shortly after I arrived in Southern Oregon in 2003, I drove through the Applegate Valley and introduced myself to many of the local grape growers. It was the middle of winter, and while that time of year might not seem to be particularly revelatory when it comes to evaluating vineyard sites, it does tend to show what pathways water takes, which is critical to the health of the vineyard. On most sites, there were puddles and rivulets, but at Steelhead Run, the ground was
dry, and I could observe smooth round stones mixed in with the sandy soil. From everything I knew or had read about grape growing, it seemed a promising site, and I logged that little bit of information away for later use.
Three years later I was starting Quady North and I was looking for Viognier and Syrah from special places that would be distinct from one another. I scored a ton each from Steelhead Run and thus started a relationship that would ultimately end up with me managing the vineyard and purchasing almost a third of the crop.
It was Ron and Laura that took a chance on the site, planting varieties not previously grown in the area, and micro managing the site to match trellis, variety and irrigation to achieve a degree of balance. In my case, I was able to grow with the site. I learned a bit each year, adapting my winemaking style to try and match the direction the fruit wanted to go.
LAYNE VINEYARD
Roger and Barrie Layne moved to the Applegate from California in the early 1970’s. Barrie hailed from Napa, but her family owned a dairy there, not grapevines. On their first visit to the Applegate, they met Dick Troon, who, in 1972, had already planted 10 acres of grapevines. They decided to follow suit, planting some of their own the following year, including Southern Oregon’s first Merlot vines.
I first met the Laynes shortly after I started at Troon in 2004. I remember the day I first visited the vineyard, which sat at the end of a long driveway, following the Caris Creek draw back into the hills above the Valley. Like many sites in theApplegate, you would never know that the vineyard existed, and yet, there it was, 35 acres of old vines, some of the very first planted in Southern Oregon.