Young Oregon Wineauxs Making Their Mark

Hailed the “New Age” of Oregon wine, the Young Winemakers of Oregon Tour is a traveling series showcasing young winemakers from around the state.

The second leg of the Young Winemakers of Oregon tour brings Division Winemaking Company, God King Slave Wines and Brigadoon Wine Company together to pour their extremely limited production wines from three very distinct regions. Enjoy the lineup from all three producers for just $10 (waived with 6 bottle purchase).

Saturday, December 17th
5:00-8:00 pm
Red Slate Wine Co., Portland 

Division Winemaking Company, which started as an "itch" when Tom enrolled in an entry level sommelier course and when Kate visited her family home in the Loire Valley in central France, has now evolved into a winery on Divison Street in Southeast Portland. Tom enjoys and strives to make nuanced wines that are driven by vineyard character or terrior, with ripe (but not over-ripe) fruit, using minimally invasive wine making practices. He strives to produce wines that are mid-weight, higher in acidity and lower in alcohol, however, he believes there is no actual “typical” in wine preferring the notion that there is a right wine for every person.

God King Slave Wines was founded by the creative and energetic 24- and 27-year-old team, Christine Collier (wine blogger and marketing extraordinaire) and Chris Jiron (eonologist and member of the Folin Winery staff). Their inaugural wine, a delightful Syrah-Tempranillo Rioja-style blend from the Rogue Valley, is fruit forward with silky tannins and easy drinkability. A glass full of wild blackberries, fresh blueberries, cocoa and an interesting hint of cedar and herbs on the finish, this wine opens up to deliver a wine as powerful as their name suggests. Though I’m honestly not entirely sure about their name (any product that includes the word God makes me cringe a tiny bit), apparently their mission is to “Create like a God, command like a King and work like a Slave”. Honestly, whatever their name, their wine is very well structured and finely crafted and they're bringing new energy to the Southern Oregon wine industry.

Brigadoon Wine Company - Having caught the bug at an early age, winemaker Matt Shown (also assistant winemaker for Sass Winery) has been working in the family vineyards since he was just eight-years-old. Matt will be showcasing the Pinot Noirs and Pinot Blanc his family is committed to growing and producing. The Brigadoon Vineyards, located at an elevation between 400 and 600ft and on predominantly Bellpine soils, are cooler and generally one week behind neighboring vineyards. The Shown family believes the additional time on the vine allows for further physiological fruit development and flavor development without necessarily producing higher sugars resulting in higher alcohol wines.