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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Brush with Kindness ... Rogue Valley residents at U.S. Capitol inspired by Francis' speech ... Former Medford police chief dies at 91 ... Brush with Kindness ... Rogue Valley residents at U.S. Capitol inspired by Francis' speech ... Former Medford police chief dies at 91 ... Growing pains for Southern Oregon wines Winery production in the region is booming, but will sales keep up? The busiest time of the year at wineries is now. Whether that will translate into the best of times is still up in the air. By Janet Eastman MailTribune.com By Janet Eastman Posted Sep. 11, 2012 @ 12:01 am Updated Sep 11, 2012 at 12:05 AM By Janet Eastman Posted Sep. 11, 2012 @ 12:01 am Updated Sep 11, 2012 at 12:05 AM » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> The busiest time of the year at wineries is now. Whether that will translate into the best of times is still up in the air. Locals and summer tourists are still crowding Southern Oregon tasting rooms and special events. Wine — babied and aging over months and years — is being bottled or released. And everyone's watching this year's crop as it ripens in the last weeks before what may prove to be the biggest and best harvest in years. In between the optimism and activity, however, is the lingering concern about future sales. If some projections are correct, an overproduction of Southern Oregon wine from the past three vintages, beginning in 2009, could reach 250,000 cases, according to Chris Martin, owner of Troon Vineyard in Grants Pass and president of the Southern Oregon Winery Association. "It isn't all going to be sold here," says Martin, who is applying for a $300,000 federal grant to promote Southern Oregon wine, increase wine tourism and perhaps create a wine cave-themed information center near Britt Gardens. Exporting wine to other states and countries also is part of the plan, as is selling more bottles to Portland retailers, restaurants and consumers. On Sunday, Sept. 16, a few dozen Southern Oregon wine producers will be pouring more than 100 wines, from albarino to viognier, at the Savor Southern Oregon event in Portland's Director Park. "We need to put Southern Oregon on a larger scale," says Martin, "and not try to just sell to the already interested local consumer." Michael Donovan, director of national sales for RoxyAnn Winery in Medford and chairman of the Oregon Wine Board, agrees. "There is a point at which this local regional market has a limit," says Donovan, who will accompany Gov. John Kitzhaber on a 10-day trade mission to China and Japan in October to promote Oregon products, including wine. "It's really necessary for wineries making more than 5,000 cases a year to expand beyond the region because that's where the growth is." To sell mounting inventory, Southern Oregon has to move out of the shadow of the Willamette Valley. Some people think a signature grape, such as the Willamette's pinot noir or Napa Valley's cabernet sauvignon, could help distinguish the southern part of the state, where currently more than 70 different grapes are grown. The most widely planted grape in Southern Oregon is pinot noir, but it is mostly sold to wineries in the north. Martin, Donovan and others invested in the local wine industry also have been hoping for years that a significant, outside wine producer will buy a stake in Southern Oregon and give it instant acclaim, as respected French wine company Maison Joseph Drouhin did when it opened Domaine Drouhin in Dundee in the 1980s. A large retailer with national distribution also could help spread the region's reputation. The biggest factor to success here, as in any emerging wine region, still remains in the hands of growers, winemakers and producers, who need to continue to improve the quality of the grapes and wine, says Linda Donovan, who owns Pallet Wine Co., a custom crush facility in Medford that makes wine for small- and mid-size producers. "We all need to be in it to make the best wine possible, a standout product at a great value," says Linda Donovan, who is not related to Michael Donovan. The majority of the excess bottles that are in storage units are priced at $15 or more. She sells some bottles of her L. Donovan Wines for $13 to $16 and is debuting her Late Bloomer label with a $9 gew�rztraminer. By Janet Eastman MailTribune.com By Janet Eastman Posted Sep. 11, 2012 @ 12:01 am Updated Sep 11, 2012 at 12:05 AM » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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