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0 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 Mt. Ashland copes with large crowds; Ski Hopper bus starts Friday ... Stan Smith, 'Mr. Raider,' remembered ... Environmental groups sue Oregon over wolf protections ... Mt. Ashland copes with large crowds; Ski Hopper bus starts Friday ... Stan Smith, 'Mr. Raider,' remembered ... Environmental groups sue Oregon over wolf protections ... OUTDOOR JOURNAL Del Rio offers a wine walk and talk during harvest time Comment By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM Grape-tasting hikes at Del Rio --> Del Rio Vineyards and Winery holds its grape-tasting hikes on Wednesday and Sunday mornings throughout September. The free hikes, which are led by Del Rio staff, leave from the winery's parki... » Read more X Grape-tasting hikes at Del Rio Del Rio Vineyards and Winery holds its grape-tasting hikes on Wednesday and Sunday mornings throughout September. The free hikes, which are led by Del Rio staff, leave from the winery's parking lot at 9:30 a.m. and stop along several locations within the vineyard for participants to sample grapes off the vines. The main tour covers about three miles of easy to moderate hiking, but one of the tour leaders breaks off and returns about the halfway point for those looking for a shorter walk. Hike times vary, based on hikers' pace. Participants should wear comfortable shoes and carry water. The vineyard and winery are at 52 N. River Road, Gold Hill.   » Social News GOLD HILL — Courtney Thomas strolls past row after row of meticulously manicured grapes before stopping in front of bright green grapes glistening in the morning sun, and two dozen armchair oenophiles follow suit. These are muscat grapes, the anchor of Del Rio Vineyards' signature Rose Jolee wine, Thomas tells the crowd. They're exceptionally sweet and almost ready for picking. "These ones," Thomas says, "are like candy." With that, group members summarily sample the grapes before hiking to the next stop in Southern Oregon's most unique blend of wine and wandering. Del Rio is in the midst of its seventh season of offering free guided hikes through its vast 300-acre vineyard during which participants get to sample the fruits of the vine, then return just in time for the tasting room to open. It's part wine talk, part nice walk for those who partake in the casual three-mile hike through Southern Oregon's single largest vineyard bedecked in all its fall splendor while in the middle of harvest time. "We like to walk and we like to drink wine, and the one I like is usually the one I'm drinking," says Jim Muse, a Rogue River man who belongs to Del Rio's wine club but came out Wednesday to taste-test fruits on the front end of his favorite wines. "The grapes are small, and it's amazing how juicy they are." Del Rio workers wanted to find a way to invite people into their vineyards and realized that walking the perimeter of their sizable holdings of postcard-perfect rows of grapes constituted a hike. "It's such an awesome time of year to come out," says Lindsey Zagar, the vineyards' marketer who organizes the hikes. "The views are fantastic." The hike series began in 2009 and now guided groups leave the tasting room's parking lot at 9:30 a.m. each Wednesday and Sunday through September. Typically two Del Rio staff take part, with one escorting less enthusiastic hikers on a half-sized hike while the remaining venture the entire three-mile loop that typically lasts about 90 minutes but it depends on each group's own pace. "September is the ideal month," Zagar says. "The weather's the best and the vineyard is optimal." Group sizes run from a low of 10 on working Wednesdays to about 40 on Sundays, with about half finishing off at the tasting room, Zagar says. Wednesday's hike came amid the third day of harvest, with the group easily walking the rows and sampling most of the vineyard's 13 varietals. Ellen Gardner of Talent took the hike to see the origins of what she enjoys in the bottle. "It's so beautiful here," Gardner says. "This winery happens to be our favorite place to come." Friend Joni Ellis is there strictly for the cardio. "It sure beats working out at Curves," Ellis says. "I want to hike to the top of this winery and drink a beer." Del Rio transitioned from decades of growing fruit trees to planting vineyards in 1997. Now 300 acres of the 800-acre holdings are vineyards, and from Interstate 5 it's the most visible of Southern Oregon's bustling vineyards. Muse worked his way through the vineyard sampling pinots and reislings, the varieties blending together over time. "I can't tell the difference," Muse says. "There's a lot of juice but I spend too much time spitting out the seeds and skin." Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/MTwriterFreeman . By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » 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. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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