NEWS

We are giving a portion of our sales of all Love, Oregon wines in the month of September to the Oregon Red Cross to help those affected by the devastating wildfires in Oregon this year.

Support Oregon Red Cross

THE LATEST

We wanted to bring attention to the current situation with the unprecedented wildfires throughout Oregon. Many of you have reached out to us to see how we’re faring, particularly those who live in other parts of the country. Thank you for your concern.

The sliver of good news is that we are safe in McMinnville and didn’t have to evacuate. We’re still living with hazardous air quality, which is slowly getting better, but apparently will linger through the week. We also breathe a deep sigh of relief that none of our vineyards or their owners were harmed by fire.

Of course, our hearts break for our neighbors across this beautiful state who’ve not been so lucky and have lost lives, homes, and businesses. We’re also profoundly grateful to the fire fighters, other emergency responders and volunteers who have fought so valiantly to save lives and property. Their work has been truly heroic.

All of this is happening on the verge of harvest. As usual, Rob chooses to pick fruit later than many winemakers – he’s waiting for just the perfect balance of flavors, fruit, and acid to develop. We’re relieved to report that this strategy also helps to keep vineyard workers out of the hazardous air. As of today, he has our first pick slated for September 19^th. That will be Chardonnay from the Courting Hill Vineyard, destined for (appropriately enough) the Love, Oregon Chardonnay. From there it will be some small, early lots, with the bulk of the fruit coming in the last week of September and the first week of October.

We remember fondly when harvest used to sit squarely in the month of October, which Rob and I still feel is the natural order of things. Nonetheless, we’re really pleased with the way Vintage 2020 is shaping up. The grapes on the vine look and taste extremely promising and we certainly can use a reason to celebrate this year.

Thank you once again for your friendship and concern. We raise a glass to you and to better days to come.

All the best,

Maria, Rob, and the R. Stu Crew

OUR STORY

R. Stuart Winery is Rob and Maria Stuart, and so much more. It’s the dedicated farmers who grow the fruit, it’s the cadre of people who work alongside us in our winery and tasting room, it’s the teams of sales people all over the country who carry a bag on their shoulder and tirelessly tell our story, it’s the devoted shop owner or somm who loves to introduce their customers to wines that will enlighten and charm them, and it’s the good people of the world who open a bottle of wine and embrace it all.

THE VINEYARDS

We buy fruit from a dozen different vineyards around the amazing Willamette Valley, some of which Rob has been working with for more than twenty years. Most are within 30 miles of our downtown winery. We work only with growers who share our value of high-quality, sustainable farming: take care of the earth, the fruit, and the people who tend it. Rob walks the vineyards often throughout the season. When it’s time to harvest, the grapes are brought to our winery where Rob and his merry band of cellar workers expertly craft them into wine. More…

THE PEOPLE

Rob has been making wine for more than thirty vintages. His first love was Champagne, and of those beauties he’ll always be enamored. But man cannot live on sparkling alone, so there’s also Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Rosé and even “Port”- each engages his imagination in its own way, but none as much as Pinot Noir. The intrigue of this varietal never ceases to captivate him. Given the range of vineyards he works with, he has an almost endless variety of flavors and textures with which to create.
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THE WINES

We make wines for every day and wines for special occasions. Whether it’s Tuesday night take-out or a Saturday night dinner party, your beloved’s birthday or Sunday afternoon with a good book, we’ve got a wine for that. Every R. Stuart wine tastes of its place – they are true to the nature of their vineyard’s terroir and the fruit it yields. With the winemaker’s signature gentle tannins, perfect balance of acid and fruit, and minimal new oak, the wines always work beautifully with food.
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