Wines & Vines

TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT WINEMAKING February 2018 WINES&VINES 49 feet in elevation. The first planting there was a mix of different clones of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay covering 26 acres. The vineyard is certified through Salmon Safe and LIVE. Around the same time the vineyard was getting planted, the Irvines also met Michael Donovan, whom Doug Irvine referred to as "Mr. Oregon wine guy" and has worked in the Southern Oregon wine industry for decades, starting with the widely acclaimed restaurant and wine shop Chateaulin in Ashland. Before joining the Irvines, Donavan was the managing director and director of national sales and mar- keting for RoxyAnn Winery. The three all worked a harvest together in Burgundy in 2013, which helped further ce- ment their vision of a winery. Donovan joined as managing director and brought on veteran winemaker Robert Brittan as consultant. Brittan would later design the estate winery. Sibling partnership leads to expansion Another pivotal addition was the second name on the label, Roberts. Doug Irvine's sister, Kelly Roberts, is married to Duane Roberts, who is known as the "burrito king" for making a fortune developing frozen burritos in the mid-1960s. He later sold an even larger food-production company to ConAgra Foods Inc. in the 1990s. Roberts went on to form the sprawling real estate and investment firm Entrepreneurial Corporate Group and is the owner of the his- toric Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside, Calif. Duane and Kelly Roberts are philanthro- pists and significant donors to the Republican party. Following the 2016 election, Kelly Rob- erts had been expected to be named the U.S. ambassador to Slovenia until she had to with- draw from consideration because of the cou- ple's diverse investments. Doug Irvine said he and his wife worked with the Roberts on real estate deals in the past, and he had to temper his brother-in-law's enthusiasm for investment or else they'd be trying to buy all the acreage in Southern Or- egon. He said the partners now agree on the more modest goals of a boutique, estate winery, and that the Roberts have been instrumental in the development and expansion of the brand. Their partnership formed in 2012 and provided for the acquisition of a neighboring parcel of land for more estate vineyards as well as the new tasting room and winery. "They've played an incredible role in this process and the expansion," Dionne Irvine said. "We really felt that the brand needed to reflect who we really were, which is both (names). It just seemed appropriate, especially with the opening of the winery and tasting room, that it reflect truly who we are." The first commercial vintages of the estate wines were produced at custom-crush facili- ties, with the last being Barrel 42 in Medford, Ore. Plans for a new winery included a full- time winemaker, and the owners conducted a wide-ranging search, ultimately choosing in-state talent. Vince Vidrine joined in spring 2017 and was able to put together the final blends of the previ- ous vintage. Vidrine was working at Domaine Serene Winery as associate winemaker when he was hired by the Irvines and Donovan. Vidrine was the first student to graduate from Oregon State University with a degree in enology and viticulture, and he also worked at KEY POINTS Irvine & Roberts is an estate winery with ambitions to raise the quality of winemak- ing in Southern Oregon. Oregon veteran Michael Donovan and for- mer Domaine Serene associate winemaker Vince Vidrine manage the winery. With a capacity of 15,000 cases, the win- ery is designed for flexibility and simple, premium winemaking. Nadalié "Cooperage is Our Craft" Ad - 4.5" x 7.5" Proof 3

• Cover