Beer and Wine December Newsletter: Winery of the Month

By Sarah Thrall

Owen Roe winery, located in St. Paul, Oregon, produces wines from both Oregon and Washington grapes. The winery was founded in 1999 by David O’Reilly. He originally started with Peter Rosback who is now the head of Sineann Winery.  After Rosback left to devote his attention to Sineann, O’Reilly  then partnered with Jerry Owen.

Today, the two of them operate a biodynamic farm where they live off the land, raise sheep, chickens and ducks to provide food for themselves and their vineyard workers (who are honored with their Sharecroppers label).  O’Reilly, who was born in Belfast, Ireland, currently has three wineries associated with his name: Sineann, Owen Roe and Corviadae. All three have ties to his former homeland.  Sineann is Gaelic for Shannon River, considered the lifeblood of Ireland. Owen Roe was named for Owen Roe O'Neil, a great Irish patriot. Corvidae is named for the family of birds that includes crows and ravens. Crows have a long history in Celtic folklore and mythology.

Owen Roe works primarily with smaller vineyards in the Willamette Valley in Oregon and the Yakima Valley in Washington State. Both of these areas have cooler climates that yield fruit with low pH and excellent acidity. All of the grapes used by Owen Roe are hand harvested, handled with minimal processing, small-lot fermented, and aged in French Oak barrels.

We currently carry the following Owen Roe wines here at City Market:

2013 Owen Roe Ex Umbris Syrah (Columbia Valley): This wine offers generous notes of fig, chocolate and smoke. It’s rich, supple and with berry and chocolate flavors that linger.

2012 Owen Roe Red Wine (Yakima Valley): A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, this blend is medium bodied, slightly acidic and juicy. It has a dry finish with moderate tannins. 

2014 Owen Roe Abbots Table Red Wine (Columbia Valley): A blend of Sangiovese, Blaufrankisch, Zinfandel, Malbec, Syrah, and Merlot. Deep purple. This wine is unique and has varietal diversity. Rich with fruity notes, it is well balanced in both flavor and acidity and pairs well with many flavors. An approachable table wine.

We also carry the following Sharecroppers products:

2013 Sharecroppers Cabernet: full of bright red plums and raspberries with notes of earth and spice.

2014 Sharecroppers Pinot Noir: Packed with juicy, ripe berry flavors and ready to drink today.

Well that is it for 2015. Til next year, Qapla’!