II the "next napa ?
" SOUTHERN OREGON VINTNERS SHARE
THEIR VIEWS ON THIS MOST PRESSING QUESTION
If there's a single question sure to raise the
guard hairs on just about any Applegate
Valley winemaker, it's the one they hear
almost every day: "Is Applegate Valley the
next Napa?" While most are polite enough
to discuss the topic, it's fairly obvious
where their opinions fall. Read on to learn
the view from the vineyards.
words by Jennifer Strange
photography by Jared Cruce
Preventi ng "Napaf'ication"
A commitment to sustainable growth and Oregon land use policies is the
one-two punch that will keep Applegate Valley forever our of the realm ofl
"conglomerate-owned" Napa Valley, says Don Mixon, co-owner with Bret
Gilmore of Madrone Mountain Vineyard.
"I first went to Napa in the 1970s and it was an agricultural communi-
ry," says Mixon, who witnessed the region morph into a "Disneyworld-rype
setting" with huge, themed tasting rooms and hefty price tags by the mid-
90s. "You might catch a glimpse of the winemaker over in the corner and
everyone ooohs and aaahs like seeing a bald eagle."
Mixon says Applegate grape growers and vintners are intrinsically opposed
to this rype of development; he points to Oregon's strict land use laws and
an appreciation for the qualiry of life an agricultural communiry delivers.
"Exclusive farm use is extremely important in this state and especially in this
valley," he says. "Our commitment to sustainable growth-keeping our char-
acter as an agricultural venue-will prevent the 'Napafication' of this valley."
Once Applegate Valley wine hits the big time-through wider distribu-
tion and a push from the press-there will inevitably be a groundswell of
interest, attracting tourists and infrastructure alike.
But according to Mixon, the tourism needs to respect the values of sus-
tainable growth, a "more Oregonian approach" where the people who are
pouring the wine are the ones who produce it.
"It's not going to become a corporate enterprise here because we don't
want that," Mixon stresses. "If that means producing less wine than we caJ
SOUTHERN OREGON MAGAZINE FALL 2009