CENTRAL POINT, Ore.- May is Oregon Wine Month and folks are celebrating with tons of events throughout the month, including the annual Roam the Rogue event happening May 4.
From 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., over 300 people will enjoy sampling different wines from six wineries along the Upper Rogue Wine Trail. One of these wineries is The Punch House, co-owned by Jon and Melissa Lebars. This is their second year participating in the annual event and they say they were excited to join in on all the fun.
“We opened our tasting room two years ago and then we were approached by the Upper Rogue Trail to join, and it’s been fun,” Jon Lebars said. “It’s a good group, everybody is super nice and professional.”
Ticketholders will pick a starting location and then guide themselves to whichever winery calls to them next, so the schedule is at an individual’s pace. The wineries will present two wines, each paired with an appetizer. The Lebars say they’re excited to share what they’ve worked on with the community.
“We have a Sauvignon Blanc and then a Syrah–Grenache blend we call ‘Princess Magpie and the Star-Crossed Kid’.” Jon Lebars said, “they’re being paired with bacon-wrapped dates and then a beet, citrus, mandarin, blood orange salad.”
Tickets completely sold out for the event, including designated driver tickets. The DDs also get to enjoy an appetizer and non-alcoholic beverage.
“So, it’s a way to encourage people to be responsible but, also, they get to have fun too,” said Melissa Lebars.
The Lebars say they’ve known they wanted to make amazing wine in Oregon for a while. They hope this event will allow them to make some new connections in the Rogue Valley and that people will have a great time, rain or shine.
“Being newer to the circuit, just a couple years into this industry, we just like to make new friends, meet new faces, you know?” Melissa Lebars said. “Our hope is that someone who has never been here, comes out and just gets to see what we do here and taste some of the wines that we make.”
Roam the Rogue is only one of the 13 wine events happening in May. You can check out more events here.
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