
Rogue Valley ranks No. 2 in USA Today’s top wine regions
The Rogue Valley has poured itself into the No. 2 spot on USA Today’s “10Best” list, earning high praise from wine lovers and experts alike.

The Rogue Valley has poured itself into the No. 2 spot on USA Today’s “10Best” list, earning high praise from wine lovers and experts alike.

Two Ashland restaurants — Alchemy Restaurant and Bar and Larks Home Kitchen Cuisine — have earned national recognition for their exceptional wine programs.

What’s it like to live in a senior living facility? In “Ripcord,” a comedy about two older women who become roommates, their differing ideas create a sometimes laugh-filled, sometimes heartwarming tale of friendship and pleasure by two women with different of thoughts on how it should be done.

At Panache & Gusto, a limited-time wine-tasting pop-up set in the outdoor courtyard of Le Petit Café Crêperie, Georgina Ruff and Megita Denton will offer something refreshingly different: a judgment-free, community-rich experience built around female-driven wines, rare grape varieties and sustainable small producers.

The 12 wineries along the Bear Creek Wine Trail are teaming up to bring their best wines to the table for attendees of the inaugural Bear Creek Wine Trail Festival, with a chance to enjoy the scenic views and backdrop of Naumes Suncrest Winery in Talent.

Naumes Suncrest Winery is preparing for summer in a big way. From the building of a new outdoor stage designed to accommodate full bands, to outdoor seating renovations that will quadruple capacity — not to mention a concert series in the works — the Talent winery at 1950 Suncrest Road says it is on track to open its new, larger outdoor space by June.

Winegrower John Pratt will speak about the Rogue Valley as a treasured location for top-shelf location for quality grapes and wine at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 14, at Southern Oregon University’s Hannon Library, 1250 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland.

Long a local favorite for wine-tasting and outdoor events, Ashland’s Grizzly Peak Winery has also become a premier arts venue, hosting Rogue Theater Company, Siskiyou Music Project jazz concerts, and a host of other musical events.

Climate change is a double-edged sword for the wine industry. On the one hand, it can present weather events, variability, and long-term structural change, resulting in crop risks, production and quality issues, and suitability challenges. On the other hand, it can explain why Britain could be your next favorite wine region.

An area winemaker recently brought home a prestigious international award. Herb Quady’s white wine blend Pistoleta earned top honors in the Global Fine Wine Challenge results announced Dec. 5. The Challenge is an annual invitation-only competition open to the top 120 wines of each competing country.
Oregon’s fourth-grade reading scores have plummeted to last place in the nation, even as education spending has surged. Meanwhile, Mississippi, known for its underfunded schools, now leads the country after embracing the “science of reading.”
More than 60 people turned out for a look at the proposed Ashland Mill mega-project during an open house Wednesday night at the Historic Ashland Armory. Planned on the former Croman Mill site on 60-plus acres of the city’s southeast side, what’s now known as the Ashland Mill project represents the largest development proposal in the city’s history, with more than 550 housing units and 200,000 square feet of retail and commercial spaces, as well as pathways, small parks and open spaces.
Janai Mestrovich: That day, two drunk, homeless strangers became my unexpected protectors. In my heart, I still call them my “drunkles” (my drunk uncles) because in that shaky New York afternoon, they cared for me as gently as family.
Ashland school officials greenlit an 18-month road map to explore restructuring the district amid declining enrollment. While emphasizing that no school closures are being proposed, district Superintendent Joseph Hattrick outlined an approach to the plan that focuses on data analysis, public input, and long-term planning. Changes are not expected until 2027 or later. The plan aims to curb anxiety about school closures, particularly at Bellview Elementary.
Obituary: Longtime Ashland resident Judith “Judy” Ellen Greifer Benjamin passed away on Jan. 14, 2024. She was 91. A former president of the local League of Women Voters, Judy lived a life “filled with curiosity, creativity, and global adventure.” A graveside internment of ashes and memorial will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 15, at the Jacksonville Cemetery. At 2 p.m., a memorial celebration of life will be held at the family home.
A majority of Jackson County Library District employees have signed union authorization cards, marking the formal start of a process toward collective bargaining.

(It’s free)