The Umpqua Valley AVA
is located just West of Roseburg, Oregon on I-5. This area is not nearly as unforgiving as
the Willamette Valley to the North. It is the home to some of the Oldest Vineyards in Oregon
and two dozen family operated wineries. Let us be your source for information on Umpqua Valley
Wines.
Below you will find a list of Umpqua Valley Wineries.
Our goal is to provide
you with the latest information to help guide you in enjoying our local wines.
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A recent visit to the Yamhill AVA winery of Elk Cove left my wife and I wondering at the management qualifications of the place.
If you are like us you take the time and effort to go the wineries in order to have a pleasant and enjoyable time. This was not
the case at Elk Cove. Unfortunately this tends to detract from the actual tasting of the wine. You get side tracked by the
poor service.
Here's what happened. We arrive to the tasting room to find the host attending to a sale. (Sound familiar?) Her nose is buried in the
screen. Does she even glace up to say the minimum "Hi"? No. We are the only other couple in the room as we wait at the counter for
recognition. Nothing! She works through the whole sale as if we were invisible. A good 5 minutes. Even after thanking the other couple
she does several more minutes of paper work! It is us that calls her over then for a tasting list. A muffled, "Thanks for waiting" was all
we got as she turned away. We had to ask for our first pour as she was back to filing some papers. Not a word came out of her
mouth as she simply poured the wine. We followed this routine through the whole list. She'd pour silently and walk away, we asked for the
next pour, same thing!
This prompts my comments here to all tasting room staff. (Having spent 5 years behind the wine bar, I speak from experience).
Say "Hello" as soon as your clients walk in the door. It doesn't cost you but a second but sets the whole mood of the visit!
Multitask! Get the new folks going on a pour, then return to your sale, etc. And remember, you're there to promote the wine
so get excited about having the opportunity to share your enthusiasm!!