MEET THE WINEMAKER: ROB STUART of R. STUART & CO. (Florence)

Introducing the first edition of our "Meet the Winemaker" series, this fun-filled evening of tasting wines and chatting with the person that made them is sure to captivate and satisfy wine lovers all of types and skill levels. For our inaugural event, we couldn't think of anyone we would rather have than our friend, Rob Stuart of R. Stuart & Co from all the way out in Oregon wine country. Featuring six fabulous Oregon wines paired with curated bites and one-on-one conversation with the winemaker himself, what more could you want? 

Specialty curated bites for the evening will be provided by another great friend of The Carriage, Chef Angel Heinkel! To enhance the already amazing wines, Angel has come up with several different offerings including charcuterie, a pickled okra salad with smoked bacon and pistachio, a caramelized onion and goat cheese flatbread, and a banana bread with cranberry butter and pecan granola.

Grab your tickets today!

This is a seated event. Space is strictly limited. We will commence promptly at 6 PM. 

Featuring*:

• Bubbly Rosé NV
• "Love, Oregon" Chardonnay
• "Love, Oregon" Pinot Noir Rosé
• "Love, Oregon" Pinot Noir
• Daffodil Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir
• Bubbly NV, Blanc de Blanc

Special Guest:

• Rob Stuart, Owner and Executive Winemaker, R. Stuart & Co.

Tickets**:

• $50/person (gratuity included) + taxes/fees

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About Rob Stuart:

After making wine for other people for more than twenty years, Rob Stuart and his partners founded R. Stuart & Co. in early 2002.

With a degree in biochemistry from Rensselear Polytechnic Institute in New York, and a short but eye-opening career in the labs at Baylor University in Texas, Rob started his winemaking journey on the bottling line at Hans Kornell in Napa, California. From there he went on to work in the cellar at Valley View Vineyards and then on to Staton Hills in Yakima, Washington where he made wine for ten years.

Rob managed to return to Oregon in 1994 when he became the winemaker at Erath Vineyards, his home away from home until he started his current adventure. Now he makes the wines he loves: Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and sparkling wine. Life is good.

About R. Stuart & Co. Winery:

After years of working with other people, we were finally able to realize the dream of creating the winery we’d always imagined. One where the quality of the wines is consistently high, but their price isn’t. Where the staff and growers are honored for the heart and soul they put into the work they do and where the customers are welcomed as friends.

Rob Stuart is a Pacific Northwest veteran winemaker; both his personality and his winemaking style are warm and accessible. His wife Maria loves to cook for friends old and new, but her day job includes the winery’s Marketing, Hospitality and Public Relations.

We focus our winemaking primarily on Pinot noir, Pinot gris, and our two brut sparkling wines Rosé d’Or and Bubbly, with a handful of other endeavors thrown in the mix. All our wines taste of the place they are from and are authentic, approachable, intriguing and perfectly balanced to pair with food.

Whether we harvest the grapes from our own land or one of the many vineyards we work with, R. Stuart is deeply invested in the quality of the fruit. After decades in this business, we have developed close working relationships with lots of growers. We’ve carefully chosen our very favorite vineyards; the ones that give us fruit in a wide range of textures and flavors. Each harvest we gather these lots of fruit from around the Valley and thoughtfully blend them into wines that – year in and year out – stay true to our style.

The wines with the Big Fire label—Pinot gris, Pinot noir and Tempranillo—are fresh, lively and friendly, intended for everyday drinking. The Love, Oregon wines are crafted in homage to the pioneering spirit of Oregonians then and now. Somehow they bring out the romantic in us every time. Our Reserve and specialty wines generally bear the more traditional R. Stuart & Co. label. These include classic Pinot noirs designed to marry the best of Burgundian and New World winemaking styles.

Our winery is located in the heart of Oregon wine country, downtown McMinnville. Largely regarded as “the Beaune of the New World”, McMinnville is the ideal location for a production winery, sans vineyards.

In addition to our winery in a converted granary, we also have a Wine Bar a few blocks away on the historic main street. Here we welcome people from near and far, to taste our wines, linger over a glass, and purchase wine to take home. More than a tasting room, the R. Stuart & Co. Wine Bar perfectly embodies our philosophy that wine should be enjoyed with friends and good food.

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*Features, menu, facilitators/guests, and vintages are subject to change without notice.

**Attendees must be 21+ years of age and present valid, government-issued identification upon entry to the event.