The Dundee Dirtbox is a community-supported agriculture (CSA) project started by Nadine Lew and Alix Eastman. Nadine and Alix met in 2007 while thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and became fast friends. Post-trail, they both found their way to the Portland area and reunited. Upon realizing that they needed to supplement their day jobs with something more in tune with their personal missions, they decided to start a CSA. This decision was aided by the fact that Nadine was already living on a large piece of property, with 5 acres planted to vines and 5 acres just waiting to be cultivated. So cultivate they did, with the summer of 2009 marking their first season of production. In 2010, their good friends Corby, Rollin and Cody from ROCO wines offered up an acre more of fertile land in Dundee… and the CSA grew to be a full-time endeavor for Nadine and her partner, Jon.

ROCO at Mill Creek campsite in the Ochoco Mnts.

Even camp meals include ROCO

In 1987, Rollin Soles hatched the Argyle Winery and the same year he purchased a hillside property in the Chehalem Mountains. It was many years later, in 2001, that Rollin and his wife Corby planted a 7-acre Pinot Noir vineyard on the property and named it Wit’s End Vineyard. The vineyard is uniquely situated to take advantage of the protection afforded by the Chehelam Mountains which shield the vineyard from winter Artic winds and the Dundee Hills to the South which temper the wind from the Pacific Ocean. The vines are planted to a high density and three Dijon clones make up the mix.

The Wit’s End Vineyard has been a family project of great pride and Rollin and Corby farm the property with utmost care and attention. Beginning in 2003, they produced four barrels of Pinot Noir meant for family and friends under the ROCO (rock-oh – RO as in Rollin and CO as in Corby) label and called it Private Stash. Beginning in 2004, Soles has crafted two Pinot Noirs, a ROCO Willamette Valley bottling and the ROCO Private Stash. A small amount of the two wines are released to the public each vintage.

In 2009, the Soles built a winery 5 miles from their vineyard, and their son, Cody, joined the winemaking team. A small amount of Chardonnay is also produced.

The thunderbird image on the ROCO label is a reproduction of an ancient petroglyph removed from the Columbia River George in the 1950s. The bird image is said to represent the “wild essence and intriguing history of the Pacific Southwest and ROCO wines.”

I tasted both the 2005 ROCO Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and the 2005 ROCO Private Stash Pinot Noir and found the wines highly unique, stunning in style and polish, complex and layered, and possessing lovely depth and richness of fruit. I am embarrassed to say that I misplaced my tasting notes (the first time that I can remember ever doing this) which were filled with superlatives, so I will include the notes of Rollin Soles. I was so taken by these wines that I went out the following day and purchased several bottles of each.

Great stuff!

We just tasted the 07 Private Stash yesterday with owners/winemakers Rolin Soles (Argyle) and Corby Stonebraker. According to Rolin “in this type of vintage (2007) anyone can get red fruit and minerality. The trick is the creamy midpalate – it makes the wine round and gives an impression of fullness in the mouth.” And the wine shows that he accomplished his goal.

The 07 Private Stash’s scent of dried roses and red cherry is echoed by red raspberry, red cherry, and sweet cherry candy fruit flavors. It is an elegant wine that gains weight and richness as a fresh, creamy quality opens upon tasting. Crisp, balanced minerality, and seamless tannins will allow the wine to cellar well for 3-4 years. – Jean

Thanks, Jean!!

Subtly flavored food requires an equally subdued wine, though flavors of toast and earth can be mirrored between both. A well-balanced Chardonnay, such as the one made by ROCO Winery does nicely. — Annette Solomon

We’ll send out an announcement via this blog, Twitter and email letting you know that this new site is up and running.

Cheers!

The ROCO team