Creating New Flavors and A New Tradition In The Rogue Valley

A Winemaker Profile: Gus Janeway, Winemaker for Roxy Ann Winery and for Velocity Cellars

By Condé Thompson Cox

For Southern Exposure Magazine, December 2004

Gus is his name, and wine is his game. Gus Janeway, that is. He's the President of the Rogue Valley Chapter of the Oregon Winegrape Growers' Association, and he's also the winemaker at Roxy Ann Winery, one Southern Oregon 's hottest new labels. Janeway has also recently started a new winemaking venture, called Velocity Cellars, which Janeway says represents his personal attempt to define a distinct flavor profile that can only be associated with the Rogue Valley , casting aside all the traditions of all of the other winegrape growing regions.

Okay, there's the flavor of Oregonzola Rogue Creamery Blue Cheese, and there's the flavor of fresh Rogue River Steelhead, but a special flavor for Rogue Valley wine?

Why not? Port is Portugal 's special flavor, Chianti is Tuscany 's special flavor, Burgundy has its Pinot Noir, and Barolo, from Medford 's sister city of Alba , (in northern Italy ), sports a gritty yet delicate wine whose scent is reminiscent of the white truffles grown in that region. Indeed, the unique soils, climate, and other distinct growing conditions surely define each winegrape growing region's local version of what it calls wine.

So what exactly is the unique flavor for Rogue Valley wines?

Janeway admits that Southern Oregon is “still in search of an identity,” which he believes is evolving, but he does appear to have found one possible answer in his emphasis and rediscovery of the ancient art of blending several different winegrape varieties into a single wine, which, he believes should be based on a core varietal---in the case of the Rogue Valley, he has selected Malbec as the core grape for his blended wine. Known as Cot in southwestern France, (where they make a wine called Cahors), Malbec has recently been hugely successful in Argentina, where the foothills of the Andes provide an hospitable growing climate for this grape that always makes a full-bodied, almost leathery, deeply colored red wine.

Something of an iconoclast with a mild-mannered, almost Clarke Kent disposition, Janeway can be disarming when talking about his new Velocity Cellars label: “I actually did set out originally to create a more traditional bordelais blend, “ (from the Bordeaux winegrapes Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot). “Instead,” he confesses, “I did not limit myself to the traditional palette of varietals.”

Consciously “casting aside all the traditions of all the other wine growing regions,” Janeway was convinced that “we have something really good and unique and distinct here,” but, he asked himself, “What exactly is it?” So, he proceeded to make wine from all the different varietals grown in the area, and started a series of “blending trials” to see which type of blend tasted the best.

Blending different barrels of finished wines, each made from a single grape variety, into a final blended wine that might be more complete than any one of its constituent parts, has been practiced for centuries in many parts of Europe . But, in America , with our inexplicable commitment to single varietal wines, we have almost lost sight of the ancient and revered winemaking tradition of blending. After all, we Americans like Chianti, yet it is made from a blend of in excess of a dozen different winegrape varieties. Similarly, about 15 different grapes are used to make the famous Chateuneuf-du-Pape, and even Chateau Lafite Rothschild is actually a blend, made from varying (by vintage) proportions of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Janeway's 2002 vintage for his Velocity Cellars wine ended up being 30% Malbec, 7% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, and 12% Cabernet Franc. “I did not hold myself to the traditional palette of varietals that are associated with one particular region.” Instead, he “turned the blending upside down,” and let flavor and taste drive the decisions about what kind of blend makes the best wine for a Rogue Valley red wine.

“When you taste the Malbec, you say, this thing is incredible, so let's let this varietal be the driving force in the flavor profile,” Janeway exclaims. He goes on to talk about how Malbec grown in the Rogue Valley “almost turns itself into good wine on its own, with very little work required in the winery.” These are the words often heard around the world to describe the very best wines that come out of each region; words that describe how some grape varieties are so happy to be in a certain place that they need little coaxing to turn themselves into excellent wine. Malbec is certainly one of the wine varieties that does indeed appear to be quite happy right here in Southern Oregon .

Other wineries, such as well-respected Abacela (located in the Umpqua Valley , near Roseburg ) and Tyrus Evan (Ken Wright's new venture, based on Southern Oregon-grown winegrape varieties), have also discovered the surprisingly high quality of wines made totally or largely from Southern Oregon Malbec winegrapes.

Janeway insists, while musing over the future of his Velocity label, that he will “not get into the power game, by choosing power over elegance.” He observes that “some people like to talk about their wines being bigger or having more power or more extract or more alcohol. But I won't get into that game, because I am in the Rogue Valley . Our strong suit here is character and elegance, achieved through blending of different grape varieties.”

Well said, Gus Janeway!