Serra Vineyards
« Our wine range is the result of our passion for fruit grown in the Applegate & Rogue Valleys. »
Serra Winery is a young family owned and operated estate located in the Applegate Valley (Southern Oregon). The vineyard was purchased by Scott and Krissa Fernandez in 2008 but the Tasting room opened its doors to visitors in 2013. Currently the winery is extended on an 80-acres estate but only 35 acres are under vine.
Serra Vineyards, sitting on a hillside, boasts one of the most spectacular settings and landscape views on the Applegate Valley. If you come around don’t forget to stop and enjoy a glass of wine on one of the nicest patio decks of the area… in front of the mountain !
Where does the name come from? Serra means a view from a high place in Portuguese. Scott is Portuguese on one side. It’s also an hommage to Father Junipero Serra who was also arguably the first winemaker on the west coast.
Why is your terroir so special? Our vines are nearly 30 years old. They were self rooted and dry farmed sitting on a bench-land with an amphitheater setting prone to air flow due to convection of rising and falling daily temperatures. Here we are located on a high plateau called Kubli Bench. Thanks to this plateau we benefit from a beautiful exposure to the sun while being protected by the mountains from the bad weather of the winters.
In our soils we have a mixture of clay, loam and decomposed granite soils. So no water is supplied to the grapes other than rain water supplied by Mother Nature.
Why did he make the choice to create a winery in this place?
For severeal reasons… First of all, God literally designed it (seemingly) to be the perfect place for wine grape growing…come to see our amazing place !
Secondly, they are from California. They discovered this region through a wedding anniversary trip. They stayed for a few days at SchmidtWinery next door from us.Thankfully they discovered the region, the lifestyle, de terroir and the wines.They quickly fell in love with this place and the spirits of this area. During a walk they went through this square (currently Serra Winery), sat under the oak and began to dream about the creation of a winery… Now it is no longer a dream but a reality !
Thirdly, As I said previously Scott has Portuguese roots. In Portugal there was a strong tradition of home winemaking.The creation of a winery what is therefore of personal importance to him.
What allow us to recognize your wines in blind tasting?
Our wines are full-bodied in mouth feel and offers depthness of flavor complexity, underlying minerality and fleshy, chalky tannins. The notion of ageability is also really important to us. We don’t need to re-invente the wheel, just follow the winemaking tradition and believe in our terroir to create great wine.
If you have to describe the winery, the spirit of this place in just 3/4 words?
I would like to say ; Producing excellence for our Region, Community and Family. It’s an amazing family team here ! If I can add a couple of words I would say ; terroir, purity, true food friendly wine and vintage expression.
Do you have future plans for the winery ?
Continue to improve our winemaking program until we take golds for everything we produce, every time or we are sold out of everything we make…whichever comes first… and then to improve some more.
Do you have an anecdote?
The first tempranillo we ever produced (2014) took best in class and gold at the two largest wine competitions in the nation after we underestimated the fruit in the field that year by 50%…
We also have specific tree to see… We have a growing oak where 5 oaks grow in one. It’s unique !
(Thank you to Liz Wan, Assistant Winemaker)