Weisinger Family Winery

I first met Eric Weisinger in 1988. I know, a long time ago. We were both approximately 19 years old, and Eric ended up dating one of my best friends for a period of time. I remember knowing about the family winery in Ashland, and I’d had occasion to breeze through Ashland on my way south from Eugene to San Francisco, always noting the town’s peculiar mystique. But it’s one of those funny twists of fate that Eric ended up taking over the family winery, and that thirty one years after I first met Eric, my husband Johnny and I would end up buying a B&B in Ashland — only to fall even more in love with all that Ashland has to offer, including… wine!

1988 is not only the year I first met Eric, it’s also the year of Weisinger Family Winery’s first crush — although their story goes back another ten years, to 1978, when Eric’s father, John Weisinger, first decided to plant an acre and a half of Gewürztraminer. The vines came from a friend of John’s who convinced him to give this crazy idea a try, Frank Wisnovsky, the founder of Valley View, the first winery in the Applegate area. And in June of that year, when Eric must have been about 9 or 10, John informed Eric and his sisters that their summer project was to put in a vineyard — the first to be planted in the Ashland area. For the following decade, the family grew grapes and made homemade wine, until John retired from his ministry, and the winery was officially born.

So, the history of Weisinger’s is one of friendship and family from the very beginning. That’s one of the things that makes the winery special, the sense that it is integrally wound up in the history and relationships of the area. There is a marvelous interview with Eric through the Oregon Wine History Archive from about ten years ago that I highly recommend if you want to take an even deeper dive into the Weisinger story — you can listen HERE, or read the transcript HERE.

Now, Weisinger’s Family Winery is known for its beautiful tasting room, right in Ashland overlooking the hills, and for its Tempranillo, Syrah, Malbec, and Pinot Noir, as well as Viogner, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and their heritage Gewürztraminer and Bordeaux blends. Each of their wines comes from a single vineyard located on their estate or within 5 miles, which seems appropriate, since the winery is such an homage to relationship and place. They even have a marvelous port that we sampled on the day this photo was taken, when Eric joined us for a little chat — the first time I’d seen him in over 30 years.

If you have a free afternoon, I highly recommend visiting their tasting room, sitting on the deck with those marvelous views, and treating yourself to a tasting flight. From May to September, the tasting room is open daily, but year round, you can visit Wednesday through Sunday. Find out more about their location and hours HERE. And enjoy a toast to family, fine wine, and the sense of heritage and place that makes Ashland so special.