What Makes This $11.5 Million Southern Oregon Vineyard So Special? Hint: It’s More Than Just The Wine

A winery for sale in Southern Oregon checks all the boxes: thriving vineyards, riverfront location, rolling meadows, mountain views and plenty of space to expand. It’s located in Applegate Valley, surrounded by the Siskiyou Mountains, which is picturesque without being too remote. The property is a half-hour south of the Rogue River and 15 minutes west of Medford.

Aside from the signature Spanish grape vines, the river and size of the spread at 11777 State Route 238 in Jacksonville make it a standout.

“The property with two-thirds of a mile of riverfront makes it very special,” says co-owner Les Martin. “There may be one or two wineries south of the Willamette River that have any frontage on a river. We have an actual river beach, as we call it.” Indeed, visitors kick off their shoes and dangle their feet in the water while sipping wine and dining al fresco.

The vineyards take up a small portion—maybe 25 acres—of the much larger site. “This is a 260-acre piece of property that’s rare enough in itself, and it has this riverfront edge and all these great attributes,” Martin says. “There’s so much more you can do with that property.” The possibilities include adding horses or cattle to the mix or using it as a wedding venue or bed-and-breakfast destination.

Les and Rachael Martin opened Red Lily Vineyards in 2011, although they had planted grapes on the property five years earlier. The vineyards — Bean Patch Vineyard and Stargazer Vineyard (named for its panoramic view of the night sky)—were planted with Tempranillo, Verdejo, Grenache and Graciano varieties of grapes. The operation can turn out a maximum capacity of 5,000 cases.

Applegate Valley has its own American Viticultural Area (AVA), which stretches 50 miles north of the California border to the Rogue River, contained within the Rogue River AVA.

The farming and wine-making operation includes a fermentation room with four stainless-steel wine tanks, a barrel storage room, case storage room, covered crush pad and rustic conference room. The conference room, with large arched windows that look into the barrel room, contains a custom wooden table and rustic chandelier. It’s all in keeping with the authentic vibe of the property.

The winery’s 1,885-square-foot tasting room opened in 2011. It’s made of tongue-and-groove cedar siding with a steep-pitched metal roof that fits in with the design of an 80-year-old barn connected by an enclosed breezeway.

Log-beam ceilings, concrete floors and a river rock fireplace create a cozy area for visitors to linger while sampling wine. Wood that was reclaimed from the barn’s troughs was used to build the bar and sales counter. The tasting room also has an 800-square-foot covered patio that mirrors the indoor design.

Also, there are two homes on the property. The primary house has four bedrooms, three bathrooms and two fireplaces. It’s located on a scenic knoll overlooking the Applegate River. Interior details include travertine tile floors in the kitchen, living room and dining room; a maple wood island and cherry wood breakfast bar in the kitchen; and cathedral and vaulted ceilings in many rooms.

A second home on the property has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It was remodeled in 2012 with Craftsman-style details. It features rustic wooden beams, a country kitchen with granite counters, and front porch and deck. Other buildings on site include a century-old hay barn (3,000 square feet), horse barn with stalls and troughs (2,500 square feet) and storage shed (400 square feet).

Applegate Valley has been a wine-growing area that began in the mid-1800s, died out in the beginning of the 20th century and was rediscovered in the 1970s.

The 260-acre property with winemaking operations is selling for $11.5 million. Kendra Ratcliff of Luxe is the listing agent.

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