Rogue Valley winemakers will compare their takes on the same grapes at the Ashland Nouveau Fest on Nov. 19, celebrating the end of harvest with wines made to drink young.
The festival at Resistance Wine Company draws inspiration from Beaujolais Nouveau Day, the third Thursday of November, when France releases its young Beaujolais wine. The French harvest celebration has grown into an international tradition, with local winemakers giving it a Southern Oregon interpretation.
For the Ashland celebration, participating producers use gamay noir grapes harvested from the same vineyard block at Irvine & Roberts Vineyards on the same day. Each winemaker then takes the fruit in a different direction.
Same grapes, different wines
The local project began in 2019, when three winemakers decided to make a nouveau-style wine to celebrate the end of harvest. They used pinot noir grapes because gamay noir grapes weren't available locally.
That same year, Irvine & Roberts planted gamay noir, the grape used in Beaujolais Nouveau. The winemakers revived the project in 2025, after the vines began producing enough fruit to share.
Using the same grapes gives drinkers a chance to taste the influence of each winemaker’s decisions, said Brian Gruber, winemaker at Irvine & Roberts. Choices about fermentation vessels, temperature and when to press the grapes can produce distinct wines from the same starting material.
Nouveau wines reach the glass within weeks of harvest. The local wines go from September grapes to November pours in about two months.
The winemakers use carbonic maceration, a process in which fermentation begins inside intact grapes in an atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide. The technique helps produce fruity wines with low tannins.
For Rob Folin, owner and winemaker at Ryan Rose, the quick turnaround offers another opportunity to experiment during the annual harvest.
“I kind of look at it like now we get two runs at this,” Folin said.
A place at the Thanksgiving table
The November release also puts nouveau wines on the table a week before Thanksgiving.
Gruber said the wines’ acidity, low tannins and fresh fruit flavors work well with salty, fatty and earthy foods. His suggested pairings include charcuterie, pork, duck and roasted turkey.
But personal taste matters more than a rigid pairing rule.
“If you like it, it’s a good pairing,” Gruber said.
Folin offered similar reassurance about the holiday meal.
“Something that you’re having for Thanksgiving will go with the Nouveau,” he said.
Ashland Nouveau Fest 2026
The festival is scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. Nov. 19 at Resistance Wine Company in Ashland, with live music, French-inspired food and opportunities to talk with the winemakers.
Will Smith, a food stylist and host of JPR’s Savor, said the gathering offers a welcome celebration as the seasons change.
“We love our summers here,” Smith said. “But it’s so nice to have an event that’s kind of like celebrating the colder weather and change of seasons.”
At last year’s festival, Smith said, the wines gave people something to talk about.
“It was a really good crowd, and people were having great conversations about the different flavors,” he said.
Guest
- Will Smith, JPR podcast host, Savor
- Brian Gruber, winemaker, Irvine & Roberts Vineyards
- Rob Folin, owner, Ryan Rose Winery, and winemaker at Belle Fiore Winery
