R. Stuart & Co. blends the fire and passion of four spirited partners, all of whom share a love of wonderful Oregon wine.Rob Stuart is the heart of the flame. A winemaker and visionary, both his personality and his winemaking style are warm and accessible. With his wife Maria, who is in charge of the Public Relations and Direct Sales; long-time friend Patricia Ridgeway, who is responsible for National Sales and Distribution; and fellow Champagne-ophile Frank Blair, Rob has built his eponymous winery into one of Oregon's favorites.After years of working with other people, Rob, Maria and Trish realized the dream of stepping out on their own and creating the winery they always imagined. One where the quality of the wines is consistently high, but their price isn't. Where the growers are honored for the hard work they do and where the customers are welcomed as friends.We focus our winemaking primarily on Pinot noir, Pinot gris and our brut sparkling wine Rosé d'Or. Our wines are authentic, easy, approachable and perfectly balanced to pair with food.
At R. Stuart & Co. we don't own a single acre of vineyard land, but that doesn't mean we aren't totally invested in the quality of our fruit. After so many years in this business, we have developed close working relationships with lots of growers. We've carefully chosen our very favorite vineyards; the ones that give us fruit in a wide range of textures and flavors. Each harvest we gather these lots of fruit from around the state and thoughtfully blend them into wines that year in and year out stay true to our style.The wines with the Big Fire label Pinot gris, Pinot noir and dry Rosé are fresh, lively and friendly, intended for everyday drinking. The wines bearing the more traditional R. Stuart & Co. label are classic Pinot noirs designed to marry the best of Burgundian and New World winemaking styles. Autograph is our benchmark Pinot noir. We blend it from a selection of vineyards to create a lush and complex Pinot noir you'll turn to again and again as your special occasion wine or just because its Saturday night.
Every year we make a few single vineyard Pinot noirs. We set aside a barrel of wine from each of the few vineyards that offer sufficient balance to stand on its own. Due to their limited production, these wines are generally sold directly from the winery.Rob first fell in love with Champagne when he was 18 years old, and he has strived his entire career to make a bottle comparable to those French gems. After thirty years we think he's got it. Made in the most traditional French style, Rosé d'Or is 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. It is barrel aged and fermented, which creates a rich and luscious sparkling wine that is as appropriate at the dinner table as it is an apéritif.
Our winery is located in the heart of Oregon wine country, downtown McMinnville. Largely regarded as "the Beaune of the New World", McMinnville is the ideal location for a production winery, sans vineyards. The post-agricultural industrial neighborhood that is known to many as the "Pinot Quarter" counts among its residents The Eyrie Vineyard, Panther Creek Cellars, and of course, R. Stuart & Co.In addition to our winery in a converted granary, we also own a Wine Bar a few blocks away on the historic main street. Here we welcome people from near and far, to taste our wines, linger over a glass, and purchase wine to take home. More than a tasting room, the R. Stuart & Co. Wine Bar perfectly embodies our philosophy that wine should be enjoyed with friends and good food.
