Quail Run Vineyards & South Stage Cellars Tasting Room

Don and Traute Moore are pioneers in Oregon’s wine industry who began farming winegrapes in the Rogue Valley in 1989 on an idyllic 20-acre site they named Quail Run Vineyards. Back then, no one knew which grape varieties were well suited to our area, and most of the techniques we now use for growing premium winegrapes were virtually unknown. Considering that today, in a typical growing season, we make over 20 passes through our vineyards to pamper the grapes to perfection, one can appreciate the challenge they faced. Over the next twenty-three years, Don and Traute studied and experimented with growing techniques and consulted with the world’s finest winegrape growers. They brought in dozens of varieties and planted test blocks around the valley to see what grew best and where. Their discoveries helped launch our region’s wine industry. Not only was the Rogue Valley able to grow world-class winegrapes, but through careful site selection capitalizing on regional climatic differences—known as mesoclimates—one could, figuratively speaking, grow a world of wine right here. It’s rare that a winegrowing region of such untapped promise is discovered. So the Moores continued planting as new and interesting sites became available. Today, Quail Run is one of Oregon’s largest and most highly regarded vineyards, and certainly its most complex. With thirteen distinct vineyards ranging from 1500 to 2000 feet elevation, and mesoclimates that are influenced by aspect and surrounding topography, Quail Run is able to grow premium winegrapes from the Rhone, Bordeaux, and Burgundy regions of France, as well as varieties from Italy, Spain, Portugal, Chile, and Argentina.