Pebblestone Cellars

Pebblestone Cellars in Medford, Oregon, centers on the Ellis family’s vineyard and a range that stretches well beyond Cabernet Sauvignon. Dick and Pat Ellis’s ownership of the 26-acre Ellis Vineyards dates to 2003; today, 15½ acres support varieties including Tempranillo, Syrah, Viognier, Pinot Gris and Cabernet Franc. The vineyard sits at 1,650 feet in the foothills west of Medford, where sandy, gravelly ground supplies both drainage and the winery’s name.

Tempranillo deserves particular attention: the 2017 vintage holds Best of Class honors from the 2023 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Viognier gets several treatments, from dry white to sparkling wine and the Port-style Velours Blanc dessert wine. Another curiosity is White Malbec, made by pressing the red grapes promptly away from their skins to keep color extraction minimal. Production takes place at larger local wineries under custom-crush agreements, with the Ellis family involved from crush through bottling.

For travelers, the address distinction matters. Pebblestone Cellars’ Medford contact address is 1642 Camp Baker Road; its visitor tasting room, the Tasting Barn, is at 1670 Pioneer Road in Talent, Oregon. That is the destination for indoor tasting and scheduled live music, rather than the Medford contact location.