Girardet History
Philippe Girardet was born and raised in Switzerland near the headwaters
of the Rhone, a French-speaking region where winemaking is a centuries old
tradition. Philippe worked on
his uncle’s vineyard in Switzerland where he discovered his passion for wine.
While working as a design engineer at Cal Tec in the 1960’s Philippe met a
beautiful young woman named Bonnie, with her own passions for the wines of
Europe. The two were romantic idealists to the very heart and were soon married.
It
was a vacation to Oregon in the 1960’s that lead Philippe and Bonnie to
discover the lush Umpqua Valley and the future home of Girardet Wine Cellars.
They selected a vineyard site Southwest of Roseburg on a sunny slope set
perfectly between the cool coastal climate and the warm interior of the Umpqua
Valley. The Girardets established
their own vineyard in 1971. The
vineyard now totals 35 acres of over 30 varieties of grapes, which have been
painstakingly selected over the years. “This
is an outstanding area for fruit, especially grapes,” says Philippe.
The winery has since
established a reputation for its collection of wines, producing award-winning Baco Noir, Pinot
Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon,
Riesling, and others. A very
popular blended wine has been created and perfected over the years, the Grand Rouge,
which is a Rhone style blend
of 14 different grapes,
and the result is a very smooth, versatile red wine at an affordable price.
Second generation Winemaker,
Marc Girardet, was schooled by his father Philippe in learning the art of wine
making. Guided by his
parent's vision, he is continuing the family tradition of winemaking in a
handcrafted style creating award winning wines with depth and grace, wines to
complement good food and good company.
Continuing the Girardet family tradition of century old European wine
craftsmanship, the vineyards continue to use techniques proven effective before
the modern industrialized farming and manufacturing of wine. The Girardet Estate Vineyards are farmed organically, growing
natural grapes in a sustainable, healthy environment. Beneficial insects and
cover crops are used to keep the vines
healthy without the use of any
pesticides; selected animals are also
encouraged to live in the vineyards and
keep pests away. Dry-farming or
non-irrigated farming techniques are used to produce small flavor packed berries
and conserve water. When
dry-farming is used vines struggle and become more focused on diverting
energy to the development of fruit. These
traditional techniques work together to capture the full essence of the earth,
creating a more natural and vibrant assortment of wines.
The Girardet family invites you to experience genuine European
craftsmanship and welcomes visitors to their tasting room and vineyard.