Quady North GSM Rosé – The Ultimate Mastery of Rhone Grapes in Southern Oregon’s Clime

Herb Quady’s Quady North GSM Rosé vintage 2024 is a spectacular wine. Given the layers of flavors, quality, and price, I recommend sipping it all year long. And possible because cellaring it for several months to a few years plus is quite acceptable. Really. 
 
Join me to learn more about this wine and Quady, North that is! 

I read somewhere that no one has more experience with the diversity of growing Rhone grape varieties in Southern Oregon than Herb Quady. After researching and spending time with him, at his Quady North winery, I posit this is definitely true.

During a previous trip to Southern Oregon, an opportunity to meet with him popped up. We took the afternoon off and headed to the Quady North winery in the Applegate Valley where his winery is located. Just 32-minutes from the Medford airport and 45 from Ashland, it could not be an easier place to reach and gorgeous valley to visit.

Quady headed north to this area of Oregon in a roundabout way after a childhood around wine at his dad’s Madera, Central Valley, California winery, Quady Wines. His dad, Andrew Quady, makes (famous) dessert wine, the first premium handcrafted, American-made vermouth, and previously, what Mark and I think was a spectacular dry Fino sherry. So as to not confuse one Quady with the other, I will refer to him as Herb from here on.

An early exit off the roundabout before heading to Oregon was Santa, Cruz, California where Herb was associate winemaker for Randall Grahm at his Bonny Doon winery where the focus was Rhone varietals. Wanting to purchase land for a vineyard, he moved his family to the Applegate Valley where he worked a stint for Cowhorn before going to Grant’s Pass winery Troon Vineyards. He was head winemaker there from 2004 to 2014. While at Troon, he started his own label, Quady North. His draw to this area? Warm sunny days with afternoon breezes, discernably cooler nights, diverse microclimates, and perfect for growing Rhone grapes.

So, it is no surprise Herb concentrates on Rhône varieties like Syrah, Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Noir, Marsanne, and Roussanne. Still, his vineyard cultivates Cabernet Franc, Tannat, Malbec, Orange Muscat, Malvasia Bianca, and Counoise—possibly more. With such a diverse mix, he aptly named his winery “Pan-Rhonish.”

On that previously mentioned visit, Herb started us with his 2019 Mae’s Vineyard Syrah, a wine he was especially happy with, as was Wine Enthusiast. Then he poured Sam’s Valley Vineyard 2019 Syrah, another stunner.

Mae’s is one of Herb’s two estate vineyards; Eevee’s is the other. Both grow the signature “Rhonish” varieties along with several additional grapes. He also sources fruit from diverse vineyards within the Applegate and Rogue Valley AVAs (American Viticultural Area)—subregions of the broader Southern Oregon AVA—including well-known sites like Steelhead Run (planted in 1993, very cold, riverside location) and Layne’s (planted in the ‘70’s, one of the two original plots located on the Kubli Bench plateau at about 20 feet in a distinct mesoclimate) Vineyards.

Both the estate vineyards and the winery hold USDA Organic certification and LIVE Sustainable certification. LIVE stands for Low Input Viticulture and Enology, a rigorous certification process supporting environmentally and socially responsible vineyards. He is also a first-round adopter of Revino’s refillable bottles.  Way to go Herb!

You may not know, but Rhône varieties have thrived in Southern Oregon for ions! Yet they were not as known as common varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot noir and Chardonnay thus considered subordinates.

While Mark and I could share much more from our visit with Herb, today I highlight a favorite rosé of his: GSM Rosé. 

Specifically for Rosé

Herb cultivates classic rosé grapes in vineyard blocks specifically planted with rosé production in mind. For this GSM blend (48% Grenache noir, 42% Syrah, 9% Mourvèdre, and just 1% Counoise), he coferments the grapes for better integration of flavors. For those who don’t know, GSM is an acronym for Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedrè, three primary grapes in the Southern Rhone Valley.

This wine left a lasting impression, which is no surprise given my love for wild berries, spring flowers, trail hiking, and the scent of pine forests in the early morning. It offers crisp, juicy acidity and a low level of dusty fine tannins, creating a sensory journey that is both supple and structured, bright and deep. I categorize this as a #terroirrosé (learn more about that below*).

The most amazing thing? It ranges from just $13.99 to $17.99 SRP. Given the price, high quality, and fact it could hang out in a cellar a handful of years, this is our rosé choice while visiting the US of A. To make it easy for you, here is a list of nationwide distributors for Quady North wines.

Enjoyed over two nights

Paired with pan seared, curry spice rubbed cod over vegetables in a coconut, ginger, cilantro sauce, then lamb keftedes (recipe here). It would be lovely with duck confit, bien sûr !

Finishing Thoughts

One of the things I love about wine is all the fantastic people I meet; Herb is a standout. His smile alone shows his eagerness to engage and share his knowledge. Not only did he indulge us in his winery that previous visit, knowing Mark studied how different grape varieties react to hydric stress, he walked us though barrel samples of Grenache noir from vintage 2021 and 2022 grapes subjected to various levels of higher drought conditions. From the grapes he grows and how he manages various vineyards, to the resulting wines, his openness is contagious.

As we sipped his delightful GSM Rosé, we acknowledged his top-notch wines are not to be missed!

More about Herb Quady

In addition to his own winery, Herb cofounded Barrel 42 Custom Winecraft (custom crush facility located at his winery site), and is a cofounder and president of Applegate Vineyard Management where he and his crew custom farm several hundred acres of vines in the Applegate and Rogue Valleys.

Here are just a few of the awards Quady North won:

• Wine Enthusiast 2024 “Top 100 Cellar Selections” – 2019 Cabernet Franc, Applegate Valley
• Global Fine Wine Challenge – 2021 Pistolota, Best of class and Double Gold
• Wine Spectator “Top 100 Value Wines” – 2017 Quady North GSM Rose
• Wine Enthusiast “Top 100 Wines” – 2015 Quady North Viognier Steelhead Run
• Wine Enthusiast – first 95-point Rogue Valley wine from any of the “big four” – 2014 Quady North Flagship Syrah

Quady North is located at 225 E. California St., Jacksonville, Oregon. Overall average wine production is 10,000 cases. Visit their official website and find them on Facebook and Instagram.

A Side Note for Sherry Lovers – Andrew might still have his (dry) Palomino Fino available via his website, but he stopped making it due to the lack of interest in the US.

*For more about Terroir Rosé, read my previous articles, Terroir Rosé on the Rise, Tavel Rosé – Terroir Rosé in a Class by Itself, and one from WineSearcher.