A Flurry of Fun - Ashland is Base Camp - Winter '24 Issue

Friday, July 27, 2018

Paschal Winery from its beginnings to now

Wine

Following a Dream

Paschal Winery from its beginnings to now

Story by Paula Bandy

Photography provided by Paschal Winery

  

Even twenty years ago, Southern Oregon appeared very different than it does today. With only a handful of local wineries spotted around the Rogue Valley, the wine business was in its infancy, on its way to becoming the “new wine country.” The winemakers in the fewer than a hundred wineries realized the benefits of the region’s exceptional terroirs in temperate microclimates, making this alchemy of ingredients a perfect mixture for growing grapes.   

The story of Paschal Winery began in 1980, when Roy and Jill Paschal purchased twenty-two acres of property in Talent from a friend. Roy Paschal was a former radio station owner and announcer from Alaska, and his wife Jill was an art enthusiast. They felt a deep connection to the property, passionately farming the land while considering its future uses. Soon they realized that local wineries needed available property to grow their grapes, and Roy and Jill met those demands by providing their own land and expertise.        

After twenty years of growing grapes for local wineries, Roy and Jill realized they loved the craft of grape growing and harvesting, a passion that seeped into their souls. Guided by this passion, they set their sights on making their own wines and established Paschal Winery in 1998 with a Cabernet and a Syrah as their first released wines.

It was during this time that the Pascals took a trip to Poland to visit their daughter-in-law, Sylvia. While there, they met Sylvia’s sister, Agnieszka, “Aga.” Roy and Jill were impressed by this young, successful business owner and fashion designer and knew she would be an asset to their developing winery. Plans were made for Aga to move to Oregon, and she arrived shortly afterward with one suitcase in hand. She never returned to her beloved hometown of Krakow and now considers Oregon her home.

With a keen business sense, Roy, Jill and Aga converted their old barn to accommodate an onsite facility for wine production and tastings. The wines continued to receive much enthusiasm as the winery grew in popularity. By 2006 the winery had outgrown the old barn and wine production moved to larger facilities offsite. Currently, Paschal produces over twenty-five thousand bottles of wine per year that include fourteen varietals and a signature Civita blend.

Pascall eventually built a new tasting room on small hill that offers views of the vineyards and lawns in an intimate European inspired space with indoor and outdoor porch seating. The beautifully presented food platters complement the wines with a wide selection of cheeses, fruits, nuts, breads, crackers, and more. Between the wines, ambiance, food, and hospitality, Paschal Winery is a “must” for any wine tasting excursion.  

According to Paschal wine club member, Ginny Conrad, “This winery makes me feel like family, and I truly love it. We have dropped other memberships and are devoted to the red wines from Paschal. The Cork and Fork Wednesday’s are awesome. The employees go above and beyond, and the view is spectacular—almost as good as the wine.”      

Twenty years after meeting Roy and Jill in Poland, Aga has become an intricate part of the Paschal Winery and family. This tremendous trio embraced the business of winemaking and has created many outstanding wines. The genuine gratitude and reverence that Aga holds for Roy and Jill is so strong and heartfelt that one might question if somewhere in the making of the Paschal Winery, some sort of divine intervention was at play.

The original passion for the property and the grapes demonstrated by Roy and Jill almost forty years ago continues to flourish today. The love of grapes is clearly reflected in the exceptional quality of Paschal wines. Today, Paschal continues to offer the same hospitality and great wines it started with over twenty years ago. The warmth and hospitality of the winery will remain unchanged with Aga at the helm of the tasting room offering uncompromised wines and excellent service to patrons.  

 

Paschal Winery

1122 Suncrest Rd., Talent

541-535-7957

www.paschalwinery.com 

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