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

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Doing Things Organically at Apricity Vineyard

Natural Wine, Relaxed Setting

Doing Things Organically at Apricity Vineyard

Story by Morgan Watkins

Photography by Ezra Marcos

 

Nestled within the northwest region of the Applegate Valley appellation lies a special spot where wine tasting is anything but snooty. Far enough from the hustle and bustle of Grants Pass, yet close enough for visitors’ convenience, Apricity Vineyard seemingly has it all—bold, superb wine, an eclectic tasting room, and a crew of phenomenal wine fanatics who are just as passionate about running their organic wine operation as they are tasting what it yields.

Started by partners Laloni Cook and Noah Lowry, Apricity Vineyard was founded in 2014 on several core values—growing organically, small in size, and sustainably. Before the vineyard, Lowry worked on an expansive 7000-acre ranch in Alturas, California. The sheer size of the ranch made it difficult to farm totally organically like he’d wanted, so he and Cook decided they would scale down and start a smaller project. Since the pair loved wine and Cook hailed from Grants Pass, it made sense to move north and begin their wine crafting journey in Southern Oregon.

With the help of Laloni’s longtime friend and tasting room manager, Terces Davis, the triumphant trio worked to revive an old vineyard in the Applegate, formerly known as Crow and Bear Winery.

No matter the trials and tribulations they have gone through to create flavorful, rich wines, the brains behind Apricity Vineyard stand firmly behind their values of all-natural farming. They are a certified by Certified Naturally Grown, an organization whose “mission is to support our members by promoting sustainable agriculture through peer-review certification, grassroots networking, and advocacy.”

While the vineyard itself is driven by an advocacy-based ethos, the tasting room also upholds Cook, Davis, and Lowry’s standards of a totally ethical business.

The space was remodeled over the span of two years with sustainability in mind, as countless building materials used in the process were repurposed. Upcycled bricks, barnwood, and hinges from their ranch in California can be found all around the tasting room, along with trinkets that once belonged to Cook’s grandmother and a stunning cinder pine rough cut table that came from Lowry’s father. A hempcrete feature wall, made from ground up stalks of industrial hemp plant, also serves as another gorgeous, yet sustainable, focal point within the tasting room. 

This vineyard stands apart from the rest not only in its ethics-driven methodologies, but also in the way it makes visitors feel. As soon as you pull up to the wrought iron gated entrance of Apricity Vineyards, it gives visitors the same sensation one would get when coming home after a long day. Guests of all walks of life are encouraged to come as they are and indulge in the cozy warmth of the repurposed fireplace to share wine, beer and spritzers with loved ones— or even make new friends along the way.

Although the tasting room is open Thursday through the weekend for tastings, Sundays in particular are more of a community day, featuring live jams played by Noah Lowry and company. “Someone might show up with their drum or their bass, you just never really know what’s going to happen,” said Cook. “It’s really cool that people feel comfortable enough to say, ‘Hey, I’ve got my flute, can I play?’”

If you’d prefer a quiet night of wine tasting with friends, be sure to schedule your event with Apricity for an intimate soiree that’ll surely impress and entertain friends and family.

The folks at Apricity Vineyard have worked their magic to create a boutique tasting room experience that somehow manages to stay effortlessly down to earth. As Cook puts it best, it’s a coffeehouse for wine. It’s a community. It’s a mission. Above all, it’s a feel-good refuge where people from far and wide can hang their hats and feel at home. Terces Davis sums it up: “Wine is the medium of sharing love.”

And there’s a lot of love to go around at Apricity Vineyard.

 

Apricity Vineyard

5719 Jerome Prairie Rd., Grants Pass

530-640-0910

www.apricityvineyard.com

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