Last Sunday we enjoyed a wonderful “Wine & Dine in the Vines” sponsored by the Upper Rogue Wine Trail, an association of some of our local, newer wineries. The host winery for this event was Agate Ridge, just a 15-minute drive from our home. We started with a reception under the trees surrounding the historic farmhouse which houses the winery’s tasting room. After tasting a couple of wines and nibbling on some delightful appetizers, the guests were led between rows of trellised grapevines to our dinner site. Tables of eight had been set up under an enormous old oak tree around which the vineyard had been planted. With the temperature hovering around 95 degrees and the sun still at least a few hours above the horizon, we appreciated every inch of shade we could find; but throughout the meal everyone spent at least a little time in the sun. With delightful company, good wine and great food (and plenty of water and a few welcome breezes, too), no one seemed to let the weather be a bother, though. The wine trail group includes six wineries, and throughout the course of the evening we sampled two wines from each. The food, presented as a four-course dinner plus dessert, was prepared by Chef Skye Elder and his crew from the Jacksonville Inn, an area restaurant with a long-standing reputation as one of the best places for fine dining in the valley. Chef Elder presented a meal which made wonderful use of the bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables available in our region right now; and we found everything, from the Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho to the Oregon Berry Cobbler, to be perfectly prepared and beautifully presented. This was an inaugural event which the association intends to become an annual event. Being relative newcomers to this area, Harry and I had not tried some of the participating wineries’ offerings before, nor have we visited their tasting rooms, yet. After meeting the owners and winemakers, sampling their wines and enjoying such a pleasant and satisfying event, we plan to rectify both of the situations sooner rather than later. We’ll also be looking out for next year’s dinner in the vines! — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor