We entertained out-of-town guests a few weeks ago, and in the course of just two full days managed to treat them to three of the activities our area is best known for: outdoor pursuits, wine tasting and outdoor music. On the first day, we visited a couple of wineries located in Medford. EdenVale Wines, at Eden Valley Orchards, sits in the midst of one of the area’s earliest pear orchards (for which the Rogue Valley has long been known), founded in 1885. Adjacent to the tasting room sits the lovely Voorhies Mansion, built in 1898 and serving as the family home for more than 90 years. It now hosts weddings and other events within its Victorian walls and on its grounds. All of the EdenVale wines (and they boast several varietals) are barrel- and bottle-aged, and that extra time spent in the aging process shows through in the subtle and complex flavors of the wines. We moved on to Roxy Ann Winery on the east side of town, sitting on the lower slopes of Roxy Ann Peak (named for an early pioneer and landowner) and residing at Hillcrest Orchards, another early fruit producer and owned by the Parsons family since 1908. The family branched out into grapes in 1997, from which they make Bordeaux-style varietals, today producing some 15,000 cases annually. We were charmed by the tasting room, located in the Honor Barn, so called because local community members would stop by here to purchase fresh fruit, paying on the honor system by leaving their cash in a box left there for that purpose. (Later in the season, one can still pick up fresh produce and fruit the same way.) The roomy space boasts the soaring original beams and hardwood plank floors along with a state-of-the-art kitchen, tasting bar and plenty of tables for sittin’ and sippin’. The property also hosts weddings and meetings, having additional meeting space in other buildings on the property, and during the summer hosts a Friday night outdoor music series. That evening we made our way to one of our favorite venues, the Britt Festival amphitheater in nearby Jacksonville, to see Chicago. For most concerts, audience members can bring in their own beer and wine, but this night (purportedly to allow for greater food and beverage revenues to pay the band) was not one of them. As usual, the vibe was friendly and relaxed; and we enjoyed our lawn seats and picnic, the warm evening and good music. The band has been making music since 1967 (in July 2014 they released their 36th album!) and still boasts four founding members as well talented newer members. (Drummer Tris Imboden and percussionist Walfredo Reyes, Jr. played an extensive solo that brought down the house.) I’m afraid the absence of Peter Cetera’s voice is clearly felt — the vocalists weren’t terribly strong. Despite the late night, we resolved to get up early-ish the next morning to hike Roxy Ann Peak before the hot (100-degree) afternoon temperatures set in. It rises to an elevation of 3,576 feet on the east side of Medford and provides stunning vistas in all directions (Mt. Shasta to the south, Mt. McLoughlin to the east).   An assortment of trails winds around it, providing different routes to the top and down again. We climbed through oak and Pacific madrone groves on the lower slopes, marveling at the size of the madrones and their colorful, twisting limbs.      Higher up we encountered Douglas fir, cedar and ponderosa pines as well as Indian paintbrush     and other wildflowers. Hikers passing us as they headed down cautioned us about seeing a few Western rattlesnakes along the trail, but fortunately they weren’t in evidence as we purposely marched noisily upward. A light breeze and plenty of shade kept us comfortable for most of the hike, and the views from the top provided an added bonus to our efforts. We further rewarded ourselves that afternoon with a little more wine tasting in the Applegate Valley, an AVA to the west of Medford. If you visit, be sure to check the hours the wineries’ tasting rooms are open. Some are open daily, but others only pour Thursdays through Sundays or by appointment only. Most are young by California or even Willamette Valley standards, and the wines can be hit and miss, but we enjoyed our stops at Longsword Vineyard (farmer/owner/vintner Matt Sorensen enjoys fencing) and Red Lily Vineyards (named for a rare species of flora in the nearby Siskiyou Mountains). Longsword produces a unique and truly delightful lightly sparkling Chardonnay — Accolade — which refreshed us on that warm afternoon. Red Lily produces only Temperanillo (very well, I must say) and provides several nice spots to relax and taste its flights of wine. The property sits right on the sparkling Applegate River, with a Music on the Beach concert series on Thursday summer nights. We sat out on the covered patio   and enjoyed the breezes, but the interior spaces, including a large river rock fireplace and a soaring, airy barn,      hinted at comfortable tasting in any weather. We managed to pack a lot in to those two days, and we promised our friends there would be more to see and do on their next visit! — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor