Peggy Dover

Adventure is where you find it, and I’m of the belief that one may discover one type or another on any given day. Adventures don’t necessarily involve leaving town, but very often do require trying something new — perhaps even something you might squint at and doubt is up your street.

Local wine writer and marketer Chris Cook had invited me to join her and a couple of friends at Parkhurst Wine Cellars, a new spot at 845 California St. in Jacksonville. Now, I’ll be honest — I’d heard of Parkhurst and seen pictures of some frilly, fancy food. I had a preconceived notion that this humble writer and pursuer of simple pleasures might not be a fit for such an establishment. I mean, do I dine on grilled sablefish with pear/coconut amino glaze, saffron cloud, black garlic coulis, placed lovingly upon a jade rice cake and topped with a bright nasturtium? Never have I. But the loving hand and creative influence of Chef Adrian Martin managed to disguise a heretofore shunned beet by rolling a thin slice of it in tubular fashion and fooling me into believing I could eat it and like it — and I did.

Each plate delivered to our table was like a beautifully wrapped present with edible ribbons and bows and tissue paper that challenged me to slow down, take my time and taste the delicate nuances. So, yes, I found that pretty food can also be quite delicious to the taste buds as well as the eye, and I enjoyed the novelty so much that I brought Lane there Sunday.

Owners Mark and Susan Enlow were there, as they often are, and I snagged an opportunity to chat with Mark briefly about their unique setup. They have only been open a few weeks. Though Mark has managed other tasting rooms, they had finally established their own in Talent when the Almeda Fire claimed another victim. Now, they’re back in business.

“We tried to do something different that wasn’t being done in the valley and really put food forward in the right place and right relationship with really good wine. Individually, they’re wonderful, but together they speak very differently, it’s a different voice,” Mark said.

Mark impressed me by using the word organoleptically so casually in a sentence I had to back him up and ask if he’d made it up. But come to find out, it’s a legit word that means being, affecting, or related to the sensory qualities of a substance.

The menu is seasonally-driven and locally sourced. Their smaller plates are perfect for sharing between two people. This time we tried the sablefish and prawns paired with a 3-ounce tasting of their crisp rosé. A delicious plate followed with duck confit croquettes and parsnip puree, a red wine coulee and a marinated endive salad resting on a house-made brie mousse and topped with a citrus tuile. We drank a delicious, earthy pinot noir Pommard Clone with this. I appreciate the smaller wine servings to try more varieties. Parkhurst wines are produced exclusively from Rogue Valley fruit.

They’re planning to expand outdoors. “Adrian will have a different expression with the equipment he has out there,” Mark said. I can hardly wait.

The inside is roomy with cozy upholstered chairs and sofas and views that stretch through expansive windows across to pastoral countryside. The ceiling is covered with sound-muffling baffles, and though the space was fairly full, blissfully missing was the eardrum-rattling cacophony of multiple conversations.

I can definitely see bringing a group of adventuresome, aka fun friends here to relax, share plates, delicious wines, a sprawling view and lively conversation.

Pretension doesn’t fly in the Rogue Valley. It has nowhere to light. We arrived as ourselves with childlike curiosity and spent about $10 more for each of our meals than we normally would for a Sunday lunch outing. For the adventure of discovering new delights, it was well worth it. So, gather your unpretentious cohorts and pay Parkhurst a call. There you can organoleptically experience the conversation of food, wine and company as an utterly satisfying package.