Apple tarts with caramel drizzle and crème brûlée cheesecake with chocolate covered espresso beans are deserts offered at Padigan Wines.

One of my favorite meals is the classic combo of soup and sandwich. For me it’s the ultimate, and seasonless, comfort food — and yet, it seems to be a disappearing menu item in many fine kitchens.

However, one of our local wineries, Padigan, recently started offering just that, a weekly special of in-house made soup and sando, paired with one (or more) of their wines — and it’s delicious. I sat down with Ross Allen, owner and vineyard manager, and Kiley Evans, winemaker, to talk and taste.

“We shoot to be a little more rustic in the creations of our soups and foods,” said Allen.

Chef Brian Green created a sandwich that was cool and fresh with in-house smoked tri-tip, cheddar and fresh veggies and greens. The soup, a hearty mushroom, was rich but not too creamy or floury, with little glimpses of golden butter making their shimmery appearance. The combo was paired with 2020 Padigan Malbec, which brought out the rustic, but we found the 2021 Estate Reserve Chardonnay presented an elegant taste. 

“I want to feel the presence of the oak, I don’t want to know the presence of the oak,” Evans explained about this San Francisco Chronicle Double Gold winner.

For the week of January 29, the special — starting Tuesday — is roasted red pepper and basil soup, with horseradish, chive and havarti grilled cheese on potato bread, paired with their 2021 Kiley’s Blend. They continue their regular menu alongside these weekly specials.

And don’t miss out on their inspired desserts — apple tart with caramel drizzle and crème brûlée cheesecake with chocolate covered espresso beans.

One of the myriad things that makes the Rogue Valley so special is the Oregon state requirement to have food available at wineries. California’s laws are basically the opposite, providing — especially the wineries here in Southern Oregon — the opportunity to fill an epicurean niche.

Many local wineries are beginning to savvy-up by offering unusual, sophisticated and creative foods paired with their own distinctive wines. I’ll be looking at this mouthwatering trend more in future columns.

Many of you know Padigan by its previous name of 2Hawk Vineyard & Winery. The hawks still fly over the vineyard but the name has now come down to earth — Padigan soil to be exact.

“By renaming ourselves Padigan we’re paying homage to the site, to the terroir, as official wine speak,” Allen explained. “The fruit we use is 100% estate. Padigan represents one of our primary soil types, and that’s who we are. This now speaks to the site.”

What also speaks to who they are is that Padigan practices sustainability on a daily basis. Allen says one of the things he was always taught as a third generation farmer was “to leave the land better than when you started.”

When they built the new winery, along with being the first to have a solar winery in the valley, it was designed and built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) specifications. They are also the only tasting room in Southern Oregon to have Tesla chargers available.

To experience more distinctive Padigan wine:

• 2022 Sauvignon Blanc is fruit expressive with creamy mouthfeel from light French oak. First sip was tropical with an orange creamsicle note. Tropical aromatics. 92-93 points.

• 2022 Viognier was a vibrant surprise for me with light floral notes and tantalizing creamy coconut. 91 points

• 2021 Kiley’s Blend is a plush Syrah blend with a touch of Viognier that elevates the elegant. 92 points. Evans describes it as a “new-world Rogue Valley sorta’ modern take on a Côtes du Rhône.”

• 2020 Estate Reserve Ruby is a rich port-style wine. 92 points.

Padigan Wines, located at 2335 N. Phoenix Road, in Medford, is open from 1 to 7 p.m. daily. For more information, see padigan.com, find @_padigan_ on Instagram, or call 541-779-9463.