You can’t turn around these days without stumbling over a wine barrel. God bless the wineries, I say. They’re farms, after all, and I’m for farmland, especially with such a water-miserly crop.

The Upper Rogue Wine Trail is having its “Roam the Rogue” wine trail this weekend. But before you go looking for tickets, it’s sold out. I know it’s mean of me to advertise something inaccessible, but that doesn’t mean the wineries are off-limits. “Roam the Rogue” pairs two wine tastings with special appetizers at each winery and comes with a commemorative Riedel wine glass. But I should shut up about what you can’t have now until next year. Fret not — there will be other events. May is Oregon Wine Month, and the cork has popped.

We hear a lot about the wine wonders in the Tuscan-like Ashland hills and Applegate vicinities, but what I want to focus on is the Upper Rogue region of our gorgeous valley. The Sams Valley area hosts dynamic microclimates conducive to growing a wide variety of grapes. There are now six wineries in the Upper Rogue Wine Trail. Two of them are newcomers, and one of the newcomers I’ve yet to visit — The Punch House on Blackwell Road. I’ll save it for another day. The other five are Kriselle Cellars on Modoc Road, Bayer Family Estates on Agate Road, Cliff Creek Cellars on McDonough Road, Del Rio Vineyards on River Road in Gold Hill, and the jewel I want to concentrate on, the other newbie — Sams Creek Cellars. It’s situated on an ancient alluvial flood plain at the bend of the Rogue River.

Though the tasting room just opened last year, Sams Creek Cellars has been in the growing and planning stages for several years. It had just received approval for the tasting room before COVID’s onslaught. David and Gayle Reed first discovered this special property over 23 years ago. As with many avocations, what began as a hobby in 2007 with a few rows of grapes grew to a passion, which they delight in sharing with visitors.

It has become a family affair as so often happens with these wine gigs. Gayle works the tasting room and is the official winery ambassador. Their son-in-law, Brian Reed, has found his calling there. “I’d been working at a farm during college and I thought a desk job sounded pretty nice after that, so I went into insurance for six years. I was getting tired of being stuck behind a desk and wanted to get back outside.” Brian landed back on the farm and attended classes at the Southern Oregon Wine Institute as he and David continued to expand the vineyard.

Their delicious rosé — Somer’s Kiss — is named for the Reeds’ daughter, Brian’s wife. Brian and Somer are raising three children, ages 5, 3 and 8 months. A busy household, for sure.

Sams Creek Cellars grows 11 estate varieties on its 15 cultivated acres with more on the way. It’s all made on the property. The wines we tried were very good, and I found it difficult to choose a favorite. Our first tasting consisted of a 2012 Syrah, 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2017 Pinot Noir, Somer’s Kiss Rosé and a 2017 Zinfandel. Lane is often a zinfandel man, and I tend to go for the cab sauv, and though the wine is quite satisfying, I’m drawn back to the place — with bountiful views and a lush, peaceful vibe, it’s easy to pass an afternoon there in utter bliss and meaningful conversation, or a nap.

During summer, the wind funnels through in the afternoons to freshen up the canyon. The property is dotted with old English walnut trees, oaks and vintage fruit trees. The bears came at the end of harvest last year, so they didn’t make off with much fruit.

Visit the Reeds’ website at samscreekcellars.com. Better yet, visit them at 39 Sams Creek Road just off of Hwy. 234 in Gold Hill. Their current hours are noon to 5 p.m. Friday-Sunday. Good folks, good wine, stellar views. And David tells great stories.