Food, drink and Rogue Valley wine in East Medford
Medford is the biggest city in one of Oregon's wine regions, and the official visitor bureau describes wine as one of the area's main draws. This guide covers the facts that do not change from year to year.
The Rogue Valley appellation
- The Rogue Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) was established on January 23, 1991.
- It covers about 1.15 million acres, in Jackson and Josephine counties, and lies entirely within the larger Southern Oregon AVA.
- Seventeen grape varieties are approved for the appellation, among them Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Tempranillo, Merlot, Malbec and Viognier.
- The Rogue Valley has roughly 45 wineries and 180 vineyards on about 4,000 planted acres by one count (Wikipedia, 2025). Travel Medford says "more than 150 wineries" for the wider Southern Oregon wine country. Counts vary because they draw different boundaries.
The four wine trails
Travel Medford describes four wine trails in the area: Applegate, Bear Creek, Upper Rogue and Jacksonville. It says wineries are "30 minutes or less" from the Medford airport and publishes a digital wine guide and a wine passport. Use their pages for the current list of tasting rooms and hours, which change.
Cooler parts of the valley favor Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, while the warmer, drier parts suit Syrah and Tempranillo.
Food and drink
We do not rank or list restaurants here. Downtown Medford Association runs Forks & Friends, a restaurant week and stroll, and the Travel Medford events calendar lists food and farm events by date. Local food and drink businesses that want to be on this site can be listed.