09/23/2025
WINE TASTING EVENT
Meet Rocks of Bawn founder, David O'Reilly, this Thursday, September 25, between 4:00 and 7:00 PM at Center Court Cafe. Drop by at anytime to visit with Cafe Manager, Mike Foiles, and Court 2 Sponsor, Clay Dudley, who will be enjoying the great offerings from one of the newest wineries in the PNW. O'Reilly was born in Belfast, Ireland, and was inspired by a popular Irish folk song called "Rocks of Bawn" which pays homage to the determination of those who faced hardship on the rocky west coast of Ireland.
Rocks of Bawn currently produces five wines. The first is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, SĂŠmillon, and Muscadelle. The Sauvignon Blanc comes from a vineyard near Konnowac Pass called Nightingale Mountain Vineyard. The site sits at 1,400-feet in elevation, and the Sauvignon Blanc is north-facing, keeping it cooler.
âI think that we make some really amazing white wines in the Pacific Northwest,â he says. âI donât think weâre staking our reputations on the whites the way that we should.â
The red blend, meanwhile, is mostly Merlot. Much of the fruit comes from Frenchman Hills Vineyard, a high elevation site on the Royal Slope. Some of the Merlot also comes from Southwind Vineyard, a ridgeline site in Walla Walla Valley.
âI wanted to make it as un-Cabernet as possible,â OâReilly says. âItâs very pretty, very textural.â
The Rocks of Bawn Chardonnay, meanwhile, comes from a small site called Reger Vineyard in the Chehalem Mountains appellation in Willamette Valley. The Pinot Noir hails from Sylvanus Estate Vineyard on the very west end of the Yamhill-Carlton appellation.
Finally, the Cabernet Sauvignon comes largely from Frenchman Hills Vineyard. It also includes some fruit from Red Mountain and Horse Heaven Hills.
The red and white blends are both called âShafts and Furrow.â The name comes from a poem titled âThe Followerâ by Seamus Heaney.
As always with OâReillyâs wines, the Rocks of Bawn labels are distinctive and eye-catching. They were designed and sketched by OâReillyâs wife and their daughters Brigid and Marie-Therese.
Bottles will be available for purchase to those attending the wine tasting. Register today!
Register by clicking on the link below:
https://tcsp.clubautomation.com/calendar/event-info?id=1032804&style=0&isFrame=0