Stratford Inn in Ashland

Located just 25 miles east of the Pacific Ocean in the Illinois Valley, Foris Vineyards Winery rests at a higher elevation and has distinctly different characteristics for wine growing than its neighboring Applegate and Bear Creek Valley wine trails. This maritime climate combines with cooler nights, consistent fall ripening patterns and a late winter to create the perfect terroir for growing the Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Riesling and Muscat grapes that Foris has become famous for.

Founder Ted Gerber began making homemade wine in college and came to the Illinois Valley over 35 years ago to grow grapes commercially. He planted his first grapes in 1974 and Foris-label wines emerged 12 years later. Since then, Gerber’s initial one-property venture has expanded into a three-vineyard, multi-property, 400-acre estate that takes advantage of its location in the westernmost portions of the Rogue Valley Appellation, where cooling from the ocean is more prevalent. Here, Gerber and his team produce a diverse variety of wines from over 115 acres of vineyards. “When I first came to Oregon after some friends moved here, I was told that you can still get on in Oregon [in the winemaking business] with no money and a strong back,” says Gerber. “We put the money we earned right back into the vineyard for all these years.”

Foris now produces 10 distinct wines, which are distributed in over 40 states with over 30,000 cases marketed per year. From his Alsace varietals, Gerber creates decidedly New World versions of Old World wines. For instance, Riesling is traditionally grown and processed as a sweet wine; Gerber’s domestic version is drier and was received so well at the 2009 Taste of Harry & David Wine Competition in Medford and the 2010 Greatest of the Grape competition in Canyonville that it was awarded gold medals at both.

Gewürztraminer, too, is traditionally known as a sweet wine; Gerber’s Gewürztraminer is decidedly drier and more exotic with spicy notes. The Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc from Foris are recognized for a balanced, concentrated fruit taste; the Pinot Noir is very light and aromatic with lush flavors and a rich texture.

Since its inception, Foris Vineyards Winery has employed a network of family members and experts to assist in the winemaking and business processes. The company also maintains countless sustainable and ecological practices throughout its estate, which is surrounded by pristine BLM land. Gerber has been granted the label “Watershed Friendly Steward” for his many eco-friendly practices: Instead of using anti-mold chemicals, Foris workers strip grape leaves by hand so natural sunlight can reach inner leaves and prevent mold growth on the grapes; ground water and water from gravity-fed creeks are reused in the vineyards; OSHA-approved housing shelters up to 25 seasonal workers; and four-legged intruders are captured in humane animal traps then safely relocated.

That doesn’t mean there’s no sign of human industry—the Foris estate sits on a heap of gold mining tailings (in this case, huge piles of rounded stones) left over from the 1860s.

Checking into the easy-going Stratford Inn in Ashland means staying with a really happy, hospitable family.

Consider these homey features. First, the large patio with shaded seating and a barbecue ready to grill the meats or veggies you picked up at the nearby growers market or grocery store. Second, the cheerful café onsite, in which guests refresh with a cremoso or glass of Southern Oregon wine and munch on homemade gluten-free apple cake. And, just like at home, everyone has free use of the laundry room.

But the most telling fact that the Stratford Inn is, as the staff says, “a home away from home,” is that most people resting in the 53 rooms are repeat visitors. Trudy and Elliot Mazer have been driving from Sacramento to stay here three or four times a year since 1984. “Doing the math, that means we’ve stayed at the Stratford more than 100 times,” says Trudy Mazer, who plans their stays around theater, the Fourth of July parade and other Ashland events. “They should name a wing after us.”

Mazer says she and her husband return because the staff, which has stayed pretty consistent over the years, remembers them and reserves their favorite room on the top floor, overlooking the mountains. The Inn’s location, says Mazer, “is close enough to participate with the crowds of downtown Ashland and far enough away to provide some space.”

The family that owns the Stratford Inn has been hearing compliments like this since they opened the doors 30 years ago. Like their guests, the Tumpanes came to Ashland as frequent visitors and then settled in. Proving that family closeness and Ashland are part of the Tumpane DNA, patriarch Jim Tumpane honeymooned years ago in the arts-oriented city with his wife, Becky, her parents and his parents.

In 1980, Jim Tumpane, who lives in Vancouver, Washington, listened to his mother-in-law when she suggested he build a hotel in Ashland. He and a group of investors erected the three-level Stratford Inn on a corner lot that once held a car dealership. By 1984, Tumpane was the sole owner.

In a situation that could only be called a “trust business,” not a trust fund, Tumpane wanted to help each of his children build a business. Fifteen years ago, his daughter Allison and her husband Josh Hamik agreed to manage the Stratford Inn. The young couple now have three children and three new businesses: a professional cleaning service that employs the Inn’s equipment; a Website business that produces the online insider guide Passport2Ashland.com and offers full-service Website creation, marketing and social media; and Boulevard Coffee, the Inn’s café that serves baked goods and light meals created by Tumpane’s son, Chef Geoff Shaffer.

Tumpane’s daughter Sarah Tumpane, a University of Oregon and Ashland Institute of Massage graduate, has a massage business here and volunteers for the Farm to School program. Another daughter Elizabeth, and her husband, Jason Rowan, own The Beetanical Apiary, a bee farm in Creswell.

Even with all of their endeavors, the family is never too busy to greet a guest or find new ways to improve their stay. Repeat guest Trudy Mazer appreciates the Inn’s new contemporary decor. “It’s more sophisticated, but not stuffy,” says Mazer. “It’s like coming home.”

Stratford Inn
555 Siskiyou Boulevard, Ashland
541-488-2151
www.stratfordinnashland.com

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SOUTHERN OREGON MAGAZINE

Stratford Inn in Ashland