About Us
R. Stuart Quick Facts
- Winemaker & Fruit Finder: Rob Stuart
- Established 2001
- Annual production: ~20,000 cases
- Wine families: Big Fire, Love, Oregon, R. Stuart Reserve, Sparkling wines, Port style wines
- Tasting room located on Historic Third Street in Downtown McMinnville
- Winery located in Historic Granary District in McMinnville
- Vineyards: Sourced from Willamette Valley, mostly within 30 miles of the winery
Our Story
fter years of working with other people, Rob and Maria Stuart were finally able to realize the dream of creating the winery they had always imagined. One where the quality of the wines is consistently high, but the price isn’t. Where the staff and growers are honored for the heart and soul they put into the work they do, and where the customers are welcomed as friends.
Rob Stuart is a Pacific Northwest veteran winemaker; both his personality and his winemaking style are warm and accessible. His wife Maria loved to cook for friends old and new, but her day job included the winery’s marketing, hospitality, and public relations.
The Wines & Vineyards
Our winemaking focus is primarily on Pinot noir, Pinot gris, our two brut sparkling wines, Rosé d’Or and Bubbly, with a handful of other endeavors thrown in the mix. All our wines taste of the place they are from and are authentic, approachable, intriguing, and perfectly balanced to pair with food.
Whether we harvest the grapes from our estate vineyard or one of the many vineyards we work with, R. Stuart is deeply invested in the quality of the fruit. After decades in this business, we have developed close working relationships with many growers. We have carefully chosen our very favorite vineyards – the ones which provide us fruit in a wide range of textures and flavors. Each harvest we gather these lots of fruit from around the Willamette Valley and thoughtfully craft them into wines that – year in and year out – stay true to our style.
The wines with the Big Fire label – Pinot gris and Pinot noir – are fresh, lively, friendly, and intended for everyday drinking. The Love, Oregon wines are crafted in homage to the pioneering spirit of Oregonians, then and now. Somehow they bring out the romantic in us every time. Our Reserve and specialty wines bear the more traditional R. Stuart & Co. label, and include classic Pinot noirs designed to marry the best of Burgundian and New World winemaking styles.
Our Home in McMinnville
Our winery, which is a historic converted granary, is located in the heart of McMinnville, Oregon. Largely regarded as “the Beaune of the New World,” McMinnville is the ideal location for a production winery, sans vineyards.
In addition to our winery, we also have a tasting room mere blocks away on Historic Third Street. It is here that we welcome people from near and far to taste our wines, linger over a glass, and purchase wine to take home. More than a tasting room, the R. Stuart & Co. Wine Bar perfectly embodies our philosophy that wine should be enjoyed with dear friends.