The Urban Cork

The Urban Cork The Urban Cork in downtown Medford, Oregon showcases naturally-made wines from across Southern Oregon

Linda Donovan, an accomplished winemaker with a proven reputation for producing fine wines in Southern Oregon, has opened a new tasting room to showcase her own wines and the wines of her more than 25 clients. The Urban Cork is located in downtown Medford, Oregon, attached to her winemaking facility, Pallet Wines. The Urban Cork is Medford's first dedicated wine tasting bar, and showcases more tha

n 60 wines made on-site with grapes harvested from Ashland to Roseburg, from local staples like Viognier and Tempranillo to more unusual selections like Touriga Nacional and Müller-Thurgau. Tasting and glass offerings are rotated frequently to ensure a unique experience. The Urban Cork will serve as a portal into the local and regional wine scene, a gathering place for locals and visitors to unite over a great glass of wine, a venue for local music and events, and a center for wine education.

This lovely little bottling moment that Melanie captured the other day inspired me to talk about the many different shap...
05/21/2026

This lovely little bottling moment that Melanie captured the other day inspired me to talk about the many different shapes and styles of wine bottles.

Each bottle style has a distinct purpose, and their name reveals their origin. Swipe through the images for examples of each bottle style!

ALSACE
Alsace bottles, aka Germanic bottles, are tall and thin, with gently sloping shoulders. They are primarily used for Reisling, like our L Donovan Reisling (see next slide).

BORDEAUX
Bordeaux bottles are the most widely used bottles. Cylindrical shape with high shoulders, and you most wine varieties are bottled in Bordeaux bottles.

BURGUNDY
Burgundy bottles is synonymous with Chardonnay, and also popular for Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. With a longer neck than Bordeaux and sloping shoulders, it looks more like a fat Alsace bottle.

CHAMPAGNE
Champagne, Cava, Sparkling Wine, and Prosecco bottles often resemble a Burgundy bottle, but are heavier and thicker to stand up to the pressure from carbonation.

PORT
Port, Sherry, Madiera, and other fortified wines utilize this bottle style. They resemble a Bordeaux bottle, but are generally smaller to account for the higher alcohol content and smaller serving size. Port bottles can also have a bulb at the neck to trap sediment during pouring.

PROVENCE
Provence bottles have a pinched silhouette that is akin to a corset or bowling pin. Cotes De Provence is an esteemed region for Rose’, so that pretty pink wine is what you’re most likely to find in Provence bottles, though they are not as prevalent in the US. (This style is not featured in the slides as we don’t have any in stock).

Now that you know the names of these bottle shapes, you can take note of what you see in the wild and impress your friends👀🍷




✨ Makers Market ✨Join us for a weekend of local makers, handmade goods, art, food, cocktails and community vibes!🗓 Satur...
05/21/2026

✨ Makers Market ✨
Join us for a weekend of local makers, handmade goods, art, food, cocktails and community vibes!

🗓 Saturday & Sunday May 30th & 31st
⏰ 11 AM – 6 PM
🛍 Shop unique handmade products
🎨 Support local artists & creators

Bring your friends and come discover something special!

Pallet Wine Company is gearing up for wine bottling next week, so let’s talk Cork vs CapPopping corks the traditional wa...
05/15/2026

Pallet Wine Company is gearing up for wine bottling next week, so let’s talk Cork vs Cap

Popping corks the traditional way is an enjoyable part of wine drinking. The fancy corkscrews, techniques, and personal flair you can bring to the task are entertaining conversation starters that convey a special ritual is taking place.

But they aren’t just for pomp and circumstance! Corks play an important role in the aging process, allowing micro-oxygenation to soften and develop age worthy red wines. They are a natural, renewable resource that has proved its effectiveness, but not without some drawbacks.

Over a long period of time, cork can dry out, becoming more prone to breaking off in the bottle, which is not the funnest way to start a party.

Even less fun, is the occasional ‘cork taint’ which can ruin the smell and flavor of the wine. This is why you’ll notice us sniffing the cork when we open a fresh bottle — quality control.

Enter the screw cap, which has eliminated the risk of cork taint from its adapters since 1959. They provide an airtight seal that locks in flavors and provides uniform aging.

Easy to open and close with no gadgets necessary, they are the go-to for casual, spontaneous picnics. Screw caps are ideal for young, fruit-driven wines.

So what’s not to love? One drawback to screw tops is that the lack of oxygen can trap ‘reduced’ sulphur aromas, so letting it sit to ‘open up’ or swirling your glass becomes important.

Additionally, screw tops do not help red wines soften and develop over time, so they are more appropriate for wines intended to drink young.

Whatever your preference, both closures have their advantages and disadvantages, which is why next week’s bottling sessions will probably include both. Cheers to options!




This week brings gorgeous weather paired with a flight of delicious range of variety! Madrone Mountain Starthistle Cuvee...
05/14/2026

This week brings gorgeous weather paired with a flight of delicious range of variety!

Madrone Mountain Starthistle Cuvee - 100% Gewurtztraminer for the sweet tooth, with baked apples on the palette 🥧

Oregon Garden Resort Pinot Gris - Bright, light, and refreshing with delicate white cherry notes 🍒

Table Rock Vineyard Pinot Noir Rose’-Rose on the nose with flavors of strawberry and hibiscus 🌺

L Donovan Sangiovese- Light bodied and elegant with notes of blueberry 🫐

L Donovan Malbec- Rich and full bodies, with dark chocolate aromas, cherries and blackberry fruits 🍫

Tasting notes are subjective, of course, so you really should experience these wines for yourself to see what you’ll discover! 🍑🍍🪻🍯🍈




Last night was our quarterly wine club release party and we are sharing the abundance of a good time with seven wines in...
05/07/2026

Last night was our quarterly wine club release party and we are sharing the abundance of a good time with seven wines in this week’s flight!

If you are a wine club member who didn’t make it, we missed you! Pop in, try them all, and we’ll send you home with your favorites.

Not a wine club member? Choose any five for your custom flight this week. Also, whatcha waiting for—join the club!

5/6-5/9 Flight Options

⭐️ Late Bloomer Malvasia Bianca
🌝 Pick Me White Blend
✨ L Donovan Verdejo
🌼 District White Blend
🌷 L Donovan Rose of Syrah
🍷 District Red Blend
❤️ L Donovan Reserve Meritage




A little while back, we talked about wine % requirements specific to the West Coast — Oregon, California, and Washington...
05/01/2026

A little while back, we talked about wine % requirements specific to the West Coast — Oregon, California, and Washington. How they differed and overlapped on minimum percent requirements for things like single varietals, AVA, and Vineyard designations.

That same day, a customer came in talking about the 75/85/95 rule — which is the Federal minimum requirements in similar areas. It goes something like this:

75% of the grape content must be of the variety named on the bottle.

85% must be from the named AVA. Also for vintage wines without an AVA.

95% for Vintages with a specified AVA. Also for wines with Vineyard specification.

The wiggle room allows for winemakers to create balanced wines and solve for the year to year challenges mother nature provides, like harvest shortages, etc. While the minimum requirements provide transparency for consumers. Win-win!




This week’s flight highlights two Applegate AVA Vineyards —Schultz and Apricity! Both, of course, are delicious and I wo...
04/30/2026

This week’s flight highlights two Applegate AVA Vineyards —Schultz and Apricity!

Both, of course, are delicious and I would tell you more—but things are busy so you’ll have to come on down and try them out for yourself😃

Isn’t that the best way to experience wine anyways?

4/30-5/2 Urban Cork Flight

2020 L Donovan Riesling Two Rivers Vineyard

2024 Schultz Homeward Chardonnay

2016 Late Bloomer Mourvedre Rose

2019 L Donovan Malbec Belmont Vineyard

We’re here and pouring Wednesday through Saturday, 3-7 🍷




The sun is shining on a brand new flight at The Urban Cork! Grab a friend to catch up with and sip through these tasty R...
04/24/2026

The sun is shining on a brand new flight at The Urban Cork!

Grab a friend to catch up with and sip through these tasty Rogue Valley wines:

Madrone Mountain Gewurtztraminer
2020 L Donovan Chardonnay
2023 La Luna Contenta Rose of Syrah
2023 Arpeggio Bottle Fed Red
2016 L Donovan Tempranillo

From sweet to savory with several stops in between 🍷




Something I’ve been wrapping my head around understanding lately is distinguishing Reductive from Oxidative wine making...
04/18/2026

Something I’ve been wrapping my head around understanding lately is distinguishing Reductive from Oxidative wine making styles.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been watching Drops of God and I now have the urgent need to know what Camille means when she uses Reductive and Oxidative so matter of fact.

By my understanding, a reductive approach to wine making strives to reduce oxygen exposure during the fermentation process to retain the crisp, fresh, fruity characteristics of the juice. It also preserves the bright color in reds. Stainless steel tanks are generally used because they can be sealed air tight. Inert gas blankets may be utilized, and racking is limited. The reductive approach is often used for varietals or blends that are intended to drink sooner, that may not benefit from aging.

One downside to reductive wine making is that the lack of oxygen can result in ‘reduced’ notes like sulpher in a newly opened bottle. This is where decanting a bottle, leaving the cork out upon opening, and swirling or simply letting your glass sit before drinking to ‘open up’ the wine is helpful.

Contrast that with an Oxidative approach, which aims to introduce some oxygen into the fermentation and aging process to develop and soften tannins while building more depth of flavor with savory, nutty, and dried fruit flavors in age worthy wine varietals and blends. Whites can develop a darker, more amber color and reds lean more earth toned with this approach.

The downside to an oxidative style wine making, is that too much oxygenation can lead to an oxidized wine, which goes beyond the beneficial oxidative characteristics to dull and flatten the flavors of wine. Avoiding this extreme takes intention and attention.

With those distinctions made, keep in mind that wine making is all about nuance. Often times, some reductive measures are applied at one stage of the wine making process, and oxidative measures are applied at another point. This combined approach may create the best outcome for a particular batch considering the varietal, equipment, and time available.




This week like every week at the Urban Cork brings a new, five-glass tasting flight that provides the opportunity to dis...
04/16/2026

This week like every week at the Urban Cork brings a new, five-glass tasting flight that provides the opportunity to discover your next favorite wine!

4/15 - 4/18

2022 L Donovan Pinot Gris - Is that crisp apple and a hint of almond? Refreshing!

2022 Butte Mill Viognier - An excitingly bolder Viognier, you just have to try it.

Late Bloomer Mourvedre Rose - Fruity yet dry with a honey rosewater finish. Divine.

2020 L Donovan Sangiovese - This light bodied red plays well with a wide variety of food. Blueberries and boysenberries with a side of earthiness.

2023 Oregon Garden Resort Malbec - Giving jammy strawberry and tart cherry notes with a dash of baking spices.

Which one are you excited to try?

As always, your flight is on us with a two bottle purchase. Wine club members enjoy two-for-one flights every day!




Address

330 N. Fir Street
Medford, OR
97501

Opening Hours

Wednesday 3pm - 7pm
Thursday 3pm - 7pm

Telephone

+15417791788

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Urban Cork posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Establishment

Send a message to The Urban Cork:

Shortcuts

Share

Category