Mad Violets Wines

What you want to know:

-Who are they? Stirling Fox and wife Kelley Kidneigh, along with the winery namesakes - daughters Madeline and Violet. Stirling explains: "Mad Violets is a personal project for us, more than a business. It's about us doing what we love to do with who we love and about the elusive "Holy Grail" mythology of trying to make good Pinot!"

-Will I like the wines? Yes, if you like your wine on the wild side. Kelley makes a dark, rich, full bodied Pinot noir with touches of spice and hints of smoked game and earth. In contrast, her Pinot gris is fresh and full of white peach, pear, and apple flavors, finishing with a hint of minerals. Kelley has her own style and you will taste it in the wines.

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More About Mad Violets Wine Company

-What Kelley makes - So far, three wines, a Pinot noir, Pinot gris, and Riesling, in tiny quantities - less than 200 total cases a year.

-Best known for - Stirling Fox is one of the premier Oregon vineyard managers - his 30+ list of vineyards includes high profile Seven Springs and Maresh. Kelley was a standout as a Fermentation Science student at OSU and currently makes wine for Dukes Family Winery - there's lots of buzz in the Oregon wine world about her "mad" skills.

-What about the name? Mad Violets is named for Stirling's daughters Madeline and Violet. Apparently they were a bit of a handful as children - a couple of mad violets, thus the label.

at left, Madeline and Violet