If there is such a thing as the luck of the Irish, winemaker David
O'Reilly has found a pot of gold underneath his Willamette Valley,
Oregon rainbow.
O'Reilly is a dapper man- meticulous in appearance and in his work.
When he smiles, there is mischief in his eyes and smile crinkles-a
sign that smiling is a frequent behavior.
Everything O'Reilly touches has to be the best. It is almost an obsession
with him. From huge, gorgeous wines to hand-numbered bottles and objects
of art gracing his labels, O'Reilly spends the money for a total package.
"Every thing we do is meticulous," said O'Reilly, 37, one
of 12 children born in Belfast, Ireland. "What we do is totally
uncompromised. It is a lifestyle that includes hard work, but the product
is thoroughly rewarding."
Everything O'Reilly does is also thoroughly Irish. The wineries associated
with O'Reilly-Sineann (pronounced Shen-ay-yan), Owen Roe, and O'Reilly's
-all have ties to his former homeland. Sineann is Gaelic for Shannon
River, considered the lifeblood of Ireland. The name stems from a mythical
princess of the Leprechauns, who drowned in the river. Owen Roe was
named for Owen Roe O'Neil, a great Irish patriot. And, of course, O'Reilly's,
which features a drawing of a huge Irish wolfhound on the label.
David O'Reilly
How Owen Roe got its Name
One of the most lasting and identifiable
symbols of Ireland, the red hand, is taken from the O Neill
coat of arms.
The
symbol predates the advent of
formal heraldry, which was introduced
by the Normans and is recorded
on the battle standards of the
Uí Neill in the fourth
and fifth centuries. Even the family motto "Lám
Dearg Éirinn" means "the red hand of Ireland".
There are many legends as to how the
O Neills acquired their motto. One story is that when their
ancestors sailed close to the northeast tip of Ireland they
agreed that whoever landed first would have that area of
land.
A
quick-witted warrior chopped
off his left hand, threw it onto
the shore and claimed his reward!
Modern coats of arms show the symbol
as a right hand, but the more
ancient records clearly have
it as "sinister" or
left.
Owen Roe O'Neill
Poem on the back of
the "Sinister Hand" Bottle
Need land,
row lake,
race kinsfolk for it,
falling behind,
need land,
row harder,
need to touch land first,
falling behind,
row harder,
not going to make it,
grab my sword,
throw ashore,
touched land first.
Owen Roe's beautiful labels
Individual numbering of each bottle
Owe Roe Winery is located on this
Century Farm property
Owen Roe business partner Jerry Owen
with Screwcap finished O'Reilly's wine
O'Reilly's Pinot noir is the most popular value Oregon Pinot noir we sell. Every year the wine's d
...read more
David O'Reilly's take on the beautifully ripe fruit of Walla Walla. A more showy wine, the 06 Walla Walla Cab lays its lush cards on the table. Deep aromas of dark berries and cassis, mocha, deser ...read more
A serious cellar candidate. Tightly wound, with gobs of cherry candy accented by green peppercorns. The flavors glide over a massively textured body, finishing with white pepper and graphite. Th
...read more
Rich layers of black raspberry and black berry combine with exotic spice and smoke. The 06 Ex Umbris is even lusher than the 2005, showing dark cocoa and mineral notes on the sappy finish.
An
...read more
Unforgettable. One
of the most intoxicating noses of any red wine
I've tried. Heady and luscious black
cherry gushe
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New Pinot noir blend. ...read more
New Pinot from CA fruit. ...read more
Shockingly tropical on the nose given the cooler 2007 vintage. Lush ripe passion fruit and hints of vibrant lime curd make for a mouth filling Pinot Gris. The finish is full of lingering white honeys ...read more
Less than 100 cases made, a complex, crisp wine with plenty of sophisticated fruit, clean mineral notes, and long finish. Beautiful opportunity to try New World old vine Riesling. Extremely limited. ...read more
The aromas are so welcoming--cherry cream, pipe tobacco, and caramel, which guides you into the glass. A powerful gush of concentrated mixed plums and currants lavishes your palate. Tons of pure,
Excellent value. New 2007 release: yummy, fragrant, delish. Vibrant minerality and ripe white grapefuit explode in the mouth and follow through with a very clean and refreshing finish. The wine is
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Value label from the makers of Owen Roe and Sineann. Flavors of tropical fruit, hints of ginger, beautiful balance. A steal.
This Riesling has all the qualities of a nice German Kabinet wi
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Both brooding and bright, the 06 Lady Rosa Syrah offers intense richness and complexity. Bitter cocoa, ground coffee, vanilla bean, black fruit, soil, and smoke essence creep from the glass. You're ...read more >>
Our favorite Kilmore Pinot noir to date. Muscular, with a finish that hangs on for minutes. Aromas of baking spices and dried flowers mesh with gushing blackberry, black cherry, and marionberry flav ...read more >>
The 2006 Rosa Mystica Cab Franc is all about elegance and sophistication. The aromas are complex--bright red berry, perfume, and cedar. Initially, the wine is supple and delicate, hiding a richness ...read more
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
BEST
BUY!
This
label hearkens to the spirit
of the original sharecropping
ideal o
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David takes this very limited wine (28 cases made) to wine dinners, and he says it creates a "wow moment" every time. He compares it in style to a good Meursault, combining gorgeous aromatics and inte ...read more >>
What a crowd pleaser! The nose combines sweet red cherry and raspberry fruit with fresh forest - a hint of the scent of swishing through fall leaves on a cold sunny winter day.
Flavors are of ...read more >>
100% Cabernet Sauvignon, David O'reilly describes this as a very concentrated wine with flavors of cassis, blackberry, and a hint of juniper. The yield was down for the 2006 vintage, meaning less
...read more >>
A colossal Cab! Creamy aromas of black cherry, cassis, graphite, and signature Owen Roe barrel toast. Beautifully plush and juicy black cherry, black currant, and black plum flavors are at once heft ...read more >>
Every
year, this wine is an
exhuberant, lush, lively,
juicy blend of Rhone
varietals. This year
it's 63% Grenache, 1
...read more >>
"The 2006 Abbot's
Table is a stunner, says winemaker David
O'Reilly. "It's
a wine for all occasions and all people". ...read more >>
Owen Roe's David O'Reilly's newest "value" wine, Murphy's Law is a well priced, quaffable red blend! The back of the bottle says: "Here's to making a disaster of a wine. A gorgeous red blend of G ...read more
