Decades before Wine Enthusiast magazine included southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley as one of the 2022 top five wine regions in the world, the Winchester Inn in Ashland had been celebrating regional vintners and catering to people who travel here to savor award-winning red, white and sparkling wines.

Now, the Winchester Inn has been nominated by USA Today as a 2024 Best Wine Country Hotel. Nominees are selected by a panel of experts and voting by the public continues until 9 a.m. July 22.

The Winchester Inn’s boutique lodging is a handsome collection of Victorian era and newer buildings at 35 S. Second St. elevated above Main Street’s independent shops, like Bloomsbury Books and its a popular wine bar, and a few blocks from Oregon Shakespeare Festival stages, and a shady stroll along Ashland Creek and into Lithia Park.

The inn is also a short scenic drive to Ashland’s rural wineries and tasting rooms overlooking vineyards with views of Cascade and Siskiyou mountains.

Most notable about the Winchester Inn are longtime owners, the Gibbs family, who restored the 1886 mansion built for wealthy businessman Fordyce Roper that had been used as a hospital, boarding house and apartments. After the two-story structure with classic bay windows was returned to its glory days in 1985, the significant architectural landmark earned a listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

Second-generation owner Drew Gibbs, a certified sommelier, focuses on fine cuisine, wine and cocktails at the inn’s two upscale restaurants: Alchemy Restaurant and Bar in the mansion’s window-wrapped sunroom and, across South Second Street, Chateaubriand 36, a French-style steakhouse serving prime cuts from local producers. Insisting on seasonally fresh, locally grown ingredients “guarantee the freshest flavors on your plate while contributing to the sustainability and vitality of Ashland’s culinary tapestry,” according to Gibbs.

Inn guest Laurie Hannon of Hillsboro praises the two-course gourmet breakfast for two included in the room rate as well as daily afternoon treats delivered to the suites and cottages, and a “not-your-everyday” wine list at the restaurants.

“We love eating at Alchemy,” said Hannon, who was first drawn to the Winchester Inn when she and her husband, Greg, walked by the inviting front porch overlooking a flowering garden in 2011. “The food is incredible and the expertly curated wine list is several pages long, boasting local, domestic and international selections.”

The Rogue Valley’s many soil types, elevations and microclimates reward growers with flavorful pinot noir and chardonnay grapes as well as French Rhone varietals such as syrah and viognier, Bordeaux cabernet sauvignon and merlot, Spanish tempranillo and albarino, and many others. In turn, the wide range of grape varieties draw interest from talented vintners.

Ashland wine venues also host concerts, theatrical performances, trivia games, artisan food and wine pairings, and private tours of vineyards, barrel rooms and even a chateau.

Drew Gibbs said he was “surprised” to find the Winchester Inn listed as a USA Today nominee, “but absolutely thrilled and honored that we get to represent the Rogue Valley as a wine destination.”

Longtime inn guest Karen Bliquez of Portland and her husband, Ralph, appreciate the Winchester Inn’s location and hospitality. They have stayed for an annual visit since the 1980s, first with their children, and now, their grandchildren.

“The staff is always helpful and fun, and improvements over the years (mean the inn) just keeps getting better and better,” said Karen. “We come to Ashland mainly for the Shakespeare festival, but we always keep a day free to go wine tasting. Coming back year after year is like coming home.”

Michael and Melanie Freeman of Salem also started staying at the Winchester Inn when their children were young. “Now we come with the three kids, two spouses and our grandson,” said Michael, who likes that the tastefully appointed guest rooms are comfortable and have character. Visiting “is the best time,” he added.

DeeDee Hansen of West Linn, her husband, Mark, and a group of friends have been checking into the Winchester Inn during theater season for more than 25 years. “There is a graciousness there I have never experienced any other place,” said DeeDee. “There are so many repeat guests we reserve our room before we buy theater tickets.”

The Atticus Hotel in McMinnville and Inn the Ground in Carlton are also among the 20 hotels nominated as USA Today’s 2024 Best Wine Country Hotel.

As for wine regions, nominees include Oregon’s Rogue Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) and the Willamette Valley as well as Washington’s Walla Walla Valley, Woodinville and Yakima Valley plus the Snake River Valley in Idaho and Oregon.

10Best editors decide on the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. People can vote once per day in each category at 10best.usatoday.com/awards/travel.

— Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072

jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman