Ravissant Cellars
Where legacy, landscape, and hospitality shape a new Rogue Valley experience
Story by Chris Cook
Photography by David Gibb
The road curves above Medford, climbing past orchards before pears give way to vines—an unmistakable sign of a Rogue Valley in transition. As you wind into the Pioneer Hills, established rows sweep across the hillside. Poplars sway. Then the view opens, wide and cinematic.
From Carpenter Hill, the valley stretches in every direction: rolling hills, distant ridgelines, and farms shaped by generations of agricultural life. It’s easy to forget how close you are to town.
That moment, when conversation pauses and your eyes drift toward the horizon, is often the beginning of a visit to Ravissant Cellars. Because Ravissant isn’t simply a winery. It’s an experience of place: a hillside sanctuary where legacy, hospitality, and landscape come together in a way that feels rooted, and unmistakably new.
As one visitor put it: “You arrive for the wine, but what stays with you is the feeling—the warmth, the beauty, and the sense that you’ve discovered somewhere truly special.” Trish Glose, former TV news anchor and creator of the YouTube channel Hungry for More, says, “I feel like I ‘grew up’ alongside the Southern Oregon wine scene. I moved here in 2002 and fell in love with Southern Oregon wine. Our identity is diversity. You’ll find small tasting rooms, garage tasting rooms, and sprawling, elegant spaces. And with more than 70 grape varieties grown here, it’s a playground for wine lovers. Ravissant offers something special and unique, enhancing the diversity we love.”
A Vineyard with a Past—and a Future
Ravissant Cellars may be new in name, but the land beneath it carries decades of intention and stewardship. Originally Carpenter Hill Vineyards, the site has long been recognized as one of Southern Oregon’s most thoughtfully developed vineyard properties. Its story begins with Lee Mankin, a former dentist who fell in love with wine while studying in Italy and spent years searching for the right place to plant grapes of his own. The steep slopes, well-drained soils, and dramatic diurnal shifts of warm days followed by cool nights made Carpenter Hill ideal for Rhône varietals. Mankin studied soil composition, drainage, solar aspect, and temperature behavior before planting.
Plaisance Ranch’s Joe Ginet, one of the Rogue Valley’s early wine pioneers, remembers Mankin’s influence. “Back when a handful of us were trying to build recognition for Southern Oregon wines, Lee Mankin was right there helping lead the charge,” he says. “He believed deeply in the value of this region’s fruit and in showing the outside world what the Rogue Valley could produce. Vineyards like his helped lay that foundation.”
Mankin wasn’t only farming grapes, but helping build a regional identity. And now that legacy continues under new ownership, that of Cathy and Arlan Mendell. “We didn’t just buy a vineyard,” Cathy says. “We stepped into a living history, and we’re here to carry it forward with care, joy, and purpose.”
The Dream That Led Them Here
The Mendells’ path to vineyard life began far from wine country. Cathy built a national career commuting from Medford for nearly two decades, later launching startups and opening a financial planning firm where she spent 15 years helping clients navigate retirement. International travel shaped the next chapter. She and Arlan fell hard for Tuscany—not just the landscapes, but the culture around wine. “It’s not about points,” Cathy says. “It’s about sitting at the table, phones down, people engaged.” Wine is less a beverage than a ritual: dinner, conversation, laughter, and presence.
Back home, the couple raised their family on a 90-acre equestrian ranch in the Applegate Valley. Arlan, a builder, maintained the property for years, as both of them shared a long-standing dream of living among vines.
When this property came on the market, Cathy recognized it immediately: the Tuscan feel, the age of the vines, the potential. The name Ravissant, derived from the French word for “delightful” or “ravishing,” reflects what they hope visitors will experience: elegant wines in a warm, welcoming, and deeply personal setting.
European Soul, Oregon Ease
The property feels at once international and distinctly local. Tuscan-yellow architecture anchors the space, and tile roofs catch the light. Cypress and olive trees frame the entrance. Fig trees soften the courtyard. Everywhere, intentional design balances natural beauty.
Chef Platon Mantheakis, who caters events at Ravissant through Platon’s Kitchen, describes it simply: “The location evokes Southern Europe—the vines wrapping around the hill, the cypress, the olive trees. It’s romantic and beautiful. As the Greeks would say, the view opens your heart.”
And yet Ravissant is unmistakably Oregon in spirit: relaxed, inclusive, and unhurried. Guests arrive in hiking shoes and sundresses, with friends, family, or alone. Solo visitors are welcomed: a quiet table, a satisfying pour, and a view worth lingering over.
A Tasting Experience That Feels Like Home
What sets Ravissant apart isn’t only the landscape, but also the feeling of being welcomed. This isn’t a traditional tasting room where you line up and move on. Ravissant is integrated into the Mendells’ courtyard and garden, creating an intimate, personal space. David Gremmels, founder of Rogue Creamery and longtime neighbor, describes it vividly. “The feeling you get after visiting the tasting room is that their generous hearts are open and welcoming to all. Everyone is treated like family and honored for who they are. To taste wine at Ravissant is truly special because you’re being welcomed into the home of the vineyard owners, and that’s rare.” He continues, “It feels less like a commercial tasting room and more like being invited into a personal sanctuary where the wines, the land, and the people are all connected.”
Stewardship at the Center
From the beginning, the Mendells approached Ravissant as stewards, not just owners, transitioning the vineyard to organic farming practices guided by long-term vineyard health and a commitment to the land.
Gremmels has watched the property’s evolution for years. “I’ve been connected to that property for many years, starting when Lee Mankin planted Syrah. Each spring, I would arrange to pick upwards of 75,000 young Syrah leaves from the vineyard to wrap Rogue Creamery’s famed Rogue River Blue. It became a Rogue Valley tradition. People would volunteer and join me at sunrise to help harvest the leaves by hand.” He adds, “The Carpenter Hill area is historic and has been meticulously cared for over the years, and now I feel it’s in very good hands with Cathy and Arlan.”
Wines, Community, and the Future
Ravissant’s wines are crafted to reflect the land first; balanced, expressive, and approachable. As the lineup evolves, expect Rhône-inspired reds, along with a growing selection of whites and rosés for relaxed afternoons and long meals. “We have an amazing winemaker who can work magic with the grapes, but the goal is always the same: to produce wine that’s genuinely excellent,” Mendell says. “It can’t be sort of good. Quality means something to me.”
“They are starting with a class above most vineyards, some of the best vines and the most carefully tended vineyard in the Rogue Valley,” according to longtime wine professional. “That legacy shows up in the glass; the wines reflect the integrity and intention behind the land.”
For regular visitors, Ravissant is building something that feels less like a traditional wine club and more like belonging. Seasonal dinners and gatherings bring people together around conversation and connection. “It’s beautiful here at night, especially during supper club when there’s warmth and light everywhere,” Mendell says. “Our members come in regularly. And the best part is, they’re bringing friends.”
Wine club member Sharon Anhorn adds, “Even though I’ve lived here my entire life, I find that these dinners are a lovely way for people with similar passions to meet. As a founding wine club member, I’m guaranteed a seat at the table. A good thing, since these events always sell out!”
The Mendells aren’t in a hurry. Growth will come deliberately—more wines, more gatherings, more opportunities to connect. “My hope is that Ravissant becomes known for producing truly great wine, and for the experience people have when they’re here,” Mendell says. “If people leave feeling connected, relaxed, and cared for, then we’re doing what we set out to do.”
“Ravissant brings something new to the table while honoring the past. There’s a sense of history here, paired with new ownership and a focus on environment and elegance, a blend of what’s been and what’s next,” YouTuber Glose concludes.
“This place has a heartbeat,” Mendell says. “You feel it when people arrive. You feel it when they settle in. And you feel it when they don’t want to leave.”
Gremmels agrees: “This property found them. And they’ve found the winemaker within themselves. What they’re creating is a true expression of this corner of the Rogue Valley—the land, the vines, the people. It’s authentic.”
Cathy believes that’s what people are really searching for now. “People don’t just want a tasting anymore,” she says. “They want to feel something. They want to slow down. They want to remember what it’s like to just sit and be together.”
Ravissant Cellars
541-951-1379
