A guide to oregon wine country

A quick guide to Oregon's Willamette Valley Wine country

By Jane McGregor   Talk to the Author.

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A guide to oregon wine country

Nestled in Oregon, and bordered on two

sides by the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, lies the Willamette Valley. 100 miles long and 60 miles wide, this lush valley is host to 120 wineries, an array of wonderful inns and B&B's, as well as gourmet restaurants that offer the best of Pacific Northwest Cuisine. All of these attractions have led some to call this region Oregon's little Napa. However, for someone on a weekend getaway, it's at a fraction of the cost.

For a weekend getaway or smaller vacation, there

are more than enough things to do and sites to see. In fact, on one trip, a visitor would be hard pressed to see every winery, antique mall, or attraction. There is that much to see and do. For our purposes we will focus on the northern Willamette Valley and the towns and wineries located there.

Some investigation into Oregon's Wine Country

might turn up some critics who claim that the growing conditions are too cool for good wine. This is simply not true, while the climate is a bit too cool for some of the more robust reds, like the Cabernet Sauvingon and Merlot,

it is not too cool for the fabulous Pinot Noir.

Oregon is famous for it's Pinot Noir, a light red with a wonderful flavor. Oregon also grows a plethora of white varietals that can please the most finicky wine taster.

Ahead we will visit some of the communities

that share themselves with visitors by offering

up wonderful wines, friendly faces and an all

around excellent time, in a place that is one of

the Wests best kept secrets. Oregon wine country.

We start our journey in McMinnville, Oregon, where

the population is roughly 24,000. Considered to be the gateway to the northern Willamette Valley, it is an excellent place to begin. In McMinnville proper,there are a few tasting rooms where a person can cozy up and begin to get an idea of just how many wines can be found in the surrounding hills. Mcminnville itself has no wineries, but it has fine restaurants and good places to stay. Mcminnamins is located there with a wonderful rooftop bar that overlooks the city, as well as a host of other inns.

Winding our way up Highway 99, the first stop

for great wine is the small town of Dundee.

Dundee has several wineries, among them are the

famous Argyle winery, as well as the Sokol Blosser, Lange, the well known Erath and Duck Pond. There are others scattered throughout the lush tree lined roads, but the ones listed are some of the larger ones. At these wineries, one can taste a variety of fine wines, purchase cases, bottles or other souveniers, all the while looking out over the green rolling hills.

Right across the street from the Argyle Winery

is the Dundee Bistro, a lovely little restaurant

and good stopping place to have a meal and

plan where to visit next. Next door to the Bistro

is another tasting room, where one can, yet again,

sample some of the smaller wineries offerings that may not be easy to find anywhere else.

The next stop is Newberg, where the Rex Hill,

Chehalem and Adlesheim Vineyards are located.

Newberg is one of the smaller communities, but

the Vineyards are worth the stop.

Continuing on we arrive in Dayton. Dayton is

almost center of the Nothern Willamette Valley and

is home to some of the most spectacular counrtyside. There are lush winding roads and endless rows of green trees. Nestled in these hills is also one of the most elegant places to stay. The Wine Country Farm Bed and Breakfast is centrally located and yet completely tucked away. High atop a hill with a breathtaking view,

The Wine Country Farm is a vineyard with its own

tasting room as well as a first rate Bed and Breakfast. Whether or not you plan on staying there, it's worth the drive.

Also located in Dayton is the Joel Palmer House,

a well known restaurant that offers the best of

the Northwest but with a French twist. Dayton is an all around great place to find yourself when you are in need of a break. It is settled snugly in the middle of wine country, it is one hour to the spectacular Columbia Gorge, a a little under an hour to Portland.

There are also easy day trips to the towns of Gaston, Yamhill and Carlton. In Carlton one can visit the beautiful Chateau Benoit Winery. Their new tasting room is situated high stop a gorgeous hill with the vineyards stretching out below. In Yamhill, there is the Willakenzie Winery and in Gaston, the Elk Cove Vineyards.

While driving can be a hassle while tasting

all the wine, there are some chauffeur driven tours that one can take to alleviate this problem. Another way to solve this problem is to visit one or two wineries a day, tasting just a little at each winery.

All in all, Oregon wine country offers the best in

excellent wine and gourmet Pacific Northwest cuisine at a fraction of the cost of a California wine country vacation. For more information about the Northern Willamette Valley or maps of the region email the McMinnville Chamber of Commerce at: chamberinfo@mcminnville.org

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