Hood River Vineyards was our first stop. We followed the signs through the vineyards, and up to the main building. As we pulled in, we began to question whether we were in the right place. The building resembled an old, run-down barn. There were a couple of doors, no signs. We felt like we were walking into someone’s shed. We tried the "yellow" door. Inside, things were not much better. There were several displays built from old wine barrels, containing an assortment of Hood River’s wine. An old, wooden china cabinet housed a selection of wineglasses and accessories. At the tasting bar, we were swarmed with fruit flies. We swatted and waved the flies away, as we began tasting select varieties of their wines. The Pinot Noir was very good. They also had a nice Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. But after seeing the conditions, I decided that I would wait until our next stop to make any wine purchases. I did buy a souvenir wineglass.

Our next stop was Flerchinger Vineyards. What a difference. In Hood River, Flerchinger Vineyards is best, by far. The Bavarian-style winery and tasting room are very nice. The colorful arrangement of wine and accessories is very pleasing to the eyes. Flerchinger Vineyards also has a nice Pinot Noir. I thought Flerchinger’s Merlot was a little better than Hood River’s. Their Chardonnay and White Riesling were both very good. Here is where I made my purchases. They securely packed each bottle for travel. The best thing about Flerchinger Vineyards, is that they were fruit fly-free.

Most of the Portland-area wineries are located to the south. We wanted to see the Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood, which are to the east of Portland, as well as doing a little wine tasting. By stopping in Hood River, we were able to do both.

Hood River, Oregon is easy to find. From Portland, take I-84 East about 1 hour. Take Exit 62 and follow the signs to each vineyard. Of the two Hood River wineries, I definitely recommend Flerchinger Vineyards.