Wine-Tasting in the Willammette Valley

After a relaxing and rejuvenating night at a bed and breakfast, my boyfriend Rick and I headed out from Salem and within 20 minutes had visited our first winery, one of many that day. We stuck to the backroads, and encountered acres of twisting grape vines, gorgeous green woods and golden fields of waving grasses. Most of our trip was through the North Willamette Valley, and we took Route 221 up most of the way, with only a few detours to specific wineries. And, of course, 90% of the tastings were complimentary. Based on my experience with wineries in California and the East End of Long Island, I can say that the pourers we met in Oregon were among the friendliest yet, and enjoyed discussing their wines, wine in general, and wine-producing regions all over the world.

Quick Tips:

Oregon grows and bottles 11 major varietals, or types of grapes, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay being the two kinds of grapes most successfully grown. In Oregon, there are five recognized appellations, or wine-producing regions. Before you go, map out the wineries you'd like to visit, and I'd suggest visiting no more than 7 in a day, and even this is ambitious. The driving quickly will make you tired, as the wineries are set much further apart than what you would find in Napa Valley, for example. You can get more information and an annually-updated list of wineries at www.oregonwine.org. Call ahead to confirm when wineries are open for tasting. And, if you find a bottle of wine you like -- buy it and buy many, as most wineries offer discounts for bulk (half or full cases) purchases. They will even ship it back for you if you flew in to town.

Best Way To Get Around:

You have no choice but to drive. You may want to designate a sober driver!

True to the name of this classy yet casual b&b, the house treats its visitors to a tasteful theme of classic Hollywood movies. Some share a bath, and some have private baths, but all are clean and comfortable and charmingly furnished. We stayed in the "Pillow Talk" room, and were surrounded by mounds of pillows -- pretty ones, lacy ones, mushy ones, pillows with funny or romantic phrases embroidered on them. Other room themes were inspired by "Blazing Saddles", "Auntie Mame", "Christmas in Conneticuit", and "Topper." None of the rooms have their own tv, but that''s fine because the common room has one with a vcr, along with an extensive and impeccably-catalogued movie collection. We watched "How to Marry a Millionaire" while we were there. The innkeeper, Ricky, is a charming and helpful woman, who made us feel right at home and answered all our questions with either a stack full of brochures or her own smiling reply. The other guests we met at breakfast were interesting, well-traveled people, too. Breakfast was delicious -- and not just standard pancakes and bacon, either! Her gourmet meal was served on eclectic china with wonderfully heavy silver. Let me tell you, we ate a late lunch that day. Out back she has a lovely wide lawn with well kept flowerbeds and a creek that runs behind her property. In every way, this b&b was truly a delight, and I would stay there again if I ever return to Salem.

Address: 2995 Michigan City Avenue NW, Salem, OR, Tel 503 362 1596.

This was our first stop after heading out from the B&B, and if there was ever a winery to give us an indication that the Oregon appellations were something unique, this was it! When we drove up the gravel road, we were directed by a cartoon of a woman, bathing in a barrel of wine. Not even half an hour outside of Downtown Salem, this vineyard is situated up on a hill that is set so farback from Route 221 that you can't see one while at the other -- heaven! Of course, the tasting room overlooks acres of their grape vines, and as I stood there at about 11am with a sip of Cabernet Sauvignon in my hand, looking over the fields, I could not think of a better way to start my day. Redhawk is know mostly for its highly unorthodox wine labels. Many of them are cartoons which spoof on wine and its sometimes-snobbish culture. For example, one of the wines they produce comes bottled with a near-image of the Grateful Dead logo -- a red table wine, its name is "Grateful Red." Instead of the usual chamber or jazz music that is piped into tasting rooms, these folks had good old fashioned rock and roll in the background. For personality and character, as well as reasonably priced table wines, this is a great first stop.

Address: 5000 Sokol Blosser Lane, Dundee, OR, tel. 800 582 6668.

After many false starts and trips up dirt roads that led to closed wineries (always call first if you really want to taste particular wines!), we arrived way up Route 221 at Sokol Blosser. This winery had a much more established feel, and indeed you could tell that they are situated more on the main wine "drag" -- much closer to Portland, they had cityfolk coming to buy cases of wine for Fourth of July parties and weddings. I enjoyed their wine, and indeed we bought 4 or 5 bottles of various labels -- a Pinot Noir, a Cab Sauvignon, and a special blended white called Evolution No. 9 which I'm waiting to drink with some top-notch Thai take-out. While we were there it was raining, so we chose to stay inside at the bar and taste away, but you could also take a self-guided tour through a part of their vineyards. (I hear that if you try and pluck the grapes while touring an alarm will sound.) I would definitely include this vineyard in any tasting tour of the Willamette Valley, as the wines are worth it and the surroundings are very pleasant. There is a deck outside where you can take a newly-purchased bottle of wine, and a picnic lunch and relax with friends at tables. In sunny weather, I can't think of anything more pleasant.

Address: 691 Highway 99W, Dundee, OR 97115, tel. 503 538 8520.

Another winery on the main drag, by this time Rick and I had realized we were moving from place to place with the same group of tasters, and they were getting annoying. So we decided to take our time at this winery and let the group advance without us, and as a result we bonded with the pourer. She in turn graced us with complimentary tastes of special vintages of their premier sparkling wines, and explained to us the difference in taste between sparklers made with different varietals (or blends). We did not make a purchase, although I wanted to, only because our budget was starting to feel the strain. I'd definitely recommend stopping here as well, if only to taste the acclaimed sparkling wines, but try and get there early as it can get crowded and noisy.

Address: 9409 NE Worden Hill Road, Dundee, OR 97115, tel. 800 539 9463.

We arrived at Erath, tasted a few wines, and began to think that perhaps we weren't such discriminating wine drinkers after all, as most of the wines we tasted we enjoyed. Or perhaps we were so pleased with the views of the hills around us -- rolling green hills covered in trees and open vineyards -- that we were happy to keep toasting to each vintage. This tasting room was the most crowded of all, but we perservered at our spot by the bar and bought a few bottles of Chardonnay, reserve and estate. The reserve was buttery, smooth, and full, and so was the estate but to a lesser degree. Months later, unable to find the estate at shops in New York, I emailed the winery and ordered a case. Half I gave as gifts, the rest I'm saving for summer meals.

Address: 18380 NE Buena Vista Road, POBox 8, Dundee, OR 97115, tel. 503 538 6476.

Again, Rick and I arrived at another tasting room where we could not decide if were were glad we came for the wine or for the views. This winery is even higher than Erath, and both afford splendid views of the Red Hills. Like most other Oregon wineries, Lange produces a Pinot Noir and a Pinot Gris. Theirs, however, are very dry and if you like dry wine, these will enchant you. If you don't like dry wine, fear not: you can play with their puppy and their cat, which have wines named after them.

Address: 23924 territorial Highway, Monroe, OR 97456, tel. 541 847 5792.

We definitely saved the best for last. Completely out of the way and in the South Willammette Valley, it took us an hour plus to arrive here from the other wineries in the North Willamette Valley, driving pellmell through backroads flanked by truly golden fields, which were a lovely change from the leafy views of the Red Hills. Rick and I had drank an excellent bottle of Benton Lane Pinot Noir while in Chicago a few months earlier, and we can sincerely say that one bottle of wine was our inspiration for the whole day of tastingin Oregon. When we began our journey, we couldn't even remember the name of the winery, but we knew the label -- a distinctive and whimsical red and white postage stamp, with their vineyards as the centerpiece. This winery produces only Pinot noir, and boy do they do it well (we left with four bottles). I believe the owners of the vineyard had been involved with Napa Valley's Stag's Leap. We arrived a bit bedraggled from the drive, but the pourer, Sharon Whitney, poured us a few tastes of their current vintages and gently started up a conversation about wine, asking us, "When did you start thinking about and enjoying wine?" It didn't hurt that we were the only tasters in there the whole time -- we slipped in a half hour before closing. While there are not as many wineries in this part of the Valley, it is worth it to include a few in a trip, as they should always be a bit quieter than those in the North Valley.