oregon winery visits

[DonWalsh x]

what are the best ones to visit...

[Henry]

Just back from5 wonderful days in the Willamette Valley. We visited Rex Hill, Archery Summit, Chehalem, Cristom,Beaux Freres and Ponzi and were most warmly welcomed every where. Ofcourse we called them more than 2 weeks ago. You cannot just knock on their doors. Wetasted a lot of 98 and 99's with, IMHO, a slight edge going to the 99's. 2000 and 2001 are also reputed to be excellent vintages so Oregon is finally on a roll. If you would like rest. recommendations let me know.

[little ms foodie]

I'm resurrecting this post because the Memorial weekend is a great weekend to head to the Willamette Valley and taste fantastic wines. It is one of the 2 weekends a year that all of the wineries are open. If you get a chance to go I highly recommend, just 30 mins west of Portland. We drink north Oregon wines about half the time and they are really exceptional IMO!

Also restaurants like Tina's, Joel Palmer House and Bistro Maison are making this area a must for foodies like us!

cheers!

p.s. please ignore bad spelling! thanks!

[chefrodrigo]

My 2 favorites are Belle Pente and Bergstrom. They are both pretty small but if you are in town on memorial day I believe they will be open.

I've never visited the vineyard but Drouhin makes very fine pinot. You can also go by Oregon wines on Broadway if you want to taste some samples before heading out to the valley

Rodney

[Really Nice!]

I stopped by there once for a weekend on the way back from a Napa Valley trip in September 2002.

The number one reason for me was to see Witness Tree, but they were closed due to remodling. (Call 888-478-8766 to see if they're open.)

We liked Elk Cove if for no other reason than the view.

Sokol Blosser: Good Evolution #9 and Riesling.

Duck Pond Cellars: Has a good Cabernet Franc that they make in the Colombia Valley.

The Oregon Wine Tasting Room (503-843-3787) is a good place to go for tasting many different wines without having to drive to the different wineries.

Rex Hill Vineyards is another place with a great view of the valley and a warm, friendly atmosphere considering the tasting room is a barn.

[rockdoggydog]

My favorite wineries have been Coleman, Elk Cove, Witness Tree, Ponzi, and ADEA. You really have to stop the Fresh Palate Cafe between McMinnville and Sheridan, oh so good, and the bonus is there is a well stocked tasting room there as well as a nice gallery.

rocky

[sara]

I highly recommend Archery Summit for their very educational tour and beautiful surroundings (tho they do a pretty high-pressure sell at the end). The Tasting Room is also a great stop, especially since Jay McDonald sells his fabulous EIEIO pinot there--honestly, one of the best ones I've ever tasted.

[duckduck]

ooooh...Oregon Wine Tasting Room... I'll definately have to check that out! Thanks for the input, guys! Interesting to see all the people in here I haven't seen before. Welcome if you're newbies!

[Painting]

I have to give Ponzi another nod, great wine and nice people at the counter....

[Chase]

I was in the McMinnville area this past April. I discovered Bistro Maison and was floored by the experience. I'm a foodie from NYC and was shocked to find a place of this quality in a small town. Below is a copy a review I wrote for Zagats.

It’s the last house on McMinnville’s 3rd Street downtown—as authentic an American main street as you will find anywhere, movie house and all. But just before you reach the railroad tracks, there’s a tiny piece of France, Bistro Maison. Owners Chef Jean-Jacques and Hostess/Manager/Bartender Deborah Chatelard are ex-pat New Yorkers (and indeed, Jean-Jacques is an ex-pat of France) having recently followed their dream to Oregon’s wine country. The place is small and often fills up quickly, a combination of locals (“some come two, three times a week,” according to Jean-Jacques), tourists, and increasingly as word gets around, Portlanders who drive 30 minutes to get in on the secret. The atmosphere is bistro; that is, bustling, chairs-scraping-floors casual, with both quiet corners and loud tables. In the summer there is outdoor dining on the patio, alongside the whistle-stop train station. The menu is truly authentic French bistro cuisine, and everything on it is made on the premises, often with local ingredients; ask Jean-Jacques the story about his local mushrooming friends. The baguette is literally right out of the oven; even the butter is special. “He says, ‘It is a bistro, I have to make it all here,’” Deborah explains of her husband. As each new appetizer comes out, and each component is described, one wonders how he has the time (to make, for example, the two kinds of saucisson, pate, mousse, and dijon mustard on just one plate). This is all before the bubbling white truffle three-cheese fondue, the bisques and salads, and then, the main course. Entrée servings are ample and exquisite, so save room for them. Pommes frites in a little metal bucket on the side, so perfectly fried. The desserts remind you once more the care and effort that is going into every one of these dishes, the moment before they reach the table. Local wines (with the knowledge to recommend them) dominate. The service is better described as hospitality, and if you can understand his accent, you can always speak directly to the chef. After all the food is gone and the wine bottles empty, out come the (local) grappa and wooden bowls of hazelnuts with nutcrackers for everyone. One can feast for $35 – 40 a person, wine included. Perhaps it’s the unlikely location of Bistro Maison that has guests tending toward hyperbole when describing the experience. Still, if this bistro were located in New York—or France—it would still be one of the best.

[KatieLoeb]

Wow - Chase's description of Bistro Maison has had an oddly Pavlovian effect on me...

I'd also recommend Foris Vienyards as I'm a big fan of all of their wines. The "Fly Over Red" could pass for Bordeaux if you had your eyes closed and the Gewurztraminer is heavenly and in a much more restrained style than most overblown Alsace Gewurz for example. Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris are also very elegant and delicious. The Klipsun Vineyard Cab/Merlot blends are better than most grossly overpriced California Cabernets too. Nice folks that produce a consistent high quality product year after year.

[Abra]

I'll be in Portland at the end of the summer for a personal chefs' convention, and just based on Chase's stellar recommendation, I want to take a group there. It sounds fabulous!

[Nevan]

KatieLoeb is quite right about Foris wines: very good quality, very good value, underated producer. One note though, if you are visiting the Willamette Valley (the focus of the previous posts) don't expect to be able to visit Foris: they are located hundreds of miles to the south in the Illinois Valley, just this side of the California border. In fact, their "Fly Over Red" (which is definitely an excellent wine at a great price) was given that name because of all the people (including wine writers) who fly up from San Francisco to Portland in order to visit Oregon's wine country outside of Portland . . . thereby flying over—and completely missing—Oregon's other wine country in the proposed Southern Oregon AVA. PS, Bistro Maison IS superb, but don't overlook the Dundee Bistro in Dundee, just to the north of McMinnville.

[KatieLoeb]

KatieLoeb is quite right about Foris wines: very good quality, very good value, underated producer. One note though, if you are visiting the Willamette Valley (the focus of the previous posts) don't expect to be able to visit Foris: they are located hundreds of miles to the south in the Illinois Valley, just this side of the California border. In fact, their "Fly Over Red" (which is definitely an excellent wine at a great price) was given that name because of all the people (including wine writers) who fly up from San Francisco to Portland in order to visit Oregon's wine country outside of Portland . . . thereby flying over—and completely missing—Oregon's other wine country in the proposed Southern Oregon AVA. PS, Bistro Maison IS superb, but don't overlook the Dundee Bistro in Dundee, just to the north of McMinnville.

That's not the story I heard from my wine purveyor. He tells me the "Fly Over" are the tiny narc planes (as depicted on the label) from the DEA trying to locate the amateur botany projects featuring Cannabis Sativa in between the grape vines.

[jbonne]

He tells me the "Fly Over" are the tiny narc planes (as depicted on the label) from the DEA

since both are completely good explanations, this sounds to me like a situation possibly similar to the meaning of mysterious Owen Sullivan's puzzling BSH blend.

they decided its true meaning would not likely pass muster with the wine cops.

[little ms foodie]

Our favorites include Erath, Domaine Droughin, Lange and JK Carriere.

http://www.yamhillwine.com/

[KatieLoeb]

He tells me the "Fly Over" are the tiny narc planes (as depicted on the label) from the DEA

since both are completely good explanations, this sounds to me like a situation possibly similar to the meaning of mysterious Owen Sullivan's puzzling BSH blend.

they decided its true meaning would not likely pass muster with the wine cops.

I checked the website and see no mention of the BSH wine, other than the fact that it's sold out! What's the mystery? Now I'm intrigued...

[jbonne]

it involved certain salty language they decided they'd rather not have in the public domain.

[little ms foodie]

Just back from the north Willamette valley for our annual Thanksgiving wine weekend. What a beautiful 3 days! The weather was gorgeous minus a bit of fog.

We drove in on Friday, shortly before noon and stopped at Chehalem, Owen Roe and JK Carriere. Owen Roe was really fantastic, they were tasting a few of their lables- O'Reilly's, Owen Roe and Cottonwood (not theirs but a new winery). Sinister Hand was completely sold out except for large format, they are doing a very interesting Syrah and we bought some good everyday Merlot from their O'Reilly lable. Only picked up a few bottles of St. Barts at Chehalem (if you haven't read J Bonne's article it is really worth the read, very nicely done Jon.) JK Carriere is a favorite of ours, although a bit pricey. We picked up a magnum of 2002 WV Pinot that we had called in a month ago and also a bottle of their Anderson Valley - only 50 cases produced. This was a very small fruit year and many wineries were sold out of certain wines this weekend!

On to Domaine Serene where we really only were impressed with the Chardonnay futures and then over to Sokol Blossor who has grown so much since my last visit. Not overly impressive but we picked up a few 99 PN's that are tasty and ready to drink now!

We stay out at the Youngberg Inn which is just gorgeous. Dinner that night was at the Joel Palmer House where we haven't been to in 3 years. The service was a bit 'bumbling' for lack of better words. There seemed to be some contest with handing out bread Amuse was a nice bit of wild mushroom risotto with truffle oil and shaved truffles. Very good. We had a Patty Green 2002 WV PN which went very well with our meal. They really know their wines here, when I described the characteristics I was looking for they matched it perfectly!

We each had a soup- Dayne the porcini corn chowder and for me the matsutake. We had to send both soups back as they were barely lukewarm. After sometime they reappeared with tons of truffles shaved on top and many appologies. But they still weren't hot. Excellent soup though.

Dayne had the beef stroganoff which was buried in black truffle shavings, I had the filet in porcini sauce which they had also put a slab of 'faux gras" on (chicken liver pate with mushrooms) and covered in truffle slices. Jack, chef and owner, came out to see if we were pleased. The meal was fine, it didn't seem as nice as the last time we were there. But we were pleased. Finished dinner with a chocolate banana bread pudding.

Sat. we headed out early. Down to the Enola Hills area first. Bethel Heights, Witness Tree and Cristom. We really like the wines that come from this area. Also they are a bit off the normal path and except for the occasional tour bus can be much quieter.

Had a very moving and wonderful conversation with Bryce at Witness Tree. He is the winemaker who St Barts was made for to help with the cost of his ALS care. Bryce is such a passionate person who obviously loves his life that it's heartbreaking to know that he won't be around much longer.

Cristom had some very interesting pre releases that we picked up as well as some library selections. I am quite excited to try the 95 pinot I found there and see if it held it's fruit!!

Back on the road heading up north to Patricia Green and Adelsheim which also had Shea. YUM YUM YUM. that just about sums up our tastes at these 3!

Dinner that night at the Bistro Maison in McMinville. We tried this place last year and fell in love. Perfect bistro food, warm, inviting, great service!! Escargots and Soup L'onion then Coq au Vin and Duck Confit. A bottle of Road's End PN from Carlton Wine Cellars....mmmmmm!!

Sunday on our way out we hit our two old favorite stand bys- Erath and Lange. At Erath we bought a few different years of one vineyard so we could do a vertical tasting at home as well as some everyday drinkers and a refreshing little Gwertz. At Lange we bought futures that we will pick up next year of their Freedom Hill 2003. All their futures were already tasting great so it was a hard decision! We also grabbed a few bottles of their Pinot Gris 2002 that we just had with turkey dinner and was fantastic!

Another successful wine shopping trip and we've already made our room reservations for next year!!

Edited November 29, 2004 by little ms foodie (log)

[jbonne]

Just back from the north Willamette valley for our annual Thanksgiving wine weekend. What a beautiful 3 days! The weather was gorgeous minus a bit of fog. ...

sounds like a terrific trip. (and glad you enjoyed the piece on Bryce/St. Barts. he's a great guy and it's a wonderful project, if a sad one.)

no huge surprise on the Joel Palmer House, though it sounds like they're serving up a slightly heartier menu than the summer. Bistro Maison is wunnerful.

can't speak to much older Cristoms, but the '97 Marjorie was holding its fruit nicely, at least last week.

[little ms foodie]

Just back from the north Willamette valley for our annual Thanksgiving wine weekend. What a beautiful 3 days! The weather was gorgeous minus a bit of fog. ...

sounds like a terrific trip. (and glad you enjoyed the piece on Bryce/St. Barts. he's a great guy and it's a wonderful project, if a sad one.)

←

We were actually able to taste the St Barts at Erath. Very interesting, kind of hard for me to pinpoint things but lots of tart berry, pepper and a bit spicy. When I asked Bryce a bit about the wine and what he thought for opening it he replied "as you can see life is short, I'd say drink it now....but that's just me"