Brandon R, thanks for your posts. I didn’t really have a question about vineyard accommodations, but I was trying to respond to the OP, davidlowns, posts and offer a few suggestions. Durant Vineyards is another site with lodging options. I’m sure that there’s more options.
My wife and I took a trip to the Willamette Valley in the Fall of 2016. It was a fantastic and very memorable trip. We stayed in McMinnville at the 3rd Street Flats, and ate at Thistle and La Rambla. All were recommendations from this board and I would highly recommend all of them. As has been mentioned in this thread, McMinnville is a perfect place to stay in the Valley, very centrally located and a good town for walking, etc…
If you are still planning a trip to the Willamette Valley, I would highly recommend our one-week itinerary. We flew in to Portland and stayed there for two nights. It was our first time visiting Portland and there are lots of great bars and restaurants to try. It’s a cool city that should be part of your plan. We then drove out to the Oregon Coast to Cannon Beach for two days. I have not seen many board members comment on this side trip (as most are focused on the wine scene), but you shouldn’t miss it. Incredibly spectacular scenery, very wild and pristine coastline, huge rock formations in the surf that you can walk out to at low tide, etc…and it’s only like a 2-hour drive from Portland. We then drove from the coast to McMinnville (another only 2-hour drive), and spent three days there doing the wine thing. We visited Biggio Hamina, Goodfellow, White Rose, and many others along the way. A good time for sure. Then we ended our trip by driving back to Portland via the Columbia Gorge route, which was also beautiful scenery.
We found that the mix of city, coast, and wine country was a perfect scenario for our trip. A little bit of everything kept us fresh and invigorated. If it is your first time in that area, you can’t go wrong. I can’t wait to go back…
You really nailed it with that itinerary in my opinion. I lived in Oregon for 20 years and those are all great spots with the added advantage of being very close to one another as you point out. When people ask me about a good week in Oregon centered around Portland and wine, I suggest 2 nights in Portland at the Governor (now called Sentinel) or Nines Hotels, a couple nights at the coast at the Stephanie Inn in Cannon Beach and then a few nights in wine country at the Allison Inn. Columbia River gorge is also breathtaking. If you have even more time, spend it in central Oregon in and around Bend - beautiful and you’ll feel like you’re in a different state than the one you were in but 3.5 hours away in Portland.
We were in the area in October, and I would say avoid Dundee etc if 99W is still down to one lane. It’s the only way to get around and was pretty miserable to get on/off. We enjoyed Red Hills Market for lunch though!
For everyone coming to Oregon Wine Country, there is a Newberg/Dundee Bypass that opened a couple of months ago that has pretty much eliminated the bottleneck getting through Dundee. Travel time to McMinnville during afternoon traffic is 10-15 minutes shorter than it was before the Bypass.
Will do… Got a few confirmations of tasting lined up today. Still trying to figure out something walkin and walking distance to 3rd for a late afternoon tasting after Biggio Hamina.
I agree with your approach and wish I had some more time to spend. I am trying to split my tasting between wines I know well but can’t get enough of, Producers I have had limited samples of but want to try more, and some that I haven’t had at all.
Care to share any highlights, lowlights, or learnings…
Love beer and Heater Allen was defintely on my list of must stops. Now that I know I have Cameron on Tap well that just makes it better.
Sad to hear Todd will not be around that weekend. So I have a tasting with Vincent Sat at 10:00, Then lunch at the Valley Commisary and now my afternoon is wide open. I prefer more AFWE leaning wines. Already tasting @Goodfellow on Friday.
Any suggestions for tastings in McMinnville preferably walking distance to 3rd st. on Saturday afternoon
Thanks to all for the encouragement and feedback. It’s going to be an amazing adventure.
If you have the time for a Columbia Gorge day trip, head to Hood River, there are a few wineries on both sides of the river. Then loop up Mt. Hood to Timberline Lodge on the way back. If you head further east to The Dalles and a few more wineries you hit the desert and the geology laid bare by the Missoula Floods is fantastic. I’ve lived here all my life and the Gorge never fails to impress.
Everyone has their own agenda when they go on vacation, to each his own…My best advice for a trip to the Oregon/Portland/Willamette Valley area is to not make your trip all about the wine and wine tasting. There is so much to explore and see and enjoy there. I love wine as much as anyone, but spending a whole week in the Valley, on a schedule and visiting wineries and tasting wines was just too much for me. 3-days was enough. I wouldn’t have traded spending a few days in Portland and Cannon Beach for anything. For me, it was the best of all worlds. City/Coast/Wine…Heaven
Check out Eyrie. They’ve been here for 50 years, and they still make fantastic wines. If you are on the AFWE side of things they are right in your wheelhouse, and they almost always have something with serious age that they are tasting. You have to walk past Eyrie to get to our Brewery.
Very nice! Anybody like us that has spent time Jersey and Oregon know how different they are. About the only similarity is inability to pump your own gas at the station…although I hear that is starting to change in parts of Oregon.
They had raw bar a few weeks ago… Here’s a description of their dinner last friday:
SOLD OUT6:30pm, FRIDAY, March 16, 2018 - Friday Dinner Series
$75.00
Join us every Friday night as our chefs offer some delicious eats, and pair them with some of our favorite beverages. Grab your friend or partner and join us for a meal, mill about our new space. Enjoy menu below with paired with Wine, Beer, Cider, or Spirits in a communal social dining setting.
→ PRICE INCLUDES ALL FOOD, BEVERAGE, & GRATUITY.
Custom Menu of the Evening:
Pierogi/beet soup/crème fraiche
Pork belly/braised winter greens/duck egg/caraway mustard emulsion
Steelhead/carrot/spaetzle/Brussels
Chocolate torte/hazelnut/raspberry sorbet
![[wow.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/7/7d450e9830889c8943b674446a21b7254cad657e.gif "wow"){kind=small}