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Off-Season Wine Touring... page two
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The Willamette Valley -- North, South... and East

     Continuing north from the Umpqua region, the traveler enters the southern portion of the Willamette Valley, another excellent winter wine-touring destination. 

       King Estate is a great first stop on your visit to this part of the huge Willamette Valley appellation.  The winery's Visitor Center is open seven days a week from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and includes both a tasting room as well as a restaurant!  It offers complimentary wine tasting and tours of its production facility.  A food and wine-pairing menu is available daily and the dinner entree menu is available after 5 pm, featuring local organic produce to fully complement your wine tasting experience. The menu rotates seasonally.  The Visitor Center also offers an extensive wine flight list, artisan cheeses and fresh baked breads.

King Estate Visitor Center
(Daily, 11 - 8pm)
80854 Territorial Road
Eugene, OR 97405
541-942-9874 

       A short drive north brings you to Silvan Ridge/Hinman Vineyard.  The winery is open everyday from 12-5 pm – year-round.  Relax by the cozy fireplace, or on a warmer day, venture out to the patio after sampling a few Willamette Valley wines at the tasting bar.

Silvan Ridge/Hinman Vineyards
(Daily, Noon - 5pm)
27012 Briggs Hill Road
Eugene, Oregon 97405
541-345-1945

       Another stop on your southern Willamette Valley tour might include a visit to Secret House Vineyards Winery, located west of Eugene and less than an hour from the Oregon Coast.  Stretching out near the foothills of Oregon’s Coastal Range, the family-owned vineyards and winery offer tours, a tasting room, a gift shop and art gallery featuring the work of local artists.  And best of all, Secret House makes it easy to plan your visit — the winery is open to guests daily from 11 am-5 pm.

Secret House Vineyards Winery
(Daily, 11 - 5pm)
88324 Vineyard Lane
Veneta, OR 97487
541-935-3774

       In nearby Eugene, lodging and dining options abound.  For more personal attention, we suggest staying at one of Eugene’s quaint bed and breakfast inns, such as McKenzie View or The Oval Door.  For a distinctive dining experience, try Chanterelle or Pinots - An American Grill.

North Willamette Valley (Map)

       Think of Salem, Oregon, as the approximate boundary for our arbitrary designation as the starting point of the northern portion of Oregon’s Willamette Valley.  From around Salem to the Portland area, there is no lack of wineries that keep their doors open year-round, presenting a wealth of options for memorable winter wine-touring experiences. 

       A highlight for any North Willamette Valley tour is a stop at the The Carlton Winemakers Studio... in Carlton, of course, on Hwy 47 a few miles north of McMinnville.  The fact that it houses some of Oregon's finest and most touted boutique wineries, and that its collaborative tasting room is open year round (except during January) makes it a must on your wine country tour. The Carlton Winemakers Studio opened its doors to the public in 2002, offering wine lovers a Tasting Room where the wines of all of the resident winemakers could be showcased, sampled and purchased. More than 40 wines are produced at the facility from up to 10 individual wineries.  One convenient stop at The Studio gives you an opportunity to sample a good many of them.

       The Tasting Room is open daily, February through December, from 11am — 5pm, and in January by appointment only.  A knowledgeable staff will first ply you with a couple of complimentary samples and then offer two to four flights of wine samples, varying in style, grape, winemaker, etc... for anywhere from $6 — $14.  Individual tastes and glasses of wine are also available for purchase. A light food menu allows you to pair your wines with gourmet cheeses, local fruit and nuts, and other seasonal hors d'oeuvres can be enjoyed in the light and bright Tasting Room itself.  Walk- throughs of this innovative, "green" facility are scheduled Saturdays and Sundays at 12 noon and 3pm and last for about 15 minutes.

Carlton Winemakers Studio
and Tasting Room
    (Daily,  noon-5; Except closed January)
     Resident wineries:  Andrew Rich,
     Boedecker Cellars, Bryce Vineyard,
     Domaine Meriwether, Dominio IV,
     Hamacher Wines, J. Daan, Lazy River Vnyrd,
Ribbon Ridge, Scott Paul Wines)
801 N. Scott Street
Carlton, OR  97111
503-852-6100

       Head east on Hwy 240 to Newberg and Hwy 99. There you’ll find Duck Pond Cellars, just 25 miles southwest of Portland.

       The winery’s tasting room, open daily from 11 am - 5 pm, offers visitors an unusual tasting opportunity.  Duck Pond wines represent the flavors of several terroirs, growing regions in both Washington and Oregon.  Tours (available by appointment only during the winter) cost $3 per person for parties over ten.

Duck Pond Cellars 
(Nov to Apr: 11am to 5pm)
23145 Hwy 99W
PO Box 429
Dundee, OR 97115
503-538-3199

East Valley Wineries  (Map)

       Ten wineries and winemakers have teamed up to create the new East Valley Wine Tour.  Just five maintain winter hours. 

Photo: Thomas Patterson, Statesman Journal
Silver Falls Vineyards owner Duane Defrees in his lovely
tasting room south of Silverton. Open weekends year round.

       The idea behind the new tour is from Donna Paradis who with her husband, Peter, owns Paradis Vineyard on Abiqua Road north of Silverton.  The loop of the East Valley tour ranges from Silver Falls Vineyards at the south end to Christopher Bridge Cellars near Oregon City in the north.

Columbia Gorge - Oregon and Washington (Map)

       No matter what the season, the almost sea-level drive through the Columbia River Gorge is a thrill.  Spectacular views and scenic roads include water falls cascading down the steep walls of the Gorge, a variety of geologic formations such as columnar basalt tell of many thousands of years of volcanism and cataclysmic floods that followed, scouring the dramatic breach that today cuts through the Cascade Mountains.

       The boundaries of the Columbia Gorge appellation include areas of Oregon and Washington.  The majority of this AVA's wineries have off-season hours, since Interstate 84 is the only major east/west corridor at a low enough elevation to make it passable most of the year. 
 

        For views from wineries on the Oregon side of the Gorge, check out Cathedral Ridge Winery and Pheasant Valley Vineyard & Winery.  The wineries are located on land elevated enough to offer spectacular views of the Columbia River and the Hood River Valley.  Be sure to pack your camera. 

        Pheasant Valley's tasting room is spacious with lodge-like environs with its huge, antique back bar, its fireside lounge and its small gift shop.  If you would like to stay a while, be sure to plan ahead; the beautiful Pheasant Valley Orchard B&B just might have a room or a suite available for your winter-touring pleasure.

Mini-Guide to
Winter-Friendly
Wineries

Oregon

  Willamette Valley

  South Valley (Map)

  Airlie Winery   
     (Weekends, noon - 5)
  Benton-Lane Winery  
     (Daily, 11 - 4)
  King Estate Winery  
      (Daily,  11 - 8)
  Orchards Heights Winery
      (Daily 11 - 5)
  Pheasant Court Winery  
       (Sat & Sun, 12 - 6)
  Secret House   
       (Daily, 11 - 5)
  Silvan Ridge/Hinman  
       (Daily, 12 - 5)
  Tyee Wine Cellars
       (December Weekends, 12 - 5)
  Van Duzer Wines  
       (Dec: Daily, 11 - 5)
  Willamette Valley
     Vineyards  
        (Daily, 11 - 6)