Wine Blog

A Bit of History As many of you Willamette Valley wine lovers may know, our pioneer fathers planted the first grapes in our valley in the mid 1960’s. The valley was full of agricultural crops including fruit (apples, pears, peaches, cherries) and nut (hazelnut, walnut) trees as well as berries, christmas tree farms, grass seed,…

In the 2004 comedy “Sideways” Paul Giamatti plays a bona fide wine snob traveling around Southern California on a wine soaked trip with his soon-to-be married friend. The film is thoroughly enjoyable and I recommend it for anyone looking for laughs, wine lover or not. There are many wine references—don’t get me started on his…

Interested in learning more about wine, including wine making, wine regions, wine grapes? Are you a wine novice? Casual wine enthusiast thirsty for knowledge? Or maybe a long time wine lover looking to formalize your education? Welcome to the world of wine certifications where you can spend a little or a lot for bragging rights…

2023 was a great year for the Willamette Valley! We received recognition from major wine magazines and newspapers including being called “The Next Napa” as well as placing in many top 10 and top 100 wines of the world lists. Though Pinot Noir continues to be our claim to fame, accolades are pouring in for…

Newsflash! Triangle Wine Country Tours is getting a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy! Our first dog was also a Berner: Sierra (see below left with our daughter Chloe in 2001) and we were so in love with her, I knew my next dog had to be a Berner too. As we await the arrival of our…

The history of wine in the Willamette Valley is a fascinating story populated by forward thinking, risk taking, and innovative people. It’s a tale worth knowing if you live here or plan to visit. Collaboration is the concept that applies both to our founders and, 50 years later, the Willamette Valley wine community. I choose…

The Willamette Valley is renowned for its Pinot Noirs. Fully 70% of its vineyards are dedicated to this “heartbreak” grape. This grape is notorious for being delicate, picky, prone to mildew, as well as difficult to perfect but when all goes right it compares to the best Burgundies in France, and brings wine enthusiasts from…

This blog post is for wine geeks interested in the global origins and history of wine making. If this topic piques your interest, read on! I have long been a proud nerd and love diving into the nitty-gritty of the wine world to have plenty of know-how to share with my customers.