Wine Blog

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.   If wine…

Where does the Willamette Valley start? Geographically speaking, if you drive in from downtown Portland, south on Route 99, in under an hour you will reach the first wineries in the town of Newberg. Complete with vineyards, scenic tasting rooms and production facilities, Newberg is truly the gateway to the best of Oregon wines! Once…

  Last week I wrote about McMinnville, the largest town in the northern Willamette Valley and the furthest from Portland. As we drive north from McMinnville back to Portland along Route 99, the next town with many amenities is Dundee, the town closest to Dundee Hills sub AVA (American Viticultural Area). Dundee is a great…

You know you have arrived when the New York Times makes you the centerpiece of an article. McMinnville had this honor last week when the Frugal Traveler did just that. Entitled, “Sip Oregon Wine Country, No Driving Required”, McMinnville was highlighted as the rare wine region accessible by public transit from the city center and…

The History Since I am relatively new to the Willamette Valley, I spend my down time researching the history of the Oregon wine industry so I can better educate our tour guests about this unique wine region. I just finished reading “Pinot Girl” by Anne Maria Ponzi, published in 2020. Upon reading, I was surprised…

In part I I discussed the history of Biodynamic farming in Oregon and its connection to regenerative farming. Here I am calling out several estate wineries who walk the walk on Biodynamic and regenerative farming in the Willamette Valley:   Montinore Estate, Forest Grove (5) is a vineyard keeping regenerative practices alive, and, with 200…

Even though Oregon only produces one percent of the wines made in the United States, this states accounts for 52% of total vineyard acres that have received biodynamic® certification from Demeter USA  Oregon has the highest percentage of biodynamic wineries of any state: 15 are officially Demeter Biodynamic certified, while another 30 wineries claim to…

  What makes the Willamette Valley so special? Of course the wine has a lot to do with it, but who makes the wine? The people! More specifically, we can thank the pioneers who first came here in the 1960’s and planted the first vines. We can also look to today’s pioneers who continue to…

      I was reading the  New York Times magazine last Sunday (yes I am a Luddite, I get it delivered) and an article caught my eye. It was called “Angry Birds: The Art of Ancient Falconry at the Jersey Shore”. 1 Why? First, both John & I were raised in Jersey (no I…