Touring Oregon’s Yamhill Valley Wineries and Tasting Rooms
Some of the finest pinot noir grapes in the world grow in the Yamhill Valley of Oregon just south of Portland. But pinot noir is not the only fine wine in Oregon. Wineries offer a selection of Pinot gris, Pinot blanc, Chardonnay, Melon, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, sparkling wine, Sauvignon Blanc, and some Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah. Wine connoisseurs from around the world continue to discover Oregon wines so it seems time for a little background on how this area became one of the premier wine growing regions in the world.
Around forty years or so ago David Lett recognized that the Yamhill Valley had many traits in common with the Burgundy region of. First it shared the 45th parallel and mist cooled hillsides which make the Burgundy wine growing region famous, then of course the rich well drained soils that give body and character to the grape flavor. By 1979 pinot noirs from two Yamhill Valley wineries drew national attention in a prestigious wine competition. Both Eyrie and Erath wineries from the Red Hills of Dundee between McMinnville and Portland handily trumped the famous burgundies of Yamhill Valley.
The fun part of this is that the vintners and wine connoisseurs who even noticed the first efforts of Oregon wine growers were disdainful and advised that wine grapes needed lots of sunshine and warm days. Oregon’s chilly valleys were considered to have too much rain; besides there is the problem of early and unpredictable frosts. The experts said you cannot grow the special types of grapes in the Oregon valleys that you need for truly fine wines. But the people of Oregon have always been fiercely independent, entrepreneurial, and persevering.
Oregon’s pioneer wine makers persisted while the experts sneered and now the state’s wine industry includes greater than 500 growers around 11,000 (and up) acres of grapes, and more than 200 wineries. When growers planted pinot noir grapes they thrived on the conditions in the Oregon wine country. Then there were other varieties that began to be added to the vineyards, both red and white. The more than 200 wineries in the six growing regions in the state have proven their mettle and now rank in the award winning categories of wine tasting competitions worldwide.
Two vineyards who figured prominently in the birth of Oregon Wines are the Eyrie Winery and the Erath Winery both from the Red Hills of Dundee growing region.
The Eyrie Winery
935 E 10th
McMinnville, OR 97128
503-472-6315 Fax: 503-472-5124
The Eyrie winery and tasting room is in McMinnville, the grapes are produced in four vineyards within the Dundee Hills area. The Eyrie produced the first Pinot noir and Chardonnay in the Willamette Valley; it has the distinction of producing the first Pinot gris in. These wines are award winners and are respected world wide. Contact this winery at:
Erath Vineyards Winery
9409 N.E. Worden Hill Road
P.O. Box 667
Dundee, OR 97115
800-539-9463 Fax 800-853-9463
Website: www.erath.com
e-mail: info@erath.com
Erath winery can be found in the Red Hills of Dundee and the tasting room is in middle of the Erath vineyards. This winery is one of the pioneers of the Oregon Wine Industry and produces matchless Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Pinot blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling and late harvest Gew�¼rztraminer. To contact this winery:
Other Oregon pinot noir labels to look for are Argyle, Cloudine, Patricia Green, Torii Mor, and WillaKenzie. Pinot noir has been followed for many tens of years by passionate afficianados but what really put it on the front page was the move Sideways. Pinot noirs should be silky in texture with a medium body and bright acidity. The Oregon pinot noirs balance the fruitiness and earthiness in good satisfying depth of flavor.
Yamhill Valley is a sub section of the Willamette Valley wine growing region. Find a list of Willamette Valley Wineries at: www.willamettewines.com.
Winery tours are extremely popular in the heart of Oregon’s wine country and the Yamhill Valley is an outstanding part of that. Touring the wineries and visiting the tasting rooms establishes a connection to the people who actually craft these great wines.
Oregon wineries are usually family owned and operated so a visit to the tasting room engages you in the life of real people doing real work who are interested in you and your tastes. The seasons require the real work of the vineyard to be done from spring to fall so during these seasons the family is very busy and the tasting rooms and wine shops are humming with visitors and activity. If you need help choosing a wine keep in mind that the people here can help youâÂ?¦.its what they do best. You do not need the “wine snob language” to communicate a desire for sweet, or tart, or light or simple, or heavy bodied wine. Just describe what you want and let them choose wines for you to taste and select from.
There are about eighty five wineries and over two hundred vineyards in the lovely Yamhill Valley. The Oregon Tourism Commission fields greater than 2000 inquiries about the wines of Oregon in an average month. The tours can be self directed by using a brochure called “Guide to Yamhill County Wineries” which can be picked up from local chambers of commerce, the McMinnville Downtown Association, or from shops, motels and restaurants in the area. If you prefer to go with a group and a guided tour, McMenamin’s Hotel Oregon has several tour selections that start with an overnight stay, a lovely breakfast, a guided tour of selected wineries and some wine to take back with you. These packages are great for a pampered carefree weekend where someone else is responsible for the driving.
Other tour options are the wonderful hot air balloon tours over the wine country. Explore this idea at www.vistaballoon.com. The tour for two can be the unforgettable experience of a lifetime as you ask your love the all important question.
A tour company in Portland named “Grape Escape” will take winetasters to three or more regional wineries. The tours can be arranged for half-day, full day, or evening tours. For special occasions you can also arrange private tours. If you choose you can arrange to center the tour on a dinner event at The Joel Palmer House or Nick’s or one of the other classy wine country restaurants. Grape Escape may be reached at 1 (503) 283-3380.
An official visitor’s guide will help you plan an extraordinary vacation complete with wine tasting and wine country tours. The wineries, lodging, dining, events and shopping may lure you far beyond the casual vacation and into a move to the area. Send for a visitors guide at:
Yamhill Valley
Visitors Association
P.O. 774
McMinville, OR 97128
1-503-883-7770
www.yamhillvalley.org
A special event worth attending is the International Pinot Noir Celebration which began in 1987. It is held annually at the end of July or the beginning of August in McMinnville on the Linfield College campus. The celebration sells out months in advance each year and international guests share in the fine wine and gourmet food. More information on the celebration can be found online at www.ipnc.org. or call 1-800-775-4782.
I will be there somewhere, wandering about the matchless valleys of Oregon, riding horseback through wine country or tasting wine in a small out of the way but world class tasting room. Look for me; I will wear a crown of grape leaves and dance in the moonlight, laughing and playing, I will be on the best vacation of my life.
