NewbE

I did Google first...

We are in the early stages of planning a trip to Portland and Oregon wine country. What we have done so far is say "we want to take a trip to Portland and Oregon wine country"

My ignorant question is, what time of year would be best for this trip, and is any time of year out of the question due to, say, snow and/or ice?

I will post more general questions as planning progresses, but if you have ideas you want to share now, please do! And thank you.

tomfuller

I think that most of the wineries will be closed sometime before Christmas. Most of the grapes will be picked before October 15.
Portland and the Willamette Valley rarely get more than 5" of snow in any one storm. If you like skiing, come in January to Mt. Hood.
Figure out what winery you want to visit and contact them directly for their schedule.

roguemckenzie

I know the wineries in the Willamette Valley have a big tour on Thanksgiving weekend! http://willamettewines.com/ If you don't mind rain, Oregon weather can be pretty mellow, especially if you are thinking snow/ice like in the east!

islandaze

Best time of year is September, after Labor Day. Weather is usually still wonderful, and summer crowds are gone. Avoid mid-December through mid-March, both for the weather and the fact that many/most wineries have limited hours during that period. Even outside of that period, lots of wineries open only Thursday - Sunday.

Two biggest weekends in wine country are Thanksgiving and Memorial Day. Almost every winery has something special going on those weekends.

bbqboy

there are more wine growing areas than "the wine country". Bit of a sore spot to those of us in the rest of the state.
http://www.oregonwine.org/Explore_Wi..._Wine_Regions/

Kimmi023

Even those of us lifers in the Pacific Northwest often enjoy a wonderful wine trip! The most popular time to go wine tasting is in May around Memorial day, but you'll also be fighting crowds. My friends and I like to go in mid September. The weather is still holding from summer - mid 70s and overcast but not too rainy - and the kids are all back in school.
If you are looking for dryness and heat, you're going to the wrong part of the country! There are also a couple of wonderful stables in the area that provide horseback wine tasting tours that are an experience to be had. Have a great trip!

countrychicks

I would suggest that sometime around August or September would be the best time of year for you to visit the Pacific Northwest. If you have children, you will likely be able to keep them happier with additional "warm-weather" options such as the Oregon Coast, or the Oregon Zoo. There are endless options as far as wineries go, and many that offer child-friendly activities. (I personally recommend the Yamhill Valley Wineries!)

Best of luck to you! It really is beautiful here...no matter what time of year you visit!

tomfuller

Is NewbE still visiting Fodor's from time to time?
Did you decide to come to Oregon? Oregon has a lot more to offer than wineries.

Melissa_Kingston

I would say late August or Sept. The weather is still nice enough you tour the lands. There are also a number of winery tours you can take. Some even provide transportation. I also know that someof the winery's host grape stomps, and the seem like alot of fun. Ver worth checking into.