We will be flying to Portland and staying in the Corvallis area the 3rd week of October. We love Pinot Noir and red wines. Any suggestions for wineries to visit? We will have transportation.

Also, looking for a lunch spot (good food) in Portland when we arrive. Casual works well; price irrelevant.

Thanks,

Rich

There are loads of wineries in this area. Most are in the HWY99W corridor. How many days are you wanting for the wineries, and do you want ones that are always open or do you mind making appointments? One thing I always warn people on, the police have a very heavy presence in this area, so keep that in mind when tasting.

For Portland restaurants, oh my...again, there are many! What preferences do you have?

We will have a designated driver. We will have 1-2 days of wine tasting and have done Calif for years so know the ritual.

We just want good ones. We can make appointments if helpful.

As for lunch, we want to try something that locals really enjoy. It does not have to be touristy. Seems like many of the good restaurants are closed for lunch so I am seeking guidance.

Rich

From Portland cut over to 99 as you head down to Corvallis. Many wineries right along that route. But it's not all that large and won't take several days to see like Napa could.

For lunches, some good places include Fenouil, Piazza Italia, Ten 01, Everett St. Bistro, Wildwood, Southpark, and Mothers Bistro. There are so many places, but these were off the top of my head. The good thing about Portland is that everything is casual.

For wineries, a few that I like include Chehalem, Rex Hill (great views from here), Argyle, Amity, Arbor Brook, Brick House, Domaine Drouhin, Erath, and Aramenta. Some of these are open most of the time, but others will need appointments. You will see a lot of blue tourist signs for various wineries. Those are fine, but be sure to not limit yourself to those. Hopefully beachbum will see this post as he is a fellow local and always has really good recommendations for wineries. I have taken his suggestions and he has never steered me wrong.

HWY99W gets quite congested on the weekends. Heck, I will be in that area in about 20 minutes, lol. So be sure to allow enough time if you have places you need to be.

Thanks for the suggestions. I will keep all of them in mind and see if I can find more info on them.

Rich

Glad to help

In Corvallis, a great place for pizza is Woodstocks. Try the Spicy Beav on wheat crust...MMMM!!!!!!!!!!

I am so bummed that we never went to Corvallis for that pizza.

You will find delicious Pinot Noir wherever you go in Portland..I miss it

mms named all my/our favorites..lol.
I will add Silk if you want Vietnamese, Oba if you like "Nuevo" Latino..really tasty, really
bluehour and Vault serve great lunches outside and in, truffle fries and crabcakes .. that sort of thing..I miss that too

Tori Mor is an interesting small winery that makes a great port. You can pick up a very nice free winery guide at any tourist station.

Oh Scarlett--yes, silk! Think I need DH to bring some pho home tomorrow from there.

Agree with happytourist on Torii Mor, very nice Pinot here and a friendly staff, also. Sokol Blosser, Ponzi, Domaine Serene, Archery Summit are all worth visiting.

If you want to lunch in the wine country, Tina's and the Dundee Bistro are both great options for good food and nice ambiance. Cheers! ***kim***

Unless you'd be satisfied with just a few winery visits, you'll have to drive some, since there aren't many of the better ones near Corvallis. Broadley, a little south of town is definitely worth a visit though.

Heading north, you'll want to stop at Bethel Heights, Cristom, and Witness Tree, southeast of Amity. In Amity itself, there's Amity Vineyards, and if you can wrangle an appointment, Antica Terra.

Further north in McMinnville (about an hour from Corvallis), I'd suggest Westrey, and since you'll already be there, Eyrie, just down the street.

Other suggestions that have been given are all great.... well, most of them (Sokol Blosser? Ponzi?). But most are located near Dundee and Newberg, another 10 - 25 minutes from Corvallis. If you're willing to drive that far, I can add to the list.

beachbum, you should add to the list..being a local and actually visiting these places..at least it will be up to date and maybe even something different from the "wine trail" of blue signs ...

I would, Scarlett, but I'm not sure if Rich is still following the thread.

kimamom, I'm surprised you didn't recommend Willamette Valley Vineyards. It's much closer to Corvallis than wineries in Dundee, and a couple months ago you were raving about the place.

kim, I think it would be great if you and your husband were able to do a wine tour of your own, next summer when you go to the Oregon Coast.
I know you like to eat and stay in nice hotels or B&Bs, so the Black Walnut Inn and a wine tour would be so great..just a thought, I know if I were still living in Portland, I would be searching out the smaller more interesting off the beaten path sort of places by now..

Hi everyone,

I'm still taking notes Monday night and I am really enjoying the possibilities. I will be mapping out these wineries.

Ok, Beachbum, and anyone else, please add to what your suggestions would be. I'm from California and 1 or 2 hours is not a long time to be driving.

Thanks for your assistance throughout and I will keep checking in on this post.

Rich

everyone has given you great restaurant suggestions for Portland.
I just had dinner at Le Pigeon. It is a very, very small place and reservations are definately needed. It was one of the best meals I've had anywhere, including some of the best in Paris!

Also, Paley's Place is fantastic too!

As a local resident, my favorite winery is Bergstrom, just outside of Newberg. Winemaker Josh Bergstrom continuously receives rave reviews for his wines...I can't get enough of them. www.bergstromwines.com

And within a few miles of Bergstrom are several other wonderful wineries. check out www.willamettewines.com. It is a GREAT resource.

Well if you dont mind driving, come on down a little further south in the Eugene area and check out King Estate -
Beautiful, beautiful tasting rooms, views and fabulous restaurant open for lunch and dinner - there are several ther wineries in the same area
Sweetcheeks, Iris Hill- but King Estate is amazing - and they do produce a variety of reds

http://www.kingestate.com/

Isn't Le Pigeon great, nanabee? Just love it.

Okay rgucla, you asked for it! ;-) I too like Bergstrom, and agree with sunbum about King Estate. The Director of Winemaking there, John Albin, also produces bottles under his own label (J. Albin) at a small winery near his home outside of Newberg. Difficult to get a tasting appointment there, but look for his bottles, particularly the 2004 reserve pinot noir.

Other favorites..... mms has already mentioned Brick House, but in the same general area are Patricia Green, Beaux Freres, and Penner Ash. Very good pinot noirs at all of 'em, and usually at lesser prices than those found at places like Domaine Serene, Archery Summit, and Domaine Drouhin, which are along the main wine road.

And I'd recommend visiting Carlton Winemaker's Studio, a co-op where you can taste wines made by the several small producers who share the winery facilities. Look for bottles by Andrew Rich in particular. Next door to that is Cana's Feast, another of my favorites, but more for their bordeaux and italian styled wines. Horse Radish, a deli and tasting bar in Carlton, also has a selection of wonderful wines made by lesser known, small producers.

Check winery websites for tasting hours, as many cut back after Labor Day. And places like Patricia Green, Beaux Freres, Brick House, and Westrey are taste by appointment only.

Have fun!