On Pinot Trail in Willamette Valley Pt II

On Pinot Trail in Willamette Valley Pt II

The Willamette Valley appellation, established in 1984, is subdivided into six appellations: Chehalem
Mountains, Ribbon Ridge, Yamhill-Carlton, Dundee Hills, McMinnville and Eola-Amity Hills. 82% of Oregon’s
Pinot Noir is planted in the Willamette Valley. All appellations are accessible within 45 to 90 minutes by car from
Portland. Visitors to the Willamette Valley use lodging in Newberg, Dundee or McMinnville as their base of
operations although there are a lot of B&Bs scattered throughout the Valley. The best way to approach
winery visits would be to focus to minimize driving. Some wineries are an adventure to
will take you and find. Some of the wineries are located at the
Willamette Valley appellation but beyond the six sub appellations and require additional time to reach. Refer to
map of the Willamette Valley below.

If you’re planning a trip to visit wineries in the Willamette Valley, you can contact me in
prince@princeofpinot.com and I would be happy to give recommendations and assist you in obtaining
appointments. I need to update the list of some recommended wineries to go to in the Willamette Valley in
www.princeofpinot.com/travel_picks/#willamette_valley.

The leaders, many of which came from California, established the spirit that engaged people in
their own endeavors. The consequent growth in new vineyards and wineries within the last fifty years has been
remarkable, and by the end of 2016 there were 725 wineries and 30,435 planted vineyard acres. Visitors to
Oregon wineries contribute over $207 million to the Oregon market.

This past July, I spent several days at the Willamette Valley calling several of whom I had
never seen although they had been kind enough to send me their wines. I looked in on
wineries that I had not seen in a while.

A large regional map can be obtained from the Willamette Valley Wineries Association in
www.willamettewines.com. An interactive map of the area is also available on this site:
www.willamettewines.com/about-the-valley/regional-map/. A downloadable PDF “Guide to Willamette Valley
Wineries is available also at www.willamettewines.com/brochure/.

Touring companies operate from the Willamette Valley but they often neglect the smaller, family owned
wineries hidden throughout the area. Helicopter tours are available, but again, the focus is on the wineries that are larger.

Most small wineries require an appointment to go to. This is preferable because you probably will receive a personal experience. All the Willamette Valley wineries are open Memorial Day and Thanksgiving Day
weekends. Bear in mind, it rains a lot in the Willamette Valley in the winter, so you might want to plan a trip from
Memorial Day through October.

As many readers know, I like to champion the small, family owned manufacturers because their background stories
and dedication is unrivaled. Pinot Noir reacts to meticulous farming and winemaking, and the smaller
manufacturers often provide this approach.

The Oregon industry was built by families creating small wineries that catered to customers on a very level. That tradition still exists widely in Oregon today despite the influx of investors and the
corporatization of wineries throughout acquisitions.

Published at Tue, 05 Sep 2017 17:19:45 +0000

Source: Wine