Tasting and Touring Northern Willamette Valley Wine Country

Day 1

By Cole Danehower
For Oregon.com

The Willamette Valley is Oregon's most important wine producing region. And yet as a wine appellation, the Willamette Valley is so vast that it is nearly impossible to briefly describe let alone visit.

But visit it we will ... in a series of easy-to-use guides to selected portions of this most interesting wine region.

A Little Historical Perspective
The Willamette Valley winegrowing region extends from the Portland metropolitan area in the north to Eugene in the south and encompasses a wide variety of terrain, soil types and microclimates - all important in the production of wine.

In the 1960s, a few hardy winemaking pioneers saw in the rolling hills southwest of Portland the potential for growing fine wines. Though told by "experts" in California that it was crazy to try growing grapes in the cool Oregonian climate, men like David Lett, Dick Ponzi, Dick Erath and Charles Coury began planting vitis vinifera - winegrapes.

In particular, they grew grape varieties whose ripening times coincided with the end of the growing season in Oregon. They believed such varieties could produce better flavors here. They were right. So-called "cool climate" grapes such as pinot noir, pinot gris, riesling and many others produce fine fruit in the Willamette Valley.

By the early 1970s a handful of early wineries were producing high quality red and white wines that were becoming increasingly popular in the nearby Portland market and were finding demand in larger cities across the country.

In 1979 an important blind tasting was held comparing wines from Oregon and California with wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy. When a 1976 vintage pinot noir from The Eyrie Vineyards in McMinnville was chosen by the experts over a much higher priced pinot noir from France, Oregon had finally arrived on the global wine scene.

Today, The Eyrie Vineyards, founded by David Lett, still produces exceptional wines - but now this pioneering winery has been joined by 200 other wineries around Oregon, producing thousands of different labels avidly consumed all over the world.

Start Your Wine Tour in Portland
The heart of Oregon's pinot noir wine country is still centered southwest of Portland about an hour's drive from the city's center, the most popular jumping off point for out-of-state visitors. But before you head out of town, you might want to get in the mood by experiencing the burgeoning wine scene in urban (and urbane) Portland.

A great place to start is by visiting one of the more unusual of Oregon's wineries - one located right downtown. Situated at the edge of Portland's vibrant Pearl District, Urban Wineworks (407 NW 16th Ave.) offers visitors an easy introduction to Oregon wines with an engaging array of wines to taste, food to sample, and art to enjoy.

A unique aspect of Urban Wineworks is the opportunity for visitors to blend their own wine from among the barrels available ... and then to take a bottle of that wine home with them!

An interesting time to visit is on the first Thursday of each month, when the First Thursday Art Walk is open. You can visit galleries, restaurants, and shops during the evening ... and often Urban Wineworks will have special music and art on display to complement their wine. For the latest happenings, call them at 503-226-9797.

Portland Wine Bars
Another vinous aspect of Portland's culinary scene is the multitude of trendy and friendly wine bars. In these convivial places you can sample wines by the glass or bottle from Oregon, the Pacific Northwest and across the globe (Portland is one of the country's largest markets for Italian wines, so keep an eye out for these).

Many of these wine bars are located in the artsy Pearl District and others are easy to visit via a quick cab ride.

Country Wineries
Once you've had your fill of the metropolitan wine scene, it's time to start heading to the more bucolic setting of the Willamette Valley wine country. The towns of Newberg and McMinnville, southwest of Portland, frame a section of the Willamette Valley that contains some of the most popular and respected wineries in Oregon.

McMinnville, in particular, makes a great headquarters for your visit to this part of the Willamette Valley. To get there from Portland, find Highway 99W and head south (either get on I-5 going south and look for the Highway 99W turnoff or, if you are in downtown Portland, you can find Barbour Blvd., which becomes 99W going south).

There is nothing very romantic about getting to the wine country. Along Hwy 99W you'll at first find plenty of traffic and stop lights. But remember, when Oregon's wine industry got started much of this area was rural.

I heartily suggest you use McMinnville as your base for visiting this part of the Willamette Valley. The town offers a variety of accommodations, some good restaurants and convenient access to many wineries.

Winery Suggestions
So with that, let's go to our first winery ... and it's a beauty!

Archery Summit is, well, at the summit of Oregon's pinot noir wineries. In order to visit, however, you need to make a reservation in advance (just call them at 503-864-4300 - you can also visit them at www.archerysummit.com). There is a cost, but pay it ... I guarantee it is worth it.

To get there, go north on Highway 99 from McMinnville and look for Archery Summit Road on your left after passing through the village of Lafayette. Turn left on that road and follow it to 18599 NE Archery Summit Road, on the right. Go through the gates and drive up to the winery for your tour (after you park your car, take a moment to savor the spectacular view of the surrounding vineyards and hillsides).

Archery Summit produces some of the best - and most expensive - pinot noir in the country. Tremendous care is taken with how they handle their fruit - both in the vineyard and in the cellar. As you are taken through the winery you'll also come to appreciate the commitment to quality that this winery displays. Throughout the tour you'll be treated to healthy samples of Archery Summit wines, from their bright and refreshing white wine called Vireton to their brooding and elegant pinot noirs - some costing nearly $100 a bottle.

Though Archery Summit is a great "first winery" to visit, the majority of other wineries aren't quite as grand - though the quality of their wines is still often very high.

After leaving Archery Summit you should go back to Highway 99, turn left, and continue heading north. When you see a truck weigh station on your left, turn left onto McDougall Road, make an immediate right at the fork, and then go to Breyman Orchard Road on your left. Drive up that road about 1.75 miles and turn right at the green wooden fence with the numbers 6750.

Domaine Drouhin
This winery is another "major name" in Oregon: Domaine Drouhin. Again, advance reservations are required to tour the facility and can be had by calling 503-864-2700. Domaine Drouhin Oregon (known locally as "DDO") is owned by the prestigious Drouhin family of Burgundy, France. Long a leading light in the French wine world, the Druohins' decision in the early 1980s to purchase 90 vineyard acres and establish a winery here was instrumental in giving Oregon worldwide credibility as an important wine producing region.

Today, winemaker Veronique Drouhin splits her time between France and Oregon working to make what many people believe are some of the finest and most elegant pinot noirs in America. There is no charge for the winery tour, but a $10 fee does apply if you wish to taste ... and once again, it is well worth it.

DDO makes three levels of pinot noir: their regular Willamette Valley release, a special bottling called Laurene (named after one of Veronique's daughters), and an ultra-special release called Louise (another daughter). Though sometimes all of these wines (plus their excellent chardonnay) will be available for tasting, due to the extremely limited quantities of the special releases your selection might be a little less.

But no matter what, you can be certain that a visit to DDO will deliver friendly people, superb views and exceptional wines.

Sokol Blosser
One more winery to visit will round out a leisurely wine touring day. When you leave DDO, retrace your steps back to Highway 99 and turn left to head north. Look for the big "Sokol Blosser" sign on your left. Turn at the sign and go up Sokol Blosser Road to the winery's tasting room.

Sokol Blosser has been making wine here since 1977 and has increasingly become a leader in organic and sustainable farming and land use. When you park, once again take a moment to look around. You'll see up against the nearby hills both the Archery Summit and Domaine Drouhin wineries you just visited. Much closer you'll see rows of grapevines where you can walk right up to the plants and really get to know your grapes.

In the Sokol Blosser tasting room you can sample the winery's range of popular pinot noir wines - including for a small fee some of their select bottlings - and sample the best-selling "Evolution" white wine. This latter wine is an unusual blend of up to nine different white wine grapes. Though the exact blend changes each year, this wine is perennially popular and can be especially refreshing in the hot summer sun.

Sokol Blosser also offers superb views, picnic tables and an appealing venue for a picnic - or nap, depending - so it is a fitting place to take a wine touring rest.

Cole Danehower publishes the Oregon Wine Report, writes for Northwest Palate magazine, and is a member of the Oregon Wine Advisory Board. He can be contacted at cole@harborside.com.