Pinot Noir Road Trip

I don’t claim to be a wine connoisseur, I’m just Everyday Edith, an everyday gal who loves and desires to share my passion for Pinot Noir. I have developed quite the taste for the deep red wine, and I loved Pinot Noir before Pinot Noir was cool. Yes, even before the movie, Sideways came out, me and my husband were drinking Pinot Noir – mainly from Oregon. It is of my strong opinion that Oregon has some of the best Pinot Noir in the world.

Let me briefly tell you about our dream trip where Me and my husband took a little road trip to Oregon’s wine country, Willamette Valley, last year. Since we only had one full day to tour, we stuck to a short list of wineries that produce some or our favorite wines.

We flew to Seattle on a business trip and after the meetings were over, we rented a car and made the four hour drive to our destination hotel, The Alison Inn and Spa in Newberg, Oregon which is southwest of Portland. We only stayed two nights at this luxurious hotel, but I could have stayed a lifetime. The rooms are spacious, relaxing and romantic. It was a great base camp for us as we toured a few of our favorite Oregon vineyards.

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Upon check-in, we received a warm welcome and we were greeted with a personal note and bottle of wine in our fabulous room with a wonderful view of the grounds. The staff was wonderful and very welcoming. Although a bit pricey, The Allison is well worth the stay.

We took a stroll around the grounds at the hotel before we sat down for dinner. grounds are beautiful, surrounded by plush vineyards, a spa, restaurant and beautiful sunsets. I highly recommend reservations at the hotel restaurant for evening meals as they book up quickly.

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The next morning as we awoke from our peaceful slumber, we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast at the hotel. Afterwards, we began our trip by driving south to Eugene to visit the King Estate winery where we had reservations for lunch. The drive was amazing and beautiful. Once we exited the Interstate and hit the countryside, the scenery was peaceful with plush rolling hills. As we approached our destination you could see the vineyards amid a sea of lavender with the winery atop a hill like an estate— its name is fitting.  

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Finally, we were at King Estate… at the tip of Willamette Valley…. the area known for its Pinot Noir. We have been drinking their wines for more than 20 years and this was a dream come true. We took in the breathtaking, peaceful views and explored the vineyards before ordering lunch. They also have a garden where they grow their own crops for the restaurant. So that was a plus. King Estate also claims to have one of the largest organic vineyards in the world. Of course, we sipped on Pinot Noir, but they have other reds and white wines as well.

After getting our fill at King Estate we drove North to try Willamette Valley Vineyards. Andy, our neighbor, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama first introduced us to this wine. His brother was the winemaker at the time. What a small world. This winery was another home run with its sweeping views and rolling vineyards although it is close to the Interstate. We sampled the Whole Cluster, Ribbon Ridge and the Estate variety of Pinot Noirs. The Whole Cluster is our favorite. We sat outside on a cool, cloudy June and it did get a little chilly. But it is often chilly this time of year in the Pacific Northwest. We sipped wine and snacked on yummy food from the onsite restaurant. It was late afternoon and most wineries close around 6:00, so we headed back to the Allison hotel. We took a stroll around the grounds at the hotel before we sat down for dinner.

The next morning, we were off to Portland where we would catch a flight back home to Alabama. But we agreed to stop at a few vineyards along the way. We discovered the Adelsheim Vineyard just a short drive from the hotel in what is called the Chehalem Mountains. It was a small vineyard but one we are glad we discovered. We found out that we could ship wine back home to Alabama if we shipped it to one of our state-run liquor stores. We ended up shipping home a case of wine, but only after we are tried several wines. So, beware. We had to pay a small amount in taxes, but it was well worth the $8.00.

We walked the small vineyard where we got up close and personal with a few grapes. We enjoyed a tasting of six wines and some cheese and crackers. We sampled a Rose´ Pinot Noir which makes for a refreshing, crisp summer wine. We also tried the Breaking Ground, Ribbon Springs, Quarter Mile and Zenith Pinot Noirs. Our favorite among these are the Rose´ and Quarter Mile. We still order wine from this vineyard on occasion as they are the only winery that agreed to ship to Alabama. I guess other wineries don’t want to deal with the hassle.

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As we were leaving the Willamette Valley wine country we made quick stops at A To Z Wineworks in Dundee Oregon and Rex Hill in Newberg for some quick tastings. You can only drink so much wine in a day, right?

We finished our trip fulfilled, but ready to return. Again, Oregon has some of the best Pinot Noirs and the Allison Inn is a perfect getaway. Hope to go back when it’s safe to travel again.

Cheers!