Neat TRAVEL! Memorial Day in Oregon Wine Country

By Erin Flesch, NEAT contributor

Living in the beautiful, wine soaked Willamette Valley, you needn’t travel far to have a relaxing, world class vacation. This Memorial Day weekend, get away while staying close by and head to the heart of Oregon wine country for the 20th annual Memorial Day in Wine Country celebration, held Saturday, May 29 through Monday, May 31.

One of Oregon wine country’s longest running traditions, this three-day event has more than 150 participating local wineries (yes, that number is correct!), many of whom open their doors to the public just once a year for this annual celebration.

From Oregon’s famous Pinot Noirs to the lesser known Pinot Blanc, this is the chance to sample and learn the stories of some seriously amazing wines while enjoying the undeniably scenic and serene Willamette Valley. Be the first to taste a new variety like Marechal Foch, sample rare small batch releases, learn interesting food pairings and get up close and personal with the winemakers and their vineyards.

After a long, relaxing day of wine tasting in rustic barnyards, strolling through vineyards and touring state-of-the-art wineries, you will undoubtedly need a nice place to crash (so as not to literally crash). We are big fans of McMinnville’s charming McMenamins Hotel Oregon for its low cost lodging (just $50 to $65 for Queen European rooms) and its super-cool rooftop bar, voted one of the Top Ten best rooftop bars on the West Coast by Sunset magazine. (P.S., Hotel Oregon is also at the center of the action for this weekend’s McMinnville UFO Festival if you want to space out in wine country, like, right now!)

Drinking and not eating don’t mix, so you’ll want to be sure that you’re putting a lot more than just delicious vino in your body, too. Many wineries offer some food, but if you’re looking for something a little more substantial, we recommend Farm to Fork at the Inn at Red Hills in Dundee, Ore. Both a gourmet market and fine dining restaurant, you have the choice of bringing their farm-fresh, locally sourced meals back home with you or enjoying them in house. You can also book one of the Inn’s posh rooms for about $250 and stick around a while.

While you’re in wine country, also check out Tina’s restaurant in Dundee, which will redefine your notion of small town cuisine. The roadside stop is deceptively plain on the outside, yet every food lover’s dream on the inside. And try to drop by The Allison Inn and Spa in Newberg if you have time for some posh pampering in a gorgeous setting over the weekend.

There are few things in life that a glass of perfectly corked vintage can’t cure, so let’s all thank our lucky stars we live so close to so much beauty and so many excellent wineries. So many, in fact, that you should visit oregonwinecountry.org and plow through all the great travel, lodging and dining tips before you go. Who knew you can actually tour wine country on horseback? So neat! Wait, is it legal to drink and drive a horse?

This is an especially great year to check out Oregon wine country because the Willamette Valley Wineries Association has teamed up with Portland’s EcoTrust organization and almost 50 wineries will donate proceeds from Memorial Day in Wine Country to the Farm to School program, which helps get healthy food into kids’ lunchrooms. So it would appear, once again, you are drinking for the children. Cheers!

McMenamins Hotel Oregon
310 N.E. Evans St., McMinnville; 503-472-8427
www.mcmenamins.com

Farm to Fork + The Inn at Red Hills
1410 N. Hwy 99W, Dundee, Ore.; 503-538-7970
www.innatredhills.com

Tina’s Restaurant
760 Hwy 99W, Dundee, Ore.; 503-538-8880
www.tinasdundee.com

The Allison Inn + Spa
525 Allison Lane, Newberg; 503-554-2525
www.theallison.com

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