Marathon Roadtrip 2024, State #11

Continuing our quest for good wine, we crossed into Oregon, drove along the Columbia River Gorge,

and parked The Wanderer in Champoeg State Heritage Area while we explored Willamette Valley, known for their outstanding Pinot Noirs.

Of the 700 + wineries in the region, we tasted in seven. 

The rich flavor of the Pinot Noir and picturesque view of the vineyards and garden at Brooks Winery was as we remembered from our 2017 trip and remains the favorite of the wineries at which we tasted in Willamette Valley.

 

As usual, we found interesting folks like Lori and Bob from Texas, tasting at Cristom Winery; a lovely tasting room hostess at Argyle Winery who shared tidbits of her life in small town Oregon and made suggestions for other tastings; and then there was Creamer at Redrock Winery.

Not that it will be of interest to most of our readers, our blog serves as a journal so we will list the other four wineries at which we tasted; Abbey Road,  Bravuro Cellars, Cathedral Ridge, and The Carlton Winemakers Studio which is a cooperative tasting room for new wine makers in the region.

While we enjoy a good, full bodied Pinot Noir, our palettes are more at home with the bold, reds we typically find in California. Most of our purchases in Willamette Valley were made with our friends in mind.

Driving the rural country roads we gained appreciation for the agricultural contributions from Oregon. In addition to the vineyards, we saw large fields of pumpkins, hops, wheat, turf grass, hemp, apple orchards, and ABN’s favorite, a commercial worm farm.

Before wandering into California to satisfy our taste for the dark reds, we parked The Wanderer in the driveway of our friends, Paula and Rick, in Grants Pass.

What a fun time we had as they toured drove us around the Rogue River Valley!

 

Morning walk with Paula in a local park near their home.

Rogue River

Hell's Gate Canyon

Look familiar? You may have seen it on Gunsmoke or maybe in the movie, River Wild.

Currently we are taking a brief break in wine tasting in the beautiful California Redwoods.