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Featured Wineries
These are only a few of the wineries that we visit. We visit these and many others.
I'm proud to present the following wineries as Featured Wineries. What does that mean? It means many things. I've been tasting Oregon's wines for many years now. I believe that a winery not only has to have good wine, but the people and place also make up the experience of wine tasting. I feel that these wineries are excited about what they do and want to share it with you. They have a passion for making wine, and it shows! In my opinion, these are also some of the best wines in this area. They are mainly smaller wineries producing excellent quality wines. I ask that you please support them by purchasing wine at the wineries and also when you get back home. If you don't see a wine at your local wine store, ask for it!
Located on famed Ribbon Ridge in Oregon’s Northern Willamette Valley, Ayres Vineyard is home to 14 acres of Pinot Noir, or approximately 27,000 vines. Winemaker Brad McLeroy enjoys a short commute to work. He walks out his back door and his tractor awaits his arrival. The daily attention to the fruit shows…our clusters are beautiful. And beautiful clusters make beautiful wine. It all starts with the vineyard. You will find yourself twelve feet underground in our winery. This way we are able to harness the earth’s insulating abilities. Stable and predictable cellar temperatures allow for slow, steady, and gentle primary and secondary fermentations. Three generations live among the vines. Partners and family members, Don and Carol McClure and Brad and Kathleen McLeroy enjoy life on the vineyard every day. It is important for us to farm sustainably. This is our home. This is where our kids play. In the fall we eat fruit directly from the vines. It’s an amazing and healthy place to call home. It’s that simple. We love where we are. We love what we do. It’s contagious and we would love to share the experience with you!
Address: 17971 NE Lewis Rogers Lane, Newberg, OR 97132
This is what the Oregon Wine Scene is all about. They are very small producers so we have to limit the tours we take there. The wine is very good, especially for a young winery, but these guys are making quality wine at reasonable prices and are some of the nicest people out there. If you have never heard of Styring wines, that doesn't surprise me. You will certainly be hearing more of them as time goes on though. Consistently one of our favorite stops.
At Styring Vineyards, we believe in crafting artisan wines that we enjoy
drinking. This is typified by our small case production from limited
varietals that love the Willamette Valley of Oregon as much as we do. We
produce dry, flavorful whites; complex, structured reds; and fruity,
balanced dessert wines. Each hand-crafted wine is wonderful to enjoy
immediately or, when carefully cellared, robust enough for the best
collections. Specializing in Pinot Noir and Riesling Varietals, our
wines are available by the bottle, case, or gift set. Phone: 503-866-6741 Website: www.styringvineyards.com
Vidon Vineyard, owned and operated by
Don and Vicki Hagge, is “a boutique winery on a petite vineyard”,
situated in the Chehalem Mountains
5 miles northwest of Newberg was part of the beach on glacial Lake
Missoula nearly 15,000 years ago. Clearing and first planting of 5 ¼
acres was in 2000. This southwest-facing slope, between 400 and 500 feet
of elevation, is composed of rich Jory soil and experiences very warm
afternoons with cool night breezes.
Prior to venturing into the wine business, there were a number of stops,
as Don pursued a variety of interesting and successful careers. After
earning B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in physics at Cal-Berkeley, Don went on
to study business at Stanford. After post graduate work at t h e C
e n t r e d ’ E t a d e Physiques near Paris (where he developed a love
of good Burgundy wines), Don returned to the staff of the Lawrence
Berkeley Lab doing high energy particle physics research. From there he
moved to NASA, where he worked on the Apollo program. His next
destination was Silicon Valley where he founded two high tech companies.
In 1996, he came to Oregon to become CEO of a startup semiconductor
company in Beaverton. On his retirement, Don decided to get back
to his childhood farming roots and found a piece of property outside of
Newberg and started his vineyard/winery.
Vidon released its first wine, the 2003 Pinot Noir, on Memorial Day weekend in 2005 with only 200 cases produced. Robert Parker review: Chocolate-laced black fruit aromas lead to a medium-bodied personality filled with dark plums, blueberries, and red cherries. This excellent wine is satin-textured yet reveals loads of highly present tannin in the finish. His wines have increased in quality every year since and he always sells out. His wines are complex, layered and have a long finish.
Address:
17425 NE Hillside Drive Newberg 97132
Steep Slopes. Deep Roots. Intense Flavors. Twenty acre "billy goat hill" transitioned from pasture in 1992 by Oregon wine pioneer Jack Myers, Rudy Chavez and the Andersons. Geology. A pile of broken rocks extending up to 500 feet deep. Jory and Nekia soils. Great drainage. Vineyard. Farmed organically. Closely spaced with 31,000 vines. Five Pinot Noir clones and Dijon 96 Chardonnay. Winemaking. Low-tech, hand on, small batches. Sanely scientific. Less than 1,000 cases. Winery. Gravity flow (no pumps). Cool underground barrel cave for slow aging. Small family run winery by people who love what they are doing.
Address: 20120 NE Herring Lane, Newberg, OR 97132
Cana’s Feast Winery, formerly known as Cuneo Cellars, crafts distinctive Northwest red wines with a focus on Italian varieties. Our wines are created from the highest quality grapes grown in selected vineyards throughout the Northwest. These superb grapes become the complex and richly balanced red wines Cana’s Feast Winery is proud to produce. Cana’s Feast Winery embodies Italian family hospitality. Guests enjoy intimate dining in our winery where the sweet aromas of red, ripe wine fill the air. On sunny days, our stone-paved patio and garden piazza are ideal places for outdoor events and meetings. Here you can enjoy the spectacular view of the Coast Range while surrounded by the scent of olive and lemon trees, stone pines and Italian cypresses grown on the property. Bocce courts beckon to those who want to try an ancient game played in the Roman Empire.
Utilizing Old World winemaking techniques - whole clusters, native yeast
fermentation, and gentle and minimal handling - Cristom handcrafts wines
that are smooth, elegant and subtle. These
characteristics have earned Cristom distinction among wine enthusiasts
and industry leaders alike, including being named 'Best New World Red'
by Decanter magazine. Our 65-acre
estate in the Eola Hills of Oregon's Willamette Valley offers a long
growing season, mild climate, warm winds and ancient volcanic soils that
make it ideally suited to grow Pinot Noir and other traditional French
varietals. The vines
are closely spaced - 2300 per acre - and pruned back to about 50% of
their fruit-bearing capacity. This high-density planting and low yield
intensifies the flavor of the grapes. Dry farming further enhances the
quality of our fruit. Cristom's
vineyards are named for family matriarchs. 'The six ladies' each have
natural variances in soil and elevation, and the grapes they nurture
were selected to highlight each vineyard's distinct attributes. People
often identify a favorite among Cristom's 'six ladies,' recognizing that
each nurtures a style and flavor all her own.
Address: 6905 Spring Valley Road NW, Salem, OR 97304
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
Address: 16825 NE Chehalem Drive, Newberg, OR 97132 Phone & Fax: 503-554-9350 Website: www.nataliesestatewinery.com
Springhouse Cellar Winery
James and Lisa at Springhouse Cellar Winery in Hood River are one of the freshest and most fun tasting room experiences I've encountered in a long time. You will have to work hard to find a person more passionate about their wines. His new (old) building in Hood River is in the parking lot for the Mt. Hood Railroad. It's a great spot for relaxing and enjoying a glass of wine. Make sure you check out the catacombs... He is serving all of his wines from an airless system that eliminates his needing to open new bottles. His wines are all done in very small lots. They are fresh and well made. It's a tasting experience I highly recommend.
How to contact us:
13 Railroad Ave., Hood River, OR 97031
Phone: (541) 308 0700
Email: james@springhousecellar.com Website: http://www.springhousecellar.com/index.htm
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This site was last updated 06/18/10
