Wine Tour of the Willamette Valley

We had an incredible opportunity to tour three wineries in the Willamette Valley with a sommelier, our dear friend Heidi and family. We started the day with a steal of a deal breakfast egg sandwiches for $3.50 a piece at Delicious Donuts. We took the scenic route through the country to our first appointment at Bethel Heights. Kate talked us through their list of wines. I found the Casteel Chardonnay one of the best Chardonnays I have tasted. The difference from your California Chardonnay’s is the oak is steam barreled, not toasted oak. We had the privilege of meeting the winemaker himself, Ben Casteel.

Our next destination was Left Coast Cellars. The drive from the road up the hill passing all the vineyards, beehives and sculptures was impressive. When we arrived the family owers, Bob, Suzianne and Taylor greeted us and offered lunch. After lunch we were handed fresh baked focaccia bread and gathered in front of the beautiful 1950 Chevy pickup Bob had restored himself. We piled in on the bed and took off for a curse around the property. As we drove, Taylor explained which grapes on where and how the environment can change the production. Bob picked a leaf from the very bottle we were sampling.

Our last appointment was at St. Innocent Winery. We enjoyed the friendly dogs while we waited for the president/winemaker himself, Mark Vlossak. I was delighted to learn Mark was a fellow Wisconsinite who moved to Oregon from Appleton, WI. This winery, by far, had the most diverse taste of Pinot Noirs and one of my favorite picnic type wines a white Pinot Noir.

We ended the day with dinner at The Kitchen in Salem, OR which Mark recommended. It’s open 24/7 with the entire menu available at anytime. Food was well needed after a day of wine tasting.