I know there are a lot of winery enthusiasts out there and I%26#39;d love some recommendations. Initially, I considered going on a tour, but my husband and I agreed we%26#39;d like more freedom to choose wineries and see more things while we%26#39;re out.
We plan to have our winery day the Sunday of Memorial Day wknd. Yes, I know that%26#39;s the busiest time of the year, but that%26#39;s where it fits in the itinerary, so we%26#39;ll deal with it.
In the morning, we plan to either go to Silver Falls State Park or explore more of Portland. It just depends on our mood and weather conditions. We%26#39;d like to visit somewhere between 4-5 wineries in the late morning through afternoon. We%26#39;d prefer to visit mainly wineries that offer good whites, but do want to hit at least one winery that makes good Pinot Noir. (Sadly, I get pretty severe headaches from drinking more than a glass or two of reds, but I still love tasting red wines.) We are experienced wine tasters and prefer smaller wineries to large commercialized ones.
For lunch, we plan to pack a picnic if the weather is good. Where is a good place in or on the way out of Portland to stock up on groceries? We%26#39;ll be staying at the Westin downtown. If there%26#39;s a grocery store within walking distance, I%26#39;d love to know about it. If not, we%26#39;ll stop somewhere on the way out of the city.
Thanks in advance for your help! I%26#39;m hoping that we%26#39;ll enjoy wine tasting in Oregon as much as we enjoy wine tasting locally here in Virginia.
winery recommendations needed
There is a Whole Foods in Portland where you could pick up groceries. I would not miss Archery Summit for some amazing Pinot Noir, Domaine Serene and Domaine Drouhin are both excellent choices as well. I have reviews and photos of these places posted on this site. Have fun on your trip! :)
winery recommendations needed
Doing both Silver Falls and a few wineries in one day will mean that you will need to get a very early start. SF if you do the entire loop hike will only take 2-3 hours. If there is any way you can do SF another day, I would recommend that. Only because once you hit the wineries, you will most likely stop at places you had not planned to. It sort of sucks you in, lol!
As for wineries, my favorite one for whites is Arbor Brook. They make an amazing pinot gris. Brick House is nearby and makes excellent pinots. Aramenta is almost next door to BH and has some good whites. Chehalem also makes really good pinot gris.
While you are in Portland, head over to the NW area and check out Grochau Cellars. John makes excellent wines and just moved his operations to this area this past fall.
If you like Whole Foods stores, fine, but you probably know they%26#39;re a bit different.
There is a locally owned small chain called Lamb%26#39;s and they are nice stores:
http://www.lambsmarkets.net/
Zupan%26#39;s is another local company, upscale, very nice:
http://www.zupans.com/
Haggen%26#39;s is yet another NW family owned small chain of nice grocery stores:
http://www.haggen.com/
Other posters local to Portland can tell you if any of those are near you or on your route.
We also have lots of Fred Meyer stores, which sell a wide variety of department store items plus food. They started in Oregon and are now owned by Washington state-based Krueger.
Thanks for the winery and food shopping suggestions. Keep them coming!
I%26#39;m also thinking Silver Falls and wineries in one day would be too much. Since I%26#39;ve got time in my itinerary for Columbia Gorge, I might cut out Silver Falls so that the wine tasting can be a little more leisurely.
At what time do wineries typically open for the day?
Halfbrit gave a good rundown on the stores. If I were you, I would just wait and buy any groceries at Fred Meyer in Newberg. It is on the north end of town, so is very convenient to getting your supplies before you hit the wineries. If you are wanting sandwiches, stop at the French Bear in Newberg and take those with you.
You won%26#39;t have any trouble finding good pinot noirs around here, so I don%26#39;t know if it makes sense to stop at a place like Archery Summit, where they don%26#39;t pour anything but pinot noir. You%26#39;ll have more trouble finding wineries that pour more than one or two whites, though most will have a chardonnay and/or a pinot gris.
Besides those Mtngrl recommends, have a look at Argyle, where they%26#39;re producing some good sparklers besides a few other whites. Another good one is Torii Mor, where besides the chardonnay and pinot gris, they also do a pinot blanc. Adelsheim has forever produced one of the nicer chardonnays around, and they also do a pinot blanc and pinot gris. Anne Amie produces a number of white varietals too, though I%26#39;m not crazy about any of them. Nice winery though, and a good spot for that picnic, set on a hill above the vineyards.
The Whole Foods is next to Powells Books, where if you haven%26#39;t planned a stop, you should. So, pick up your groceries then. Or, there%26#39;s a Safeway 8 or 9 blocks south of the Westin, on 10th.
%26lt;%26lt;We also have lots of Fred Meyer stores, which sell a wide variety of department store items plus food. They started in Oregon and are now owned by Washington state-based Krueger.%26gt;%26gt;
Just an FYI...Fred Meyer is owned by Kroger, which is based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Fred Meyer was founded in Oregon back int he 1920%26#39;s by a man named, Fred G. Meyer. Mr. Meyer was active in the business until his death in the late 80%26#39;s or early 90%26#39;s.
Kroger also owns QFC stores in Oregon and Washington as well as Ralph%26#39;s in California.
To add another store to the list...New Seasons is also a great place to start. They are local.
Lamb%26#39;s is part of Thriftway. Bob Lamb owns four of the locations, which is why they are called Lamb%26#39;s Thriftway. The Lamb%26#39;s locations are Wilsonville (their flagship store); Lamb%26#39;s on Scholls; Lamb%26#39;s Garden Home; Stroeheckers (which used to be owned by a man named Wayne Stroehecker.....my biz partners husbands ex father-in-law.) Ah FAR more grocery history than anyone asked for. ;-)
More winery suggestions....
Patricia Green Cellars
Beaux Freres
Shea Wine Cellar
Oh, I thought Kroeger%26#39;s was a Washington corporation. Or however it%26#39;s spelled.
They also own the Fry%26#39;s grocery store chain in Arizona, and I am guessing many others that have not been mentioned.
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