Microblog
So that was our loop to the south of McMinnville. It was three very different experiences: One very intimate in a production facility (Vincent), one super educational (Evesham), and one that was total relaxation (Bethel Heights). Tomorrow we take a loop to the north!
Final stop of the day was Bethel Heights, another of the first generation wineries in Oregon. They have a group tasting room with a back patio that has beautiful views of the vineyards. https://www.bethelheights.com (Bethel Heights, OR)
After the tasting at Evesham Wood, we got to tour the winemaking facility and the underground caves that they use to store wine.
Next stop: Evesham Wood (one of the oldest wineries in Oregon), and their famed vineyard Le Puits Sec. This was very educational and offered the chance to try recent vintages and older vintages side-by-side so we could see how they age. https://eveshamwood.com (Salemtowne, OR)
Behind Vincent Wines’ cellar, we caught our first view of Mt. Hood, rising above the surrounding mountains like Mount Doom looming over Mordor. We don’t have mountains like that back home in Indiana!
Today was our first full day of wine tastings. First stop: Vincent Wines. This was a private tasting in his working winery. The wines were great, especially an unreleased Pinot Noir/Pinot Gris blend that we tasted out of the fermenter. vincentwinecompany.com (Eola Crest, OR)
After the wine tasting, we drove to our hotel on McMinnville, which we’re using as our base. Tomorrow we drive south of McMinnvillle to try some more wine. ? (McMinnville, OR)
After lunch we headed to our first wine tasting of the trip at Brick House Wines. We had a flight with six wines in total: a rose, two Chardonnays, and three Pinot Noirs. The wine was great, but the real star was the view. https://brickhousewines.com (Dewey (historical), OR)
