Willamette Valley Oregon-Sara

Here’s some info and recommendations on the Willamette Valley from my past experiences.

The best way to get to the Willamette Valley is to fly into Portland, OR and the drive to the area is about an hour. Although, if there is time and depending on arrival time, I recommend having lunch in Portland and then driving out there. Portland is where the food cart/truck craze started. There is a pod of them at SW 10^th and Alder – 2 blocks with 60+ carts (Alder Street Food Truck Pod). There are some really good and authentic options. One of the more notable ones is Nong’s Khao Man Gai http://khaomangai.com/ (Thai chicken/rice; plain and simple but so good) but there’s everything from tacos to kebabs. If the food truck scene isn’t their thing another must-try place in Portland is Pok-Pok http://www.pokpokpdx.com/. This place changed people’s views on Thai/Laotian food. Their cuisine is focused on Northern Thai (Laotian) dishes and they do it with their own flair but keep it pretty authentic. This place has been written about and featured on several food shows over the years but I went not too long after it opened when they had just one small location. I went back this last time I was there and the quality was just as I remembered.  

The hotel I would recommend is called the Allison Inn & Spa http://www.theallison.com. I did a little tour during my visit there and also had an extensive 5-course dinner at their Jory Restaurant & Bar. It’s an open-kitchen and they turn out some amazing dishes. The thing I love most about Portland (and the Willamette Valley) is that it’s all about sourcing ingredients locally and focusing on what’s fresh at the moment. The Allison also has a huge spa. I had a massage that was quite lovely. There are plenty of B&Bs scattered through the region but this is where I would stay on my next visit. If staying here (or really anywhere for that matter), you’ll get tasting passes for nearby wineries so you can visit their tasting rooms and do 2-for-1 tastings or sometimes even free tastings.

Some of the best wineries I visited are:

·         Saffron Fields www.saffronfields.com – newer, beautiful tasting room and stunning views

·         De Ponte Cellars www.depontecellars.com – nothing fancy in terms of the tasting room but they had really lovely wines; I sent some to a long-time client that’s been very generous to me in the past and they LOVED it and they are wine snobs

·         Eyrie Vineyards www.eyrievineyards.com/journal - THE vineyard/winery that put Willamette Valley on the map; the founder is considered the godfather in the area

·         Bethel Heights www.bethelheights.com – rolling hills, splendid views, this is the vineyard our group hiked in 2009 but I think it was only because we got special permission. I don’t think their vineyards are open to the public for hiking – I included a link below from a USA Today article about vineyards that can be hiked.

·         Cristom Vineyards www.cristomvineyards.com

·         Domaine Drouhin www.domainedrouhin.com/en

There are so many more than what I listed but I included the ones above because I personally visited them and enjoyed them.

If your clients are interested in hiking, this article is worth a read: http://experience.usatoday.com/food-and-wine/story/tours-and-trails/wine-tours-and-trails/2013/08/14/oregon-wine-trails/2656087.  The only place I visited on the list is Sokol Blosser, which is a larger operation and their wines are more widely available than some of the smaller, boutique wineries in the area but they are still phenomenal.

Some of the restaurants worth visiting in the Willamette Valley area are:

·         Cuvee Restaurant (French; the owner/chef is actually French as well and quite personable) www.cuveedining.com

·         Dundee Bistro www.dundeebistro.com

·         Red Hills Market (huge selection of cheeses, wines and deli items and one of the best wood-fired pizzas I’ve ever had; it’s a market but there are tables for dining) www.redhillsmarket.com

·         La Rambla (Spanish tapas; paella was fabulous; located in a really cute area with other shops, restaurants and galleries) www.laramblaonthird.com/index.html

A good website to visit is http://willamettewines.com/ for complete info and I think you can get a free map or visitors guide as well.

The Willamette Valley is worth a visit for any food and wine lover. It’s home to some of the best pinot noirs grown/produced in the country. I think it rivals Napa and Sonoma on all levels. I loved both of those regions but the Willamette Valley tops it for me in terms of a less commercial option.