A Little Vino Anyone?

Let’s see – the weather sucks, the Mariners are imploding, the Seahawks traded away the best quarterback they’ve ever had, the Sounders can’t get out of their own way, and my expensive sports car probably needs a new engine. And that’s just my personal little world! I think, though, I’ve found a solution – wine!

Wine causes one to do many unanticipated things, like travel. Last weekend, Janice and I joined some of our favorite friends for a first-time visit to Oregon wine country. The Willamette Valley, where Pinots are famous and fantastic. Amidst blue sky and a warming sun the Dundee Hills countryside was beautiful, with expansive, green, rolling hills laden with blooming vines and dense groves of fir and oak. This valley is also known as one of the largest hazelnut producing regions, along with Christmas trees, flower seeds, blueberries, wheat, grass seed and turf. Put them all together and there are wonderful views to be had everywhere.

And then there’s the real reason we came. The Pinot Noirs of this region are renowned for their variety, drinkability and color. Unfortunately, their producers are also developing some snobbery to go with it. Virtually every middle to major winery required tasting room reservations and charged anywhere from $35 to $75 a tasting! Sokol Blosser in particular, stood out for its unwillingness to accommodate us, even though they had multiple empty tables both inside and out. We weren’t particular. We were apologetic. They were unsympathetic. Their attitude can be summarized in the hostess’s remark after our friend Ron told her we had just driven the 200+ miles from Seattle – “Didn’t you see the sign requiring reservations at the bottom of our driveway?” No shit, bitch, and what good does that do us at this point? What a great way to impress potential new customers. We will never go back and never purchase their spiked piss water. Yes, we were treated poorly.

The Methven Family tasting room in Dundee, on the other hand was modest and fun, with an exceedingly engaging host and some live easy-listening blues to spice up the happy hour. This place is representative of the boutique wineries in the area. Unpretentious, fun, a reasonable tasting fee, no reservations required, and a killer mexican food truck partnered near the entrance. You see a lot of locals here. That should be a clue. And, open every day until 8pm! You don’t need to go anywhere else to have a good time.

After a couple hours here, we meander up into the hills of Dundee to our secluded weekend abode. Ron and Vicky have made a stop at DiLaurenti’s in Seattle, stocking up on mortadella, olives, caramelized onions, pate, Italian anchovies and bread, and a variety of other treats. We feast on that and our vino for dinner. Tomorrow is the highlight of our winery visits – Adelsheim.

The next morning, some of us head out for a walk in which we take a wrong turn and get thoroughly lost. Vicky, thank goodness, drives down the hill and finds us despite our poor direction-giving. We’re back just in time to snack and get ready to visit one of this region’s first wineries from over 50 years ago. Adelsheim exclusively produces single vineyard, largely estate wines. It boasts some of the finest Pinot Noirs from a region world-renowned for its Pinot vintages. Beware, however, like almost all larger Oregon wineries in this region, since COVID their tasting rooms are by reservation only. Ron’s prepared this time, however. As a long-time wine club member, he has reserved the Founders Room for us. We also are treated to a tour of their underground, which includes several 6,000 and 9,000 gallon stainless steel fermenting vats and a barrel aging cave. Next time, Ron promises, we will have our tasting in the Cave.

We spend several hours here wandering around the grounds, learning more about the wines and local AVA history, and wondering how much we are going to buy. It’s not cheap, but in the end we leave with a case to be split between the four of us. Our third couple, Chris and Melissa, grab a few bottles for themselves.

Our stomachs tell us it’s time for food, so we find a spot in town for a casual little dinner. From there, it’s back to our little castle on the hill, more wine and Italian cuisine.

The next morning is time to pack, take a few more minutes to enjoy the views, and then light out for the drive home. Sunday traffic on I-5 is no picnic, but we break it up with a stop in Toledo at a throwback hamburger stand, Ms. Beesley’s. Immediately off exit 59 in Washington, for almost 50 years Ms. Beesley’s has been serving up the kind of old-fashioned burgers that can beat your best home-cooked effort. If you’ve never stopped there, you should. Add in crinkle fries and more than twenty different flavors of milkshakes and it’s just about as good as it gets.

The last 100 miles goes a little easier after a Beesley burger. The toughest part? Staying awake. What a great end to a super weekend.