Memorial weekend winery tours ( Yamhill County )

[sweetirish]

I'm planning on venturing out to Yamhill County ( Oregon ) next weekend and doing some
winery tours. I gather from the local papers that Memorial weekend is a big event at all the wineries but would like some imput from some of you that may have some experience with wineries in the area. Which ones are the best to go to?? Since time is limited, I would rather hit the best places...

Thanks for anything you can tell me!=-)

PS...went out today to Rex Hill and really liked it...=-)

[Bucko]

St. Innocent, Panther Creek, Springhill and Belle Pente are in my cellar, if that is any clue......

Bucko

[winoweenie]

So are spiders, flies, and mold but IM don't want the listing, jes' some locations. heheWW [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]

[barnesy]

Erath Vineyards is worth the stop.

Isn't St. Innocent by Appointment only? And Its it a bit out of the way for the Yamhill tour...all the way down in Salem and all. Once I move, I do plan on making an appointment to St. Innocent though. Since you folks all rave about them.

Barnesy

[chittychattykathy]

We should get something set up for next month.

[ddf68]

Willakenzie and Torii Mor are both good visits--good wines and good looking tasting rooms, Argyle is good for white and sparkling wines. Elk Cove is also good, but it's a little out of the way.

Since it's Memorial Day you might want to look into whether Ken Wright, Beaux Freres, or Panther Creek are open. They may not be better visits, but Memorial Day may be one of the few days that they are open to the public

ddf.

[barnesy]

Torii Mor was a great stop, and sorta on the way to Erath. Mor's pinot noirs were all very elegant, well balanced and enjoyable. Their top of the line Emily Rose Cuvee (i think thats what it was called) was particularly nice, but at 50 bucks, a bit spendy for me to take home.

Barnesy

[Cole]

There are so many great OR wineries to visit Memornial Day! My advice is stay away from the big names because the crowds are huge and go to the boutique wineries that aren't normally open. Be prepared to pay up to $25 (usually less)for the barrel tastes. Expensive?? Perhaps, but remember, these are $40-100 bottles you are tasting, in barrel, at wineries that sell out their wine every year and aren't open except Memorial Day and Thanksgiving--plus in most cases the wines are exceptional. So, even the small guys will get good crowds. Best bet is to get out as early as possible. By noon it can be a zoo. Best Yamhill vicinity wineries, by wine quality,include the following: Domaine Serene (by Thanksgiving they'll be in the biggest winery building in OR), Ken Wright (leading cult producer, will be crowded), Patricia Green Cellars (fantastic Pinots), Beaux Freres (partly owned by Parker, huge Pinot wines), Torii Mor, Panther Creek, Belle Pente, Lemelson (state of the art new winery, will be a zoo and only open on Saturday), Brick House (great wines, great homey winery), Chehalem (Ridgecrest Pinot and Ian's Reserve Chardonnay are great), Westry (excellent wines), and Carlo & Julian (Oregon garagiste). There are so many more (and that's just Yamhill area)that are worth visiting. For food, go to Ponzi Wine Bar in Dundee, or Tina's in Dundee. Expect crowds everywhere. Big names, like Archery Summit, can be real zoos (even though they make the best--and most expensive--Pinots in the US).

Sorry this was so long. OR wines are my favorite topic!!

[barnesy]

Welcome to the board, Cole.

Its always nice to add another Pacific Northwesterner to the board. Keep comin' and postin'.

On a side note, you may want to check and see if Domaine Drouhin is open that weekend. They are one of the big guys from Burgundy and have been producing some top Pinot in their Oregon estate. I don't believe they are open for normal visiting, but they may be open for the special weekend.

Barnesy

[This message has been edited by barnesy (edited 05-24-2001).]

[Cole]

Hello:

Thanks for the welcome. I am extremely in touch with the OR wine scene (from Willamette as well as Southern Oregon), but am just learning about Washington and Idaho wines.

Domaine Drouhin, locally called DDO, will NOT be open Memorial Day weekend. They normally NEVER open, and now, since their general manager of 13 years, Bill Hatcher, has left the winery, there's no one to pour! At least until the Drouhins name a replacement.

By the way, if I had to pick one winery to visit for overall quality of wines, I think I'd have to shoot myself--or just admit that it would be a 3-way tie between Brick House, Patricia Green and Broadley (who is in the extreme south part of Willamette Valley, and so out of the Yamhill range that was the original spark to this thread.)

-Cole