Dave Edwards and It’s Just my wine take!
I have to admit, I was not prepared for what I witnessed on vacation recently. Allow me a moment to explain.
Having heard that the Oregon wine region was amazing, I assumed that there were what, 50…maybe 75 wineries scattered through the Willamette Valley? Not even close. Try closer to 900 to a 1000!
From tasting rooms to boutique wine stores to full-blown wineries, the wine business has exploded in Oregon. And, if you are a Pinot Noir fan(think Sidekick), this wine region is for you. Pinot in every direction, from world-class reds to Pinot Rose’ to Frose’, which is a delicious Rose’ slushy. Sure, they produce other great wines, but often source their grapes from other wineries in Washington and California.
Oregon produces just over 1% of all the wine made in the U.S., yet its wines receive over 20% of the Wine Spectator’s 90+ point ratings. They are that good! By the way, one of the wineries we made a point to enjoy was King’s North Winery in Newberg. It is owned and operated by two brothers from Wisconsin that even talked their Mom and Dad into moving to Oregon to help run the business! Very good wines, too!
Sure, we all took a hit during covid, and the wine industry was not spared. But the recovery has been solid and the Willamette Valley appears to be strong. If you enjoy a bit of the grape as we do, give Oregon a try. The toughest decisions you’ll make will be choosing which wineries to visit!
