Why tour the Oregon Country? Compared to Napa Valley, it is small intimate, friendly and relaxed and it specializes in some of the best Pinot Noir in the world, which complements the local cedar-plank salmon well.
 

The Oregon Wine Country in Willamette Valley is relatively young; having started in the seventies. A small group of families planted the first vines in the valley and there are still family-owned wineries around. While not all the vineyard has managed to retain family ownership, especially when it comes to the next generation, Sokol Blosser CEO Susan Sokol Blosser has just handed over the reigns to her children—becoming the second generation of vineyard owners.
  And if you can’t resist old fashioned romance novel, try Susan Sokol Blosser’s At Home in the Vineyard: Cultivating a Winery, an Industry, and a Life. You can get an autographed copy at Sokol Blosser Vineyard.
 

Most of the wineries are on or just off Highway 99, the east and west artery running through the main towns of Newberg and Dundee, connecting to the main Oregon interstate—I-5, to Portland.
 

For an unforgettable lunch, try stopping off at the Dundee Bistro, founded in 1999 by the Ponzi Family, one of Oregon's original wine pioneering families, The Dundee Bistro pairs the finest wines and foods produced in the Willamette Valley. The restaurant is a popular meeting place for local winemakers and neighbors and a good culinary road-stop road from Portland to the Oregon coast. Combined with the Ponzi Wine Bar and Your Northwest specialty store, The Dundee Bistro is a great introduction to Oregon Wine Country.
 

After touring a few wineries and enjoying a nice lunch, you may be wondering where to check in for a good night’s rest. For a piece of Oregon history, you can’t go wrong at the Oregon Hotel in nearby McMinnville. To find out more about touring the Oregon Wine Country, including Memorial Day and Thanksgiving schedules, maps, and links to participating vineyards, go to Willamette Valley Wines.
 

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