Memorial Weekend Wine Tasting
One of my favorite events in Oregon is Memorial Day wine tasting in the Willamette Valley (WVW). This has become somewhat of an annual tradition for me and my friends. The first outing years ago did take place on the Saturday/Sunday of Memorial weekend, then migrated to the weekend before Memorial Day (less crowded), and this year shifted to the Friday before Memorial Day.
The thing about heading out on Friday is wineries may not be open or they may be holding their normal tasting, not a special holiday tasting. Oh, and there is also the holiday traffic to consider. My TIP: Do some preplanning to ensure your wineries will be open and what they are offering. See helpful links below to assist you in planning.
For this outing, I scanned the Memorial Day in the Wine Country brochure to find out which wineries were open on Friday and would remain within a one hour drive time from Portland on a 'normal' traffic day. The result was visiting two wineries in the Chehalem Mountain AVA: J.K. Carriere and Beckham Estate Vineyards. Number of bottles purchased this trip: Three. The White Pinot from J.K. Carriere and the amphora vermentino from Beckham.
Helpful Links:
Request WVW brochure and join mailing list for Memorial and Thanksgiving Events
J.K. Carriere
Great location to sip wine and enjoy the view. You also get a small peek of Mt. Hood.
Website: jkcarriere.com
Address: 9995 NE Parrett Mtn Road, Newberg, Oregon, 97132
Detailed directions can be found on the website
Beckham Estate Vineyard
Upper and lower patio seating to enjoy your wine tasting.
Website: beckhamestatevineyard.com
Address: 30790 SW Heater Road, Sherwood, Oregon 97140
