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| Photo courtesy of Winery Wedding Guide |
Around
this time of year, there are countless great festivals for tourists to attend.
Today, we will spotlight one such event in Portland, Oregon at the Willamette
Valley Wineries: the Wine Country Thanksgiving.
Every
year, in the three days following Thanksgiving, the 165 wineries in Willamette
Valley hold a joint festival for tourists and avid wine connoisseurs. Among the festivities are special tastings,
live music, food pairings, and holiday discounts. Willamette Valley offers a
seemingly endless list of attractions, including lodging areas, restaurants,
art galleries, bike tours, and even hot air balloon rides.
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| Photo courtesy of Willamette Wines |
First
and foremost, however, are the wineries themselves. Of the many great wineries
in Willamette Valley, several stand out.
Among these standouts is Archery Summit with varieties like pinot gris,
pinot noir, pinot noir rosé, and rosé. Offering vineyard tours and a tasting
room open for 6 hours every day, Archery Summit consists of Barrel caves, a picnic
area, and a wine club. Domaine Drouhin Oregon is another stellar option for a
winery to visit. Known for their chardonnay and pinot noir, Maison Joseph
Drouhin owns the winery and winemaker Véronique Drouhin-Boss handcrafts the
internationally renowned wine products. A final winery to consider visiting is
the Domain Serene, which produces chardonnay, pinot noir, rosé, and syrah.
Domain Serene provides two different tasting experiences, private and tour, as
well as a great view of the vineyard and valley from its patio.
Willamette
Valley also contains excellent eateries worth a visit to complement the
first-class wineries. Bentley’s Grill, for instance, has an abundance of
delicious seafood and steaks on the menu, while La Rambla Restaurant offers
very tasty Spanish cuisine. Walnut City Kitchen’s proximity to the wineries
makes it another very enticing option, and Nick’s Italian Café is a perfect
choice for pastas and pizzas.
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| Bentley's Grill, courtesy of Trip Advisor |
If
your tastes extend to art, the Art Elements Gallery has many great pieces on
display, including paintings, ceramics, jewelry, woodwork, furniture and
photography. The gallery also has
receptions as well as several other events allowing access to the artists.
Wine
Country Thanksgiving features a wide array of tours, not all of them on foot.
Pedal Bike Tours offers a trip through the landscape to see the stunning views
of the countryside and a picnic lunch at one of the wineries. Additionally,
Precision Helicopters gives you a tour with an aerial view, allowing you the
sight of the coastline and mountains from above as well as the wineries below. Last but not least, what would a trip to the
Willamette Valley Wineries be without a hot air balloon tour? Vista Balloon
Adventures offers just that for three hours at a time with a catered breakfast.
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| Photo courtesy of Trip Advisor |
The
features listed here are just the tip of the iceberg for this annual event. As
far as November destinations for tourists, the Wine Country Thanksgiving has to
be near the top of the list, running from November 28th to 30th
this year.
Ever
been before? Share your experiences in the comments.
Source: Willamette
Valley Wineries
