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The Dining... The coastal areas seemed to be lacking any serious dining options for wine lovers and foodies alike. While we were in the Pacific City area the best dining option without a doubt was the [b]Delicate Palate Bistro[/b]. This lovely little bistro located on the main street through the center of town in the Pacific City Inn. It is operated by forum member benchland who serves as the wine director for the restaurant and his lovely fiancée Jen who serves as the Executive Chef. Jen is an excellent chef who has spent the past several years honing her skills at various Napa area restaurants including working with the always demanding Philippe Jeanty. The menu selections are both interesting and varied and change on a regular basis for frequent diners. Prices are modest for such quality with most entrees coming in between $17.00 and $25.00 per diner. Sides are ...
Our final day of tasting was dedicated to two wineries for which we couldn’t schedule an appointment over the weekend: J.K. Carriere and Eyrie. I guess we’ll see Portland proper on our next trip instead (we originally planned to spend the day in Portland this day but rescheduled). Anyway…
The Wineries...
Day Four Our fourth day in the valley was actually dedicated to seeking out local artists and trying our best to not taste wine. Either fortunately or unfortunately, we failed. In general I found the art scene within the valley itself to be slightly disappointing. For a short diversion I thought the Lawrence Gallery south of McMinnville to be the highlight although quite pricy. Swing by Mysara winery while out there or grab a quick lunch at Fresh Palate above the gallery.
Our third day in the valley was a Sunday and Father’s Day Sunday at that. Be aware that many of these wineries don’t like opening for tastings and even rarer for tours on a Sunday so plan ahead. Our first stop of the day was likely the best overall tasting and touring experience we had during the entire trip. BHVineyard setup for us a vineyard tour of Le Cadeau Vineyard and a joint tasting at Chehalem of the Chehalem wines and the Le Cadeau wines. We first met up with
Our second day of tasting was in the Salem area. Our first stop of the day was at Witness Tree. The name of the winery comes from a “Witness Tree” or large oak tree on the hill above the winery that was used in the 19th century to mark one of the corners of the property. The survey information is carved in the trunk of the tree and still visible to this day. The winery makes quite a few wines including a mix of whites and Pinot Noirs. The 2005 Vintage Select Chardonnay was quite interesting leaning heavily towards soft brown spices on the aromatics and one of the better Chardonnays we tasted during the trip. The Pinot Noirs are all fairly solid running the gambit between the high 80’s and low 90’s on the WIML scale. Definitely a winery worth watching.
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| | These winery links are specific to those who have contributed to the VinoCellar Wine Forums. Just my small way of saying thanks, I'm glad you are here! -- Brad
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