So, my wife and I are ditching the kids at camp on Sunday and flying into PDX on Monday.
A quick drive down to McMinnville and we’re staying at Third Street Flats (thanks for the recommendation, Todd).
I’m sure we’ll be exhausted, so Monday PM, we’ll just wander around McM.
Tuesday we’ve got appointments at Biggio-Hamina in the morning and Matello in the afternoon.
Going out to Patricia Green Wednesday morning and will likely wander around Newberg/Dundee the rest of the day.
Thursday is open for now. Planning on playing it by ear. Lots of good recommendations in various threads - might head North, might head South.
Friday back to PDX for the weekend. Planning on stopping at SEWineCollective. Also need to go back to Clyde Common. Have never tried Pok Pok and definitely want to eat there. Definitely need to pay another visit to Powell’s.
Thanks to all the good recommendations from the various threads everybody. Will definitely report back in.
Also, if you are needing a view and a cocktail go to the Hotel Oregon and order drinks at the lobby bar, then take them upstairs via the elevator to the roof to check out the view. Under no circumstances should you eat there, or expect quick service.
Thanks for the additional recommendations.
I had Eyrie on the list of additional places to hit in McM. Will move it to the top of the list. We’re spending the last night in the Hotel Oregon since 3rd street was closed out that night. Saw in various places online that it is “quirky”. Will definitely approach with an attitude of caveat emptor.
A special thanks to Jason Hagen for his links and suggestions on previous threads!
I will second Todd’s advice not to eat at HO or expect anything timely. There’s another, new, rooftop restaurant called 1882. It’s also on 3rd Street, has a great beer selection and good food(the wings are very solid). Also, a new lunch spot is Valley Commissary directly next door to our winery(Matello) that is fabulous. Just dynamite food. See you Tuesday
Reporting back in (Part 1).
A spectacular trip. Again a big thanks for everybody’s suggestions in this thread and previous ones. Got in at 1:30 this morning and managed to make it to work at a somewhat reasonable hour. Still finding it odd to have no kids in the house. Managed to delete the tasting notes that I had been keeping on my phone. No great loss as my tasting notes are not widely known for being helpful. Generally stars and comments like “This is really cool stuff”. General notes at the end.
Day 1 (Monday):
Connecting flight out of SFO was late. Jump into rental car and fly down to McMinnville. Closing time was near and we jump into Eyrie. Of course, we’ve flown 3000 miles and the first person I see is a guy from DC that I’ve known since the glory days of eGullet in 2003/4. More notes on Eyrie later as we felt the need to revisit on Thursday.
Day 2 (Tuesday):
Biggio-Hamina - We had an 11 Am appointment to see Todd. I first drank his wines through my order from this year’s Berserker Day extravaganza. We tasted through a whole range of stuff.
This guy makes really good wine. In general, I am increasingly fascinated with the small amounts of Syrah coming out of OR and Todd helped scratch that itch including the XVII. Another bottle that I came home with is his Pinot Grigio orange wine that is just fun stuff (See, I told you about the uselessness of my tasting notes). Just fascinating wine. Keep an eye out for his Old Farm wines - a little more funky than his typical PN. They entranced me. Perhaps more importantly, he’s a great guy. We spent more time talking about paying for college and just shooting the s&*( than anything else. More advice on things to do around McM. etc etc. He and my wife got along great as they share the same traits - especially the inability to finish one thought before they start the next. A really enjoyable visit - I look forward to sharing a glass or two with Todd again in the future. He also had a barrel rack just for me.
Our next stop was at Dominio IV. Worth a stop. Solid wines. Unfortunately, further info is a victim of me deleting my notes. The temperanillo was memorable for calming some of the harsh notes that can show up here.
Matello - Our final stop for the day. We showed up a few minutes early as Marcus was setting up. Another great series of wines.
Everything was absolutely delicious, but I became fixated by his Whistling Ridge field blend. For those who haven’t seen his tasting room, it has a small L-shaped bar. Installed in the nook of the L we tasted his rose which had a nice structure to it. Then he poured the white field blend. I took a sip and promptly ignored the conversation that he and my wife were having. I put it aside to the short end of the L as he started pouring out the block Pinots that he had. As they chatted I stealthily drained the white field blend from Mrs JPW’s glass and sipped the PN as they chatted. The PNs were delicious and we came home with our favorite 2. But I just could not resist the Whistling Ridge white. I kept going back for a sniff and a tiny sip. One of two White Wines of the Trip.
Reporting back in (Part II)
We started Tuesday with a barrel tasting at Patricia Green. When Jim says that he put his focus on the wines, he’s not kidding. There’s no sign. You better know the street address, because that’s the only way to find them. Pull into the driveway and wander around for a few minutes as we did. Step up to the deck and Caroline came out to meet us. Although new to PGC, she was up on any questions that we asked and is a true pro. Mrs. JPW was underdressed for a cellar tasting and Caroline kindly offered her a PGC hoodie to keep warm. I have one on my birthday wish list list. They’re pretty stylish.
After a couple of sips of white, we wandered off for barrels (again, apologies as I deleted any real notes). I haven’t done many barrel tastings, and it was incredibly educational and enjoyable for me to taste the difference between different clones from the same vineyards. Mad scientist stuff for me from my background as a social scientist who wants to experiment. The Etzel block really captured my attention and hit my tastes for PN square on. It screams for a brined pork chop. Also came home with a Bishop Block and a couple Freedom Hill’s. If I were a talented winemaker, I could see myself organizing things like they are at PGC - elements waiting for the final touch and blend. Jim popped into the cellar as we were tasting, but he was on a mission. I hate when people distract me me when I’m on a mission. We’ll introduce ourselves next time.
Our next stop was at Penner Ash. Right down the road from PGC. Top 2 for most spectacular view.
Seriously amazing view. Beautiful place. Solid wines. The 2013 Shea Vineyard PN was worth a revisit or two, or three. But you definitely pay for the view.
Lunch in Dundee at Recipe - a pretty little Victorian house with great sandwiches. I had a take on a Croque Monsieur with braised cheeks inside. Really good.
A quick stop by Argyle - at this point we were a little Pinot’d out so some bubbles were on order. Mrs. JPW had the complete bubbles flight. I had never seen their Black Brut before - a full on sparkling red PN. It was fun and according to the excellent and experienced pourer, (whose name is in my deleted notes) not in general distribution. Worth a taste and a bottle.
The next random stop was Sokol Blosser. Good wine and an absolutely beautiful tasting room - AMAZING architecture.
I really enjoyed their Muller-Thurgau - a little peach and lemongrass - medium body. (a half useful note that I found)
PS- Please note our crappy little 4 banger rental econo-box for the next post
Day 3 (Wednesday)
Time for a break from tasting. Following Todd’s suggestion, we took a road trip to Pacific City to dip our toes in the ocean.The drive up 22 and 130 through the rain forest was incredible. I didn’t think that so many shades and tints of green actually existed. Amazing twists and turns and corners. Lunch at the Pelican Pub right next to Haystack Rock.
A quick stop off at Twist Wine Co. and a tasting with the incomparable Chenin. She’s cooler than all of us combined. Just go and enjoy.
I just wish that I had had my Audi instead of our POS econobox rental for the drive.
After returning to McM, we had lunch and wandered up to Eyrie and Remy. Eyrie has a white based on Chasselas, a grape that I had never heard of before. It struck me as a Viognier that has no sugar and doesn’t want any. Absolutely delicious. Their melon de bourgogne also struck a nerve. All the minerality of a Muscadet, but without the salinity that can occasionally overpower.
At Remy, she’s doing some neat stuff with Italian varietals that she sourcing from WA and CA. The lighter than typical Dolcetto stood out for me. They also hold hours a little later than most tasting rooms for a kind of a HH featuring Italian wines. The following really caught my attention and I know nothing about it
Day 4 (Friday) -
On our way back up to PDX for the weekend we made a last couple stops.
First up, Domaine Drouhin. View of the trip #2
Incredible views all around. Great knowledgeable pourer. Nice model of having wines from the French domaines available. Solid Chard. Solid base level PN. An enjoyable tasting once we jumped ahead of the party bus. Worth the stop.
I generally don’t post dismissive reviews online. If I don’t talk about it, I didn’t enjoy. However, I need to call out Domaine Serene. Good wines, but prices through the roof. In a reflection of another thread I offer the following paraphrased discussions with our pourer:
“r” rose -
Me - " Wow, this is great, It’s not just saignee, what’s in it?"
Her - " The winemaker added some aged Chardonnay, but he won’t tell us what else is in it"
Grand Cheval (PN and Syrah blend)-
Me - “I like this. So, what’s the blend?”
Her - “Last year it was said to be around 50/50, but the winemaker won’t tell us exactly what it is. I expect that this year it is about the same.”
Not placing blame, but these answers don’t really work for me.
Our final stop was the perfect bookend to an incredible start with Todd and Marcus and something brand new to me - Soter Vineyards. Amazing wines and an amazing tasting experience. Beautiful hillside with 270 degree views (the other 90 degrees are looking up the hillside at their vines). 34 of 240 acres planted to grapes. Greeted with a glass of rose. Mainly PN with enough other stuff to give it some structure and an incredible cranberry nose. Followed by a beautiful chard with citrus notes and just the right amount of oak. Their 2012 North Valley PN has an incredibly intense nose, but is much more restrained than the nose suggests. The 2013 Mineral Springs PN sings with black fruit - more lush than my typical taste, but this wine just rocks. Closing out with their rose bubbles - I can’t do it justification. This stuff is incredible. The only club that I joined during our trip. I’ve become a total fanboy.
Quick side note-
We made a stop by the SE Wine Collective when in PDX. Without any quality notes (especially as I need to go to bed soon and I’m exhausted), just go.
A very nice set up. Light menu. Great wine from the members and a nice curated list of other wines. Two standouts –
The Welsh Family rose was perhaps the best rose of the trip. Nice backbone, cherry nose without being one note. Very well done. The Helioterra Melon de Bourgogne hit all the right notes.
Pok Pok is right down the street. It was a joy to finally eat there after it has been open for 10 years. I’ve been drooling over the duck laap from the start. It lived up to the hype.
We drank some really good roses and Pinot Gris/Grigios. A lot of other completely uninspired ones that appeared to be afterthoughts. “Oh wait, I need to make a white/rose to complete the line-up”. Caveat bibator.
You pay for the view - some beautiful tasting rooms with great views, especially near 99W. I’d rather buy Patricia Green (among numerous others) and save a few bucks for a higher quality bottle. Stay away from 99W and keep to the back roads.
Listen to Todd and stay at 3rd Street Flats. The WV is incredibly compact -you’re never more than 45 minutes away from where you want to go (30 minutes the way I drive). Stay in McM, you can drive around during the day and taste judiciously, park at the end of the day, and eat dinner and have a glass or two without worrying about driving home.
Hotel Oregon sucks. But the rooftop deck is nice
I’ve never seen such polite driving in my life. They stop for pedestrians jaywalking 3 blocks away. I’m sure that my DC driving frightened a fair number of people
There’s great beer in WV and PDX. The Bitter Monk in McMinnville has a great selection of 16 taps including one nitro. The brew pub near Matello also has a couple of good brews.
The Wine Check rocks. My only regret is that I only had 1.
Thanks again to all those who provided recommendations. It was great to meet Todd and Marcus. I’d happily share a glass with you any time (or for that matter just about anyone from WV. You’re all so damn nice, it puts my east coast radar on edge).
I agree with your comments about Domaine Serene. Definitely full of themselves.
One of my friends built most of the wineries you visited. An interesting niche in the construction business. He’s told me that DDO actually brought over the tile and the roofers from France to install the roof there. And, if you look up when you are in the tasting room, there are water stains down the glue lam beams. The roof leaked. “Just like in France.”
Yes, as our new Archbishop said, “Oregon drivers are obnoxiously polite.” You must not have seen the Portlandia episode about driving, “You go.” “No, you go.” Flash on the Yugo emblem. It’s all true.
[quote=“JPWilley”]Day 3 (Wednesday)
Time for a break from tasting. Following Todd’s suggestion, we took a road trip to Pacific City to dip our toes in the ocean.The drive up 22 and 130 through the rain forest was incredible. I didn’t think that so many shades and tints of green actually existed. Amazing twists and turns and corners. Lunch at the Pelican Pub right next to Haystack Rock.
A quick stop off at Twist Wine Co. and a tasting with the incomparable Chenin. She’s cooler than all of us combined. Just go and enjoy.
I just wish that I had had my Audi instead of our POS econobox rental for the drive.
After returning to McM, we had lunch and wandered up to Eyrie and Remy. Eyrie has a white based on Chasselas, a grape that I had never heard of before. It struck me as a Viognier that has no sugar and doesn’t want any. Absolutely delicious. Their melon de bourgogne also struck a nerve. All the minerality of a Muscadet, but without the salinity that can occasionally overpower.
Chasselas is the main white grape of Switzerland. Didn’t know it was even planted in the US.
Great to meet you and glad you enjoyed the Whistling Ridge Blanc so much. I just cracked bottles of the 2008, 2007, and 2006 last week. All are in very profound places right now. So if you add to your collection, squirrel away a few bottles for a few years.
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