Let me begin by saying I haven’t been the West coast or to an actual vineyard wine tasting.
We are heading to Portland next week and would like to spend a day in the Willamette Valley. Are there wineries in that area that are more welcoming of children? I am not sure what the etiquette is.
There will be 4 adults to watch the toddler so we should have her under control. She is also, in general, a good toddler. There is also the option of leaving her with one of the adults but we’d like to stay together ideally.
Thanks in advance!
P.S. I did google it but was hoping for more insight from oenophiles than random bloggers!
General etiquette woud be not to bring a child to a tasting. In CA it is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to be an a place that serves alcohol unless it also serves food. Not sure about Oregon.
bring your kid pretty much anywhere you want in Oregon. There’s a good chance you’d actually see the winemaker’s kid too at places like Matello /Goodfellow, Walter Scott, Johan, etc.
Let me know if you need restaurant recs too. I eat at kid friendly places 90% of the time.
"Food service is not a requirement of this license. However, if you plan to allow on-site consumption of alcohol (including “tastings”) by customers and you want to allow minor customers (people age 20 and under), you must describe how drinking will not be the predominant activity in the areas and times you will allow minors. Often, the best way to do this is to offer food service in the areas and during the times you will allow minors. The OLCC will work with you during the application process to help you with this issue. "
I’ve brought kids to most wineries in Oregon, Washington, burgundy, and many places in napa and Sonoma. I think it’s common place and most places are very accommodating.
I think general ettiquette is definitely to let the appointment maker know u have little kids. They can then decline your visit for legal/company choice reasons.
Another thought, in the event you’re a beer fan - HUB is a great place to grab beer and a pizza. I’m a huge fan of their IPAs and it’s fairly close to I5 / easy to navigate. The Powell location used to have (haven’t been in a few years) a fairly large-sized kids area with toys, books, etc. Was a favorite stop to have several IPAs and hand the car keys over to my wife…
We are thinking about checking out OMSI on one of the rainy days! I am not a huge beer fan but my husband is and loves IPAs so we might check it out. Thanks for the recommendations!