I’ll be in Portland with my wife in May, as we head to BF in Seattle. I’ve be to the W V twice, and thought I’d like to visit one of the wine regions in Washington. I don’t know anything about Washington wine. If you had a day(we’re headed east from Portland to do the Gorge area), which wine region would you visit.
We’re prepared to drive from PDX east, and eventually head northwest towards Seattle.
Thanks in advance.
Heading to the Columbia Gorge is just a beautiful drive from Portland (& such a contrast in scenery from the WV). We love Syncline, which is open on weekends. If you have the time, keep going east to Walla Walla. Gobs of good places there.
You get the most bang for your buck in Walla Walla. Once you get there, minimal driving, you can stop at Syncline on your way over as well. If you do Walla Walla, I recommend staying at the Marcus Whitman and eating at least one meal at Saffron.
When you get to Seattle, you can go to Urban Enoteca and taste some great producers from Red Mountain and Yakima Valley and save yourself hours of driving to seek out those wineries. You can also make an appointment with board member Ben Smith of Cadence and visit his tasting room in South Seattle.
Finally, also from Seattle, you can head up to Woodinville and taste a ton of producers there. It’s about 30 minutes NE of the city.
The bad news, unless it’s a special weekend, you will likely not be able to get to Betz, QC, Cayuse etc as they only open for releases.
I’m sure I’ll see you at Berserkerfest, but PM me ahead of time, or whenever you want and I’ll give you my phone number and answer any questions you might have.
I’d also go all the way to Walla Walla and plan to stay couple of days. It’s more of a destination–good restaurants and 100plus wineries, nice small town feel. Be sure to book hotel and even restaurants ahead, as they fill up–particularly on weekends. I’d second Saffron (they sent us a thank you note for coming last time we were there!) but also had a nice time at brasserie four.
Be sure to leave time to stop at Multnomah Falls and Hood River on your way east. The falls are touristy but everyone should see them once, and Hood River has some wineries in and around town - and some amazing wind-surfing to watch.
I’d definitely stop at Viento where they make excellent syrah. They’re about four miles out of town on the Hood River “Fruit Loop”. In town, Double Mountain makes great beer and has excellent pizza.