Oregon – Cycling the Willamette Wine Region 9.1.21

Day 1 – 30 miles. Our Backroads leaders shuttle us 1.5 hours from the majestic Columbia River Gorge, west of Portland, where we had been cycling for the past three days, to the Willamette Valley Region, just south of Portland, where we would cycle for the next three days through Wine county.

We start out in Newberg and cycle into the Dundee Hills, home to a number of well known wineries. The 20 miles we cycle before lunch includes two climbs, the first and most difficult had an average grade of 10% with some portions as high as 16%. I am happy to say I made it to the summit without getting off of my bike.

Our lunch spot is Stoller Family Estate Winery, the largest contiguous vineyard in Oregon’s Dundee Hills and was the first in the world to receive LEED Gold certification. While tasting our wine, we enjoyed painted sky views.

In addition, I learned about a new way of aging Wine that the winery is using to make unique Chardonnays.  In addition to aging in Steel and Oak, wine makers are beginning to age Wine in cement urns. One of the Chardonnays we tasted was aged using this process. I enjoyed it so much I bought a case.

After lunch, we cycled 10 miles through Carlton and into McMinnville, home to the liberal arts Linfield University, art galleries, boutiques and independent bookstores.  McMinnville is a beautiful little college town.

Our lodging for the next two nights in McMinnville would be The Atticus Hotel, a small hotel that is the definition of luxury boutique – www.atticushotel.com. From the soaking tub with bath salts, to the bowl of hazelnuts with a fancy nut cracker, to the curated books and French Press Coffee maker in each room, to the original art all over the premises, everything is very intentional.

For dinner that evening, Pete and I ate at La Rambla, one of the many excellent restaurants in town – the same restaurant I had eaten at while in McMinneville earlier on my trip. It did not disappoint.

So, why were hazelnuts in our rooms? In addition to producing some of the world’s best Pinot Noirs, Oregon produces 99% of the Hazelnuts consumed in the United States and the region is the third highest producer of Hazelnuts in the world, only behind Turkey and Italy. In fact, during our first day of cycling in the area I kept seeing acres and acres of small bush-like trees lined up like Grape Vineyards, but I could tell they were not grapes. They were Hazelnut Trees!

Day 2 – 30 miles. The next day (Tuesday) we cycled 30 miles in the morning across the broad flat fertile plains of Willamette Valley, the final destination on the Oregon Trail from the 1830s to the 1850s. We go through the tiny town of Amity before stopping for a picnic lunch at Keeler Family Winery. Less corporate and sophisticated than Stoller, Keeler was more down-to-earth and homey. I loved the atmosphere. The owner, who could have played the role of an Italian Grandmother in a movie, came out and met us and made us feel like we were guests in her home. It was not only charming, but this winery had some of the best Pinot Gris I have ever tasted. Yep, you guessed it – I bought a case. 

After lunch I skipped the afternoon ride so that I could visit the Evergreen Flight and Space Museums located just outside the town on McMinnville. The museums’ centerpiece is Howard Hughes’ famous plane “The Spruce Goose”, the worlds largest flying boat, made entirely of wood. The museums also have great exhibits of WW II and Vietnam planes. But I found their Space Exhibit the most fascinating. It reminded me of my days working on the Space shuttle Program from 1983 to 1985 at NASA. Yep, once a nerd, always a nerd.

That evening we held our farewell dinner, which is always bittersweet at the end of a Backroads trip. 

Day 3 – 0 Miles. The next day, I had to miss the 20 mile ride in the morning because of work commitments. However, I did not mind. I love my clients. After the morning ride, we all met for lunch at the hotel. Afterwards, we shuttled to the Kimpton Hotel in Portland where we said our goodbyes, and where I would spend my last night in Oregon.

In the afternoon I explored the breweries in Portland by putting on my running shoes and running 5 miles into the east side and into the Pearl District. I did a 10 flight tasting at Barrel Brewing Co. And loved the beers. Thank you JD Brown for suggesting I go there.

I had my final dinner at the restaurant at Kimpton. I decided to eat there not only because it had a great outdoor space with a view of the River, but because it was the first day the restaurant was open after being closed for over 4 months due to COVID. And I wanted to be a part of the experience, especially because the wait staff was so excited. The food ended up being great too!

Speaking of COVID, I was reminded of the politics and protests of 2020 during my afternoon run through parts of the city. Some of us may remember that the rioting and anarchy that occurred in Portland in 2020 was some of the worst in the country. At the time, Anarchists controlled and looted large swaths of the downtown area. And Unfortunately, some of the neighborhoods have not recovered.

During my run I would find myself in an areas that literally looked like war zones. Buildings would be boarded up, businesses closed, and groups of people living in tents on the sidewalk. It was unnerving to try to get through some of these areas during my run. Some of these areas have policemen patrolling on foot, usually in pairs. I am sure that someone living here 5 years ago would be astonished to see how much the city has changed. I do not know how to fix the problem, but it is a problem. If not fixed sooner than later, downtown Portland, even the Pearl District, will suffer economically.

So, my thirteen days in Oregon have come to an end. This was my third trip to this wonderful state and I will be back, hopefully with my family. Whether you want to experience world class golf, beautiful beaches, challenging cycling, hiking of all kinds, wind sports on the Columbia River, or great beer in Portland or world class wine in Willamette Valley, Oregon has it all. As much as I love my beautiful native state of Virginia, Oregon hands down has more to offer. And although Pete and I were not able to go to Europe for the second year in a row, Oregon was an incredible consolation prize!