You know the summer wine touring season has arrived when “Memorial Weekend in the Wine Country” takes place in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
The 22nd annual event begins Saturday and runs through Monday. This year, more than 150 wineries—some open to the public only on holiday weekends such as this—will welcome guests.
Among the activities:
- Barrel tasting: An opportunity to sample “wines in waiting” before they’re bottled and released to the marketplace.
- Tasting of new releases: Many wineries time the introduction of their new releases to coincide with the Memorial weekend. And why not? This is an opportunity to share their wares with lots and lots of people.
- Specialty food pairings: A good number of wineries will offer snacks or “small plates,” specially prepared to complement their featured wines.
- Music: Rio Con Brio will be playing choro at Aryle Winery…Island Mana Wines will feature Hawaiian music…The Space Neighbors will play dance-worthy music at Tyee Wine Cellars. And that’s just a sampling of the sweet sounds that will be heard all over the valley this weekend.
Better still, it’s all for a good cause, as proceeds will benefit Ecotrust’s Farm to School Programs, which bring locally-grown, healthy foods to school lunchrooms and educate children about agriculture and the importance of supporting regional farmers.
To learn more about “Memorial Weekend in the Wine Country,” and for an A-to-Y (A Blooming Hill Vineyard to Youngberg Hill Vineyards & Inn) listing of participating wineries, click here.
Vinesse Today will be taking Monday off for Memorial Day. We’ll be back with more vinous news and views on Tuesday.
