Wow! So we finally got to the Willamette Valley. I wasn't really looking forward to it as I haven't liked many Pinot Noirs. I guess my problem was too many California Pinot Noirs, because I became a fan of PN while in Oregon. There was a lot of variety, some too much like California, but overall it was a great experience.
I'd have to say our favorite from top to bottom was Argyle. They have really good still and sparkling wines. We enjoyed tasting the wines and talking with the people there.
Another good winery was Bergstrom. A number of wineries recommended that we go there, so we made it there on our last day. Their wines were also very good from top to bottom. The previous night we had dinner at the Painted Lady where we had a Bergstrom wine as part of the wine pairing dinner.
I suppose the biggest disappointment, besides only have a few days there, was Domaine Drouhin. The grounds and views are stunning. We enjoyed sipping their wines on their patio. The people were really nice. The disappointment was that we found their wines to be average. Not the worst we tasted for sure, but clearly not the best. Many people recommended them, so we may have had great expectations.
Tasting fees in the area ranged from a few at $5 to $15 (most at $10). Although most credited the fees if you purchased a bottle (one $15 winery refunded with a $100 purchase). Visiting the tasting rooms was better than going to wine bars. We visited a couple of wine bars thinking that we'd be able to experience multiple wineries without the travel. We didn't find the wines or experience to be remarkable.
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