Wineries with Bursts of Color!

Last week, dear friends, Doug and Cheryl Barlow took me for a much needed day off to a few of their favorite vineyards in the Willamette Valley. It was a mindblowingly beautiful October day, a Tuesday, my favorite day of the week. The first vineyard we went to was Kramer Vineyards. From what they told me, most vineyards sit high up on hillsides and this was no exception. The tree-lined drive was suffused in all shades of oranges, yellows with a smattering of greens.

We came upon this sweet little venue that was very inviting.

Barrels stood stacked next to rows of vines with the owner's home in the background along with a burnished red set of trees lining the feathered blue skyline to complete the backdrop.

 Besides one of the (human) employees smiling at us upon our arrival, we received a hello from two resident greeters, Cosmo and Brody.

We sat down outside for a Pinot Noir wine flight. Kathy, one of Kramer's employees and a longtime friend of the family took good care of us.

We sampled such lovelies as a 2011 Pinot Noir, an '09 Rebecca's Reserve (named for the owners' daughter) Cardiac Hill and my person fav the '09 Heritage. Later, Trudy Kramer popped out to talk with Doug and Cheryl (who are friends with the owners) about the latest wine trends and offer some tips on winemaking, which Doug and Cheryl do at their lovely home at Fishhawk Lake. (Lucky us who get to partake!) This family run business is very "fruitful" in their relationships with other wine aficionados and they are quite generous in sharing the education they have gained over the years as well as supporting others both professionally and personally who share their passion for winemaking. 

Trudy told us that they recently won a national award for their 2012 Rose Pinot at a tasting in Chicago. Wines from all over the world were judged there. How exciting!

 Meanwhile, I took occasional opportunities to snap photos of their rolling hills and beautiful fall foliage that surrounded us.

Our next stop was Montinore Vineyards for a sit-down picnic that Doug and Cheryl had so kindly put together for us.

We sat overlooking the expansive vineyards with layers of colors rolled out in neat rows and a barn a few miles away.

 I took a quick snap of the perfect food combinations for our wine flight. Lynn was very accomodating and gave generous pours for our tasting pleasure.

And yup, we bought more wine!

Because we took our time, we only made it to two vineyards for tasting, but it was a glorious day all round and we even saw the moon over Lake Vernonia on our trek home.

A peaceful end to a perfect day.