Living in Wine Country and Loving It!

I'm not a wine snob - not even close.  I am trying to refine my "palate" as the real wine people would say, moving slowly and cautiously from the beginner's sweet whites such as Reisling and Pinot Gris to a more diverse selection.  I can even pronounce some of them.  But you won't hear "fruity finish" or other such terms from me - more like, "Yummm! That's awesome!"  I've also found that as the palate matures the price of a bottle seems to go up accordingly.  Oh, I know, I'll get a barrage of suggestions on excellent affordable wines and welcome them.

Where I'm going with all this is to share the absolute fun of living in wine country, whether you have a cellar full of the best, just enjoy a glass with dinner now and then-or none at all.  When the wineries come into the area like they have in and around McMinnville, Oregon the arts seem to follow.  Every third Saturday in our historic downtown area many shop owners participate in the Art and Wine walk.  The artists set up displays in the shops early in the day and around 5:00 pm the wineries come in and set up a few of their finest for tasting.  Stroll down the quaint street, popping into shops to admire and possibly buy art from local artists, taste a variety of local wines (maybe pick up a bottle or two of your favorites) and sample the goodies provided by the shop owners.  You'll connect with a few old friends along the way and often make new ones.  

Nearly all the wineries have tasting rooms where you can visit at certain hours.  There are several companies that will arrange a tour tailor-made for you and your friends and provide a limo so you can leave the driving to them.  It's great to be able to walk downtown in the fresh Oregon evening air (no, it doesn't rain all the time), have a glass of wine at one of the local wine bars and stroll back home.

I could go on and on - have you ever been to a wine and chocolate pairing? 

I have included links to many wine events on my website, www.jeanelmore.com, and if wine isn't your thing, drive up to a winery anyway--they always have the best view!