Happy Wine Country Travels

If you are anything like me, you are probably not only a fan of wine, but also of visiting wineries. In the past year, I have been able to visit tasting rooms in Santa Barbara, Napa and Willamette, in addition to all the great areas in Washington. Below are a few of my favorite hints to maximize your wine country experience, while avoiding hiccups along the way:
· Plan before you go. Several wineries have limited hours, tasting fees or special requests in regards to groups, especially on busy weekends. Check websites or call for the most up to date information. I make appointments if I’m travelling with a group of any size, which often leads to a more personalized experience while I’m there. Also think ahead about dinner reservations, as most restaurants will fill up quickly during event weekends.
· Travel at a leisurely pace. Plan to visit just a few wineries each day, taking the time for rest and food in between. My palate is best for three or four wineries at most.
· Be aware of tasting versus drinking. To make the most of your trip, keep a clean palate and clear head by spitting when necessary and drinking plenty of water.
· Use a designated driver. Take advantage of a limousine service, hire a friend or switch tasting days with your travelling buddies.
· Watch out for hot weather! Purchasing as you go is great, but warm temps in your car can ruin your new wines. Pack a cooler for the day and bring your wines inside with you in the evening.
· Pack cash. Many tasting rooms have minimal tasting fees (and many are refundable with a wine purchase). It can be helpful to bring plenty of cash for these occasions.
· Talk to the tasting room staff! We at Fidelitas love to talk about wine and our winery, and we are certain that others do too. You can learn a lot!

A trip across the border (to Oregon, that is)

I joke around that being a part of a winery means that you tend to just visit that one tasting room. Rarely do I travel up Sunset Road and turn into any driveway but our own. So, I was really excited when I found out that I got to go to Portland and Willamette Valley for my bachelorette party. (Don’t get any wrong ideas here. We had multiple people claim that we were the calmest bachelorette group they had ever seen…at least in the tasting rooms.) To avoid rambling on too long, I am going to just highlight the places that we visited.
In Portland, a few favorite places include Oregon Wines on Broadway (of course, great Oregon selection, but also with some Washington slipped in and GREAT champagnes), Noble Rot (awesome view of the city even in the rainy weather, fun selection of international and domestic wines) and Serratto (incredible halibut with harrissa and gigantes beans).

Dizzy? The staircase at Domaine Serene

Our trip out to Willamette was awesome. We were lucky enough to have Leland at the wheel, giving us an amazing amount of information about the area. Our first stop was at Domaine Serene, one of the fanciest places in the area and home of one of my favorite white wines – the Cote Sud Chardonnay. We had a wonderful tour of the entire facility and tasted some awesome wines. Next was Penner Ash, recommended to us for the view. While cloudy, it was quite impressive. We had a Riesling that was (mistakenly) labeled at $218, but found that it was quite tasty for the real price of $18, and an interesting, smoky Pinot Noir/Syrah blend. Our last stop of the day was at Arbor Brook, which my parents insisted we try since they enjoyed their visit last fall. The facility definitely was not as upscale as the first two (it is in an adorable, but chilly, old barn) but in some ways we felt more at home. The Pinots were tasty (especially the 07…yum!) and they also had a Red Mountain Wine – a late harvest Semillon from Klipsun Vineyard.
We stayed at the swanky Nines Hotel, right in the middle of downtown and loved looking into the sim city-esque Urban Farmer restaurant below our room. All in all, a great trip that I would recommend to anyone looking for a weekend away. Thanks, girls!

Leland and the ladies outside the Nines.