With the coming of spring, procrastination from homework and other commitments is becoming more likely, and students may be looking for excursion destinations. Oregon is a breeding ground for great wines, so it makes sense to travel to one of the great wineries near Eugene for a little touring and tasting.
Although grapes are currently in an unexciting phase of their growth cycle (vines don’t sprout until around May, and picking does not occur until late summer), the sunshine will undoubtedly make for a pleasant visit. Right in town at 255 Madison Ave. is Eugene Wine Cellars, which does not have a nearby vineyard but offers tasting Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m. or by appointment; the winery also offers live music on Wednesday evenings. Territorial Vineyards and Wine Company, at 907 W. 3rd Ave., has two vineyards — one just west of Junction City and one in Crow Valley. The winery hosts tastings Fridays and Saturdays from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. and by appointment.
In Veneta, approximately 30 minutes from Eugene, is Secret House Vineyards, which owner Patti Chappel says is special for its art gallery, gardens and presence of wildlife such as hummingbirds and bluebirds.
“We have picnic grounds, so you can bring a lunch, get a bottle of wine and enjoy the ambiance of the lovely gardens, especially in the spring when all the birds come out,” Chappel said. “Sometimes a flock of wild turkeys even comes out.”
Aside from picnicking, touring Secret House’s vineyards and tasting its wines, one can incorporate into his or her trip a visit to Veneta’s historical museum and cafés. Because Veneta is on the way to Florence, people can stop at Secret House Vineyards on the way to the beach.
King Estate is a winery with 1,033 acres of vineyards in Eugene at 80854 Territorial Rd. The winery is currently constructing an elaborate visitor’s center scheduled to open in May. The center will host wine education programs, tours and art exhibits and will include a fireplace and a kitchen to accommodate food and wine pairing activities.
“We want to turn this estate into the marquee winery in Oregon, or even in the Northwest,” King Estate director of marketing Miles Johnson said.
Currently, guests of King Estate can partake in complimentary wine tasting and tours of the winery, including the barrel cellar and production and fermentation rooms.
A little farther from Eugene (approximately 60 miles north on Interstate 5) is Willamette Valley Vineyards in Turner. This destination offers tastings and tours of its winery and cellars daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The vineyard hosts special events and festivals throughout the year, such as the Wine, Cheese and Pear
Jubilee this Saturday and Sunday.
Employees at Oregon wineries typically teach customers the basics of wine tasting
and wine and food pairing when they come
in. Johnson and Chappel said when it comes
to matching food and wine, there is no rigid
set of rules. They said the traditional rules of white wine with chicken and fish, and red
wine with beef and lamb are broken more
often nowadays.
“People should let their own palates make up their minds for them and not be subjective to old opinions,” Johnson said. “A common pairing in the Northwest is grilled salmon with pinot noir, which breaks the common mold.”
Each winery has its own techniques that
result in high quality wines. King Estate focuses on small-batch wine making, which
makes the wine easier to monitor and experiment with. Willamette Valley Vineyards constantly monitors its grapes and stays away from chemicals.
“We are catering toward a salmon-safe environment by not using herbicides or chemical-based fertilizers,” Willamette Valley Vineyards tasting room manager Mickey Bellman said. “We’re going more natural.”

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