It's good to be back home after a week of wine tasting in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. We visited / tasted at nine wineries and also managed to squeeze in some time with my older sisters. Nice weather and very good food.
I think Patricia Green Cellars stood out; we were surprised how many of their Pinot Noir bottles were so good. All the wineries made excellent wine though, even a few where you could get a bottle for around $30. But most of our tastings were in the $60 to $90 USD range. We shipped about 1.5 cases home in total.
Patricia Green actually passed away several years ago (I think 2017 or so); her partner kept the winery going though and they still give her credit for the success they've enjoyed.
I don't know if i told you before, but maybe you should consider a trip to Douro region (Portugal).
You'll find a lot of great wines there, you can even take a trip on the amazing river cruises alongside the vineyards.
Douro Majestic Cruise. Luxury Hotel-Ship Cruises. (cruzeiros-douro.pt)
That's on the bucket list. I understand the Douro River is quite beautiful. We loved our cruise on the Danube in 2022.
Southern Illinois is more noted for their long history of peach and apple orchards but over the past 25 years has become quite popular in the wine industry. Many wineries have come into existence over the years. Alto Pass, Cobden, and Pomona have numerous wineries surrounded by the Shawnee National Forest. Also some interesting sites to see like "natural bridge" in Pomona and Bald Knob Cross at Alto Pass. If you prefer to wait for Easter, you could attend the Sunrise Services at Bald Knob Cross.
I grew up on a farm at Alto Pass and had a view of the 111 ft Cross every day. Definitely a site worth visiting and enjoying the wineries and scenery. The most beautiful time of year is in the fall.
Also BigAl01 if you or any member should happen to plan a visit, get in touch with me because I would enjoy meeting you and would be a great tour guide for you.
Thanks for the tour guide offer, @Vynski. Earlier this year we did a driving vacation through Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kentucky, just missing Illinois in the process. This was our Road Trip to Totality in which we wanted to see the Total Eclipse in Kerrville, Texas on April 8th 2024. We even managed to visit Sam at the AMD facility in Austin, Texas too.
We have learned in our travels that wine grapes are grown in just about every state of the union. Not all of it is good however, but it is worth trying. Texas has some good wines in the hill country; Georgia and Oklahoma have more 'austere' wines that we did not wish to drink much of.
I forgot to include you in that description of our visit to AMD @Wally_AMD ; sorry about that. Next time I want to hear you play me a tune on that AMD guitar that Sam was holding.
