It’s the time of year to give thanks, and in Oregon’s wine country, that’s pretty easy to do. In a long-standing tradition, the weekend after Thanksgiving offers the chance to raise your glass to the vines, the winemakers and the tasting rooms at many of the state’s 400-plus wineries and 16 different American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). You can taste library wines and special reserve pours, take behind the scenes tours with vineyards owners, and enjoy food and live music.

The wineries of the Willamette Valley get really serious about the post-turkey day weekend. This year marks the 29th annual Wine Country Thanksgiving with more than 150 wineries and tasting rooms participating. You are invited to taste new wines and older vintages and to visit smaller, family-owned wineries that are only open to the public on holiday weekends like this one.

In the Columbia River Gorge, more than 30 wineries and tasting rooms swing the doors wide for Thanksgiving Open House Weekend. Billing itself as “A World of Wine in 40 Miles,” the Columbia Gorge Wine Region will offer special releases, live music and artisan food at wineries like The Pines 1852 and Phelps Creek Vineyards in Hood River and the Historic Sunshine Mill in The Dalles.

The wineries of the Umpqua Valley invite you for a post-Thanksgiving wander along their wine trail. Individual wineries will present special food and wine pairings, live music, conversation with the winemakers, and newly stocked gift rooms for holiday shoppers. Wineries like Abacela, HillCrest and Giradet will take part in the weekend. Check the Umpqua Valley Wineries web site for details.

Find more wine events throughout the state at OregonWineCountry.org, Oregon Wine Press or on our calendar

Got a wine question? Check in with our wine ambassador, Ryan Reichert, on our Facebook page.

Where do tastemakers – those foodie folks in the know – go in Oregon? They start by reading the online mag “Tasting Table,” which recently created Oregon’s Tastiest Trails, a guide to their favorite epicurean excursions around the state. Check out the seven excursions they’re telling their readers about below:

Central Oregon
The largest city in Central Oregon, Bend is blissfully bucolic. In this easygoing itinerary, you’ll walk or bike your way through a tour of seven local breweries, and feast on destination-worthy pastries and locally influenced Lebanese cuisine.  (Taste your way through Bend)

Eastern Oregon
With endless open space, Eastern Oregon is a great place in which to lose yourself. In this sprawling itinerary, you’ll drink in some of the state’s best brews, wander an immense forest and stay the night next to a glacial lake. (Taste the majesty of Eastern Oregon)

Greater Portland
Oregon’s northern metropolis has been in a food frenzy for the last few years. And deservedly so: The raw talent and upstart mentality has launched a noteworthy bunch of food destinations. In this delicious itinerary, you’ll eat some of the best Thai food east of Chiang Mai, stay at the epicenter of Portland hipness and troll the world’s largest indie bookstore. (Embark on a Portland food trail)

Mt. Hood/Columbia River Gorge
The area that comprises Mt. Hood and its nearby canyon, the Columbia River Gorge, is all about extremes. The peak of Mt. Hood is the highest point in Oregon, and the Columbia River Gorge is up to 4,000 feet deep. In this high-elevation itinerary, you’ll stay on the mountain itself, hike the Devil’s Backbone and handpick some of the area’s best fruit. (Taste the highs of Mt. Hood/Gorge)

Oregon Coast
Experience the breathtaking topography of the Oregon Coast with this handpicked itinerary. During your stay, you’ll take a cooking class, explore the rugged landscape on two wheels and explore one of Oregon’s finest breweries. (Coast the Oregon Coast Trail)

Southern Oregon
Ashland, one of the many worthy destinations in Southern Oregon, is about as charming a town as you could imagine. Located in the foothills of the Siskiyou and Cascade mountain ranges, the pace is slow but the living is good. In this itinerary, you’ll see world-class theater, savor true fine dining and sample the area’s upcoming wines. (Taste the artistic center of Southern Oregon)

Willamette Valley
Wine is where it’s at in the Willamette Valley. In this grape-soaked itinerary, you’ll wander the Valley, exploring the finest vintners in the birthplace of the region’s world-famous Pinor Noir and Pinot Gris. You’ll also discover why the area’s wild mushrooms are such seriously fine fungi. (Go on a grape escape in Willamette Valley)

See all of Oregon’s tasty trails at tastingtable.com/oregontrails.

There are great deals on tasty fall travel all over Oregon. Check out these fantastic trips and start planning your Oregon Bounty Getaway today.

Eat – Taste – Love in the Willamette Valley at the Le Puy Inn

Le Puy A Wine Valley Inn is an 8-room, 4-season, destination bed and breakfast for the Willamette Valley. The inn strives to exemplify sustainability from the food offered, to the products used, to the care for the environment from the exterior to the interior.

Details

Wine Tour Package at The Grand Hotel

Celebrate on your getaway with wine tasting and festivities by reserving your “Wining Encouraged” Wine Tour Package here at The Grand Hotel at Bridgeport. Spend Friday and Saturday touring some of the valley’s finest vineyards and wineries and end your adventure with us for a night of relaxing bliss.

Details and Pricing

Holiday Wine, Art and Music at Resort at the Mountain

Savor the Northwest’s finest art, wine and music. Only at The Resort at The Mountain! Check-in to a comfortably appointed guest room for Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday night. And receive two Wine Tasting Passports good for the entire weekend – fifteen wineries will present more than 50 wines – plus commemorative glasses.

Details and Pricing

Find More Tasty Deals

Seared Albacore at Le Pigeon

Oregon’s chefs are always on the hunt for the freshest and tastiest local ingredients to bring to your plate. They find what they’re looking for at our many farmers markets. And you don’t have to look far to find some of our favorite farm-to-table restaurants.

Oregon’s chefs are always on the hunt for the freshest and tastiest local ingredients to bring to your plate. They find what they’re looking for at our many farmers markets. And you don’t have to look far to find some of our favorite farm-to-table restaurants.

Oregon is home to many accomplished chefs, notably, these James Beard Award Winners. Oregon is proud to call these tastemaskers her own!

Best Chef Northwest:

1991 John and Caprial Pence, Caprial’s Bistro, Portland, OR

1998 Cory Schreiber, Wildwood, Portland, OR

2001 Philippe Boulot, The Heathman, Portland, OR

2002 Greg Higgins, Higgins, Portland, OR

2005 Vitaly Paley, Paley’s Place Bistro & Bar, Portland, OR

2011 Andy Ricker, Pok Pok, Portland, OR

Rising Star Chef of the Year:

2011 Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon, Portland, OR

Farm to Fork

Oregon’s bounty is freshest and tastiest at these dinners right on the farm. These popular events usually fill up well in advance, so assure yourself a spot at the table by reserving now, just as your future food is taking seed and fattening up.

Chef Heidi Tunnell pairs a different Willamette Valley wine with each of her three savory courses drawn from around Creswell, where her meals are served family style in the Tunnell clan’s 19^th Century barn. One memorable night last season featured homemade pork sausage, barley risotto with porcinis, and strawberries with goat’s milk ice cream, all underlined by Andrew Rich Wines. (Wheelbarrows to carry you to your car, not included)

Plate & Pitchfork’s dinners go beyond great food for a complete feel-good sensation. At each host farm — they rotate from month to month through properties in the Greater Portland area — diners get a farm tour and meet growers, harvesters and chefs through the course of the meal. Afterwards, a portion of proceeds from the dinner goes towards environmental education and food assistance for low-income families.

Carnivores rejoice at the Farm to Fork feeds in the Willamette Valley, Southern Oregon and Hood River. Every supper has a designated producer to provide the tastiest of tender cuts, to go along with the featured winery of the night. Back to back weeks in July look savory in Southern Oregon: July 23 promises homegrown pork and goat at Willow Witt Ranch in Ashland, and July 30 offers the organically fed poultry of Rogue Valley Brambles at the farm in Talent.

Portland to Forest Grove

Start your day 25 minutes west of Portland on Highway 26 at the Helvetia Winery. Located in the northern rim of the Tualatin Valley, this area was first populated by Swiss and German immigrants who started producing wine prior to prohibition. Helvetia’s tasting room is a 100-year-old house, complete with the original immigrants’ winemaking equipment, set amidst 70 acres of forest, vineyards, and Christmas trees.

Spend the afternoon winding down Highway 47 and experiencing the pastoral views, small-town charms and budding restaurant scene of the Forest Grove area. Stop by the impressive wine tasting rooms at nearby David Hill Vineyards & Winery and Montinore Estate – both of which offer spectacular views of Oregon’s coast range and a tasty selection of Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Riesling and more.

Head back to the heart of Forest Grove to rest your head at McMenamins Grand Lodge, a restored 1920s-era Masonic Lodge that now serves as a 77-room hotel, complete with on-site brewery, multiple cozy bars, a movie theater and two restaurants. After a candlelit dinner at Ironwork Grill and a game of pool or snooker, take a dip under the stars in the garden-enclosed soaking pool.

Forest Grove to Beaverton

Start Day 2 with a half-hour drive west on Hwy 6 to explore the new Tillamook Forest Center and its surrounding hiking and mountain biking trails. Or, drive just 10 miles south of Forest Grove to the 1,113-acre Hagg Lake, located at the base of Oregon’s coastal range. Here you’ll find hiking and biking trails, fishing opportunities and non-motorized boats (kayaks, paddle and row boats) for rent.

Head south on Hwy. 47 to Gaston, where you’ll get your wine exploring underway at the family-owned and operated Elk Cove Vineyards, one of Oregon’s oldest wineries. After a taste of their classically crafted Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Pinot blanc or Riesling, head east to Beaverton to explore two more excellent wineries.

Another family-owned and operated winery, Ponzi Vineyards, is one of Oregon’s first Pinot noir producing wineries. Their elegant tasting room is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nearby Cooper Mountain Vineyards is an innovator in Biodynamic® farming, a vineyard movement that is rapidly gaining acceptance. Cap your tour with a sumptuous meal prepared with locally grown and harvested fruits, nuts, cheeses, wild game and fish at Hayden’s Lakefront Grill in Tualatin.

Check into Eugene

Start your Southern Willamette Valley wine wandering in Eugene at the Territorial Vineyards & Wine Company. Tucked in the lush, gently rolling foothills of the coast range, this winery’s new tasting room offers an incredible Pinot gris, rosé of Pinot noir and other varietals. After you’ve had ample tastes, head to downtown Eugene, Oregon’s third-largest city. This college town (home to University of Oregon) offers a multitude of activities and attractions.

A Day of Wine Tasting

Start your day at French-chateau like King Estate Winery, whose beautiful tasting room and patio overlook their 1,033 acres of rolling vineyards, orchards and organic vegetable and flower gardens. King Estate’s winemaker Bill Kremer is famous for his Pinot noir, syrah and Pinot gris.

Wind your way back up Territorial Highway toward Sweet Cheeks Winery and Silvan Ridge-Hinman Vineyards. Overlooking the Briggs Hill Valley, Sweet Cheeks Winery offers breathtaking views and old world charm – not to mention a delightful array of Riesling, Pinot noir, and Pinot gris. During October and November, both wineries offer special tasting events. Check our tasting calendar for a list of unique wine tasting/pairing culinary events.

Next, head north on Territorial Highway to Secret House Winery in Veneta. The winery is a small family-owned operation with about 27 acres of producing vines. Be sure to check their concert schedule as you might be in for a treat. Recent performers have included Death Cab for Cutie, Ani Difranco and Big Head Todd and the Monsters.

Eugene to Corvallis

Say goodbye to Eugene and drive north toward Corvallis. Visit Benton-Lane Winery in the village of Monroe (South of Corvallis on 99W), set amidst the idyllic rolling foothills of the coastal mountain range. After experiencing their artisan crafted Pinot noir and Pinot gris, head for Corvallis. This quaint, tree-filled college town (Oregon State University) has a distinctly Norman Rockwell feel to it.

Roseburg to Canyonville

Start your day in the Roseburg area (“The Land of Umpqua”). Here, country roads lead you through rolling farmlands and thriving wine country. Along the way you’ll experience gracious hospitality in communities such as Lookingglass, Tenmile, Melrose, Garden Valley, Umpqua, Winston, and Elkton.

Wineries in the area include: Brandborg Vineyard and Winery, a family owned micro-distillery that still uses wood-fired pots to handcraft spirits such as pear brandies, varietal grappas and blackberry liqueur; Champagne Creek Cellars, famous for its Pink Fox (White Merlot), greets visitors in a restored 1878 hay barn; and Abacela Winery, which produces out-of-the-ordinary wines such as Tempranillo, Dolcetto and Sangiovese. These red-wine grapes are well known in Spain and Italy, but rarely grown in Oregon.

End your day in Canyonville at the Seven Feathers Hotel & Casino where you can experience Nevada-style gaming, luxurious accommodations and fine dining at the Camas Room. For a more rustic option, check out Idleyld Lodge Inn, a charming two-bedroom inn.

Into the Rogue and Applegate Valleys

On Day 2 take the one-hour jaunt down I-5 to the Rogue and Applegate valleys. Here, the self-guided Oregon Wine & Farm Tour offers visitors a glimpse of Southern Oregon’s fertile agricultural base including wineries, the historic Hanley Farm, and the only working marble quarry in the state.

Start your day in Central Point at the Rogue Creamery (world-famous for it’s Smokey Blue cheese) and then taste the complex Cabernet sauvignons and Malbecs, among others, at RoxyAnn Winery. Finally, give into your Willie Wonka cravings at Harry & David, America’s foremost purveyor of gourmet food and fruit gifts.

Head west toward the charmingly historic town of Jacksonville and the wineries of the Applegate Valley. Start at Wooldridge Creek Vineyard and work your way through the beautiful Troon Vineyards and Valley View Winery.

Following an afternoon of toasting, indulge in a delicious meal at a nearby restaurant. Spend the night at either the historic Jacksonville Inn.

Medford and Ashland

Day 3 takes you from Eden Vale Winery in Medford to Weisinger’s of Ashland where you can taste fine Gewürztraminer and cabernet sauvignon. Inside the Weisingers’ tasting room, don’t miss the beehive (don’t worry, it’s behind glass), where you can watch bees produce the winery’s estate honey.

Spend the night in one of the charming inns and hotels and feast on Southern Oregon’s bounty before taking in a play at the Tony Award-winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Did you know that Oregon grows 99 percent of America’s hazelnuts? And that we have more than 600 vineyards feeding over 250 wineries? We also grow apples, pears, squash, flowers and herbs. Just around the corner is the celebrated harvest season full of festivals, tastings and fresh-from-the-ground goodies. Here is a three-day excursion that will give you a taste of what’s Oregonian.

Sauvie Island and Washington County

Just north of downtown Portland is Sauvie Island, a one-stop U-Pick paradise. Bring your own buckets and head out into the orchards and fields to pluck blueberries, blackberries, peaches, strawberries—even flowers. If you’re not a u-picker, there are farm stores on the island that sell anything you can pick in addition to things you can’t (fruit popsicles and jams, fresh honey, hot dogs).

If time allows, stop over in Washington County for an extended view of vineyards, wineries and hazelnut farms. This puts you 20 minutes outside of Portland, a city rife with restaurants that use these locally grown ingredients in their world-class cuisine.

Hood River Valley

Just on the east side of Mt. Hood in the Columbia River Gorge is Hood River Valley, another fruit paradise. Here you will find deliciously ripe cherries (a dozen varieties, including bing and rainier), apples, pears, peaches, nectarines—even some veggies—and more. Head to Draper Girls Country Farm for u-pick cherries and blueberries.

And if you’d rather someone else pick the goods stop by Hood River’s Apple Valley Country Store for homemade jams, syrups, pies, and fresh fruit.

While you’re in Hood River Valley, you’d be remiss not to take the self-driving Fruit Loop tour which takes you through 35 miles of scenic orchards, farms, forests and quaint communities in the area. It’s especially fun this time of year, the start of cherry harvest. The farms along the Fruit Loop farms offer a dozen varieties of fresh-picked cherries, cherry wine, cherry jam, cherry pies, dessert—and, of course, U-pick cherries.

More Roadside Fun

Another great way to gather Oregon’s bounty is simply to ramble, stopping now and then at one of the countless roadside stands that line the country lanes. Along Highway 99W, which winds from Portland through the Willamette wine country to the Oregon coast, you’ll find produce stands selling everything from fresh strawberries to hazelnuts. Around Ontario, in southeastern Oregon, it’s bags of large, sweet onions — the makings of a savory, entirely different kind of pie. And for a delicate tart, nothing beats pears from Medford. Wherever you go, the key is buying directly from the grower at season’s peak. A short turnaround time from field to kitchen guarantees you the highest quality produce. And pies, like anything else you cook, are only as good as the ingredients you put in them. So, go ahead—eat Oregonian.