Road Trip: Willamette Valley

   After the wedding, we hit the road-I-5, and continued north, focusing on the Willamette Valley and the wine country that has developed outside of Eugene, OR., and west of Portland, in the vicinity of McMinnville, OR.  At this location, the Willamette River gets lazy, looping around in wide "S" turns, almost creating a classic Oxbow here and there.  This area is the southern extent of the Columbia Plateau, with significant deposits of volcanic based soils.  The river also deposited sediments, creating in effect 2 zones of soil types: basaltic and sediments.   While not exactly in a rain shadow area, the region enjoys warmer weather than the coastal zone to the west.  temperatures here are ideal for some whites and red varieties of grapes.   In the early 80's, faced with inflationary prices in California's wine country, potential owners came to the area with high hopes.  A few vineyards already existed and some good reports made the idea bear fruit(Ha).
      Besides McMinnville, the towns of Carlton, Dundee, and Newberg offer local wineries and vineyard operations.   In Carlton, one winery has taken over the old railroad station; another has moved into the old firehouse; and another is in an old warehouse.  Several more are in stone building from the era of intense agricultural farming.  One is closed and for sale.  Clearly, wine making and production are Carlton's newest attempt at staying healthy.  Driving from town in any direction brings one to more wineries amongst the vineyards, some located in solitary situations, surrounded by vines.  The low rolling hills are reminders of California's wine country.