Getting There -- You'll find the heart of wine country between Newberg and McMinnville along Ore. 99W, which heads southwest out of Portland.
Visitor Information -- Contact the McMinnville Area Chamber of Commerce, 417 NW Adams St., McMinnville, OR 97128 (tel. 503/472-6196; www.mcminnville.org), or the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce, 415 E. Sheridan St., Newberg, OR 97132 (tel. 503/538-2014; www.chehalemvalley.org). The Willamette Valley Visitors Association, 553 NW Harrison Blvd., Corvallis, OR 97330 (tel. 866/548-5018; www.oregonwinecountry.org), is another good source of information on this area.
Festivals -- The most prestigious festival of the year is the International Pinot Noir Celebration, P.O. Box 1310, McMinnville, OR 97128 (tel. 800/775-4762 or 503/472-8964; www.ipnc.org), held each year on the last weekend in July or first weekend in August. The 3-day event includes tastings, food, music, and seminars. Registration forms are mailed out in February each year and tickets are currently $795 per person. Passport to Pinot, a separate event held during the celebration, is only $125.
