For Food and Wine Lovers

Here's an itinerary for serious oenophiles. If the sleeper hit movie Sideways got you curious about pinot noir, then you definitely need to spend a week in wine country. Because there are so many wineries in Oregon's Willamette Valley, and because there are only so many wineries you can visit in a day, a week of tasting can easily lead to your having a fabulous cellar full of Oregon wines.

Day 1: Portland

Start your wine tour in Portland. Here you should spend some time at Oregon Wines on Broadway, a combination wine bar and wine shop specializing in Oregon wines. On any given day, you can sample 30 different Oregon pinot noirs and get an idea of which wineries you might want to visit. If you plan your trip just right, you can also attend a wine-blending class at Urban Wineworks.

Day 2: Dundee & the Red Hills

From Portland, it is less than 45 minutes to the start of wine country. August Cellars and Rex Hill Vineyards, just east of Newberg, are the first wineries you'll come to. A few miles farther on Ore. 99W, you'll come to Dundee, which is the heart of the wine country. The Red Hills north of town are covered with vineyards and there are numerous wineries within a few miles of town. Lange Estate Winery and Vineyards and Torii Mor are a couple of my favorite area wineries. Have dinner at one of Dundee's great restaurants.

Day 3: West of Dundee

Today, explore the hills west of Dundee, where you'll find some of the most highly regarded pinot noir producers in the state. Archery Summit, Domaine Drouhin Oregon, and Domaine Serene should not be missed. Also in this area, you'll find Sokol Blosser Winery. Don't pass up the opportunity to stop at some of the area's fruit stands. In the morning, you might want to visit the historic town of Aurora and do a little antiques shopping.

Days 4-5: Carlton

The little town of Carlton is home to some of Oregon's best wineries and deserves a couple of days of wine tasting. You won't want to miss the Carlton Winemakers Studio, Cuneo Cellars, Penner-Ash Wine Cellars, Soléna, Tyrus Evan, and Willakenzie Estate. One morning, visit the Evergreen Aviation Museum, which is home to Howard Hughes's "Spruce Goose." Plan to have dinner at Cuvée, Carlton's delightful little French restaurant; the next night, head to McMinnville for dinner.

Days 6-7: The Eola Hills & the West Valley

South of McMinnville lie the Eola Hills and lots of good wineries. Be sure to visit Amity Vineyards, one of the state's oldest wineries. Other wineries worth searching out include Bethel Heights Vineyards, Cherry Hill Winery, Cristom Vineyards, Mystic, Stangeland Vineyards, Witness Tree Vineyard, and Yamhill Valley Vineyards. One morning, visit the interesting little Jensen Arctic Museum or drive in to Salem to the Hallie Ford Museum of Art. The next morning, start out at the Lawrence and Fire's Eye galleries, which are next door to the Oregon Wine Tasting Room. If you like chocolate, be sure to visit the Brigittine Monastery to buy some fudge.