Willamette. A bed and breakfast better than any hostel. 7 friends. A minivan named the SS Meatstick. Bonfires. A BBQ barn and the greatest Italian bistro. Happy chicken tenders and dump buckets, still not beer.
My 35th birthday trip was the most perfect. Worlds collided, friends came together, and amazing times were had by all. I felt so loved, and the trip was so easy.
Top 5 Wineries on our Willamette Weekend Itinerary
We managed to visit 10 wineries over 2 days, not including Balanza Vineyard, the beautiful place we stayed which also makes a rosé of pinot and pinot noir (with De Ponte’s winemaker) whose first bottlings are both fabulous. We scheduled visits Saturday and left Sunday completely open to where the wind blew us, which was a fantastic combination—and let me explore an entirely new and delicious sub-AVA in Willamette called Ribbon Ridge (sandy soils ftw).
- Beautiful, fancy, commercial: Domaine Serene
- My perennial fave: Maresh (pronounced Marsh! I’ve been saying it wrong for TEN years wtf!)
- Hello, Ribbon Ridge, nice to meet you: Bergstrom
- Views + wines: Colene Clemens
- The farmer who made amazing wine: Utopia
Came home with 2 cases of wine, whoops sorrynotsorry. Thanks for the free wine check, Alaska Airlines!
Even More (!!!) Things I’m Grateful For
- Baby Lucas! Haven’t met him yet and already love him <3
- On a bit of an Italian kick lately … fab friend date at Intero Austin.
- I have to buy a new washing machine? (trying to feel grateful for something about this … that it’s wifi enabled? am I going wash clothes from my phone? how do they get to the dryer?)