This will be short and sweet as not much of the rest of the trip related directly to wine, but you might find it of interest.
We drove from Calistoga to Jacksonville, Oregon the next day, in and out of heavy rains. When we crossed the Sacramento River near Williams on I-5, I had never seen the river so full. It was just before this that they became concerned that the Oroville Dam could collapse.
We stayed with my sister-in-law in Jacksonville, a town near Ashland but without so many tourists due to the Shakespeare Festival. Previously, we have gone with her to visit many of the Applegate wineries, and I was amazed that there are even more now.
She took me to Dancin Vineyards, the name coming from combining those of husband and wife owners, Dan and Cindy. It also tied in with Cindy’s love of dance. They have built a beautiful winery and restaurant and there are some scattered tables with umbrellas away from the building. Their focus is on pinot noir and chardonnay which they both love, their tastes having migrated from big red cabs. I recommend a stop to enjoy the winery and their award-winning wines, which also includes a port-like wine.
Our next stop was to visit family in Bend, Oregon, the brewpub capital of the USA. We tasted some great beers, visit a legal pot shop which was very clean and more like a jewelry store. We also had a great dinner at the Pine Ridge Inn, and is just a typical restaurant and bar in the front but the dining room in the rear is the place to be. It is highlighted by two huge pine trees growing in the center of the room through the ceiling. It is owned by Bill McCormick, one of the founders of McCormick & Schmicks after he sold his interest.
The next day we drove all the way to Seattle and other than some rush hour traffic at the end it was uneventful. We visited friends there, including our oldest friends who loaned us the car. There are a few things we did that might be of general interest.
First, stayed at the Hyatt on Lake Union, which has beautiful views of the lake. Second, we had a Sunday brunch at Bastile over in the town of Ballard, which is always fun to visit. Then we visited the new Starbuck’s Roastery, which is a pilot program that proved successful as a very high end coffee bar. It is reminiscent of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and thus a magnet for families. It ain’t cheap though, but a fun experience. They are opening one in New York City and in Shanghai in 2018…check it out.
Secondly, the guys went to a whiskey bar I have wanted to visit since hearing about it. A friends son and a world-class bartender have in a few short years created, Canon, in downtown Seattle, and rated the sixth best whiskey bar in the world. While the basic cocktails are typically priced, their specialties can run from the $15-20 range and for a few made with extremely old liquors, into the hundreds. But that is just the hook. All of us enjoyed our drinks, while sitting at the bar which I highly recommend because the bartenders are experts at making their most exotic cocktails. I had Sazerac Experience ($20) which was made in three variations: Cognac, Rye, and Cognac & Ry in combination. It was fantastic.
We drove with our friends back down to Portland where they left us at other friends home and continued on their way back home. They took us to Archery Summit Winery for a tasting and it turned out to be a tie-in for the book. The winery was the creation of Gary Andrus who also started Pine Ridge in Napa Valley. Due to a divorce the winery was sold and Gary started this project. He built the first wine caves in Oregon under basalt, and the tasting was held deep in the caves following a tour. Gary died and the winery was sold to an investment group but it runs pretty much the way he did. They are expensive pinot noirs but the closest I have ever found to Burgundy. It is expensive but a fantastic experience!
Lastly, we stopped on the way back at Domaine Drouhin, which also makes Burgundian pinot’s. It is a large winery and the wines, under the direction of Veronique Drouhin, are very nice, especially the two reserves, Laurene and Louisa, named after her two daughters. The latter is very limited and only available to club members.
It was an incredible trip despite the occasional torrential rains and after three and a half weeks, including catching a horrible cold the last day, we were ready for home. Interesting that the entire time we were gone it was warmer in Minnesota than on the West Coast!
Trader Bill on Wine 