There are parts of Oregon Wine Country that I just haven't experienced. One of those is Chehalem Mountain AVA just north of Dundee. I had an appointment in Newberg and decided to take the back roads home. I saw some blue signs on the road and decided to let them guide me. Somehow I ended up a couple of miles down a gravel road at Colene Clemens Vineyard. That's the old barn that sits at the base of the vineyard in the photo above. I didn't taste any wine while I was there. The tasting room was open at 11:00 in the morning, but with Daylight Savings Time just having kicked it it felt more like 10:00 AM, and to quote a friend of mine, "There just isn't a wine that pairs well with toothpaste!"
I also ended up driving past Adelsheim Vineyard where they were cleaning up after pruning. In Europe there are certain meals that are prepared at this time of year using the cuttings from the vineyards as the cooking source. I've got to try that sometime. I love how clean a vineyard looks after the pruning is complete and the vines are trained again to the trellising wires. In the photo above you can see the young, green branches coming off the older trunk of the grapevine. The vineyard crews are out in full force because bud break isn't too far away and the vines all have to be pruned back before that happens.
I end up stopping my car along these back roads so I can get out and capture a photo. It's dangerous work. I have no doubt that someday I'll be done in by someone in an SUV going 75 miles per hour down a back country gravel road while texting! But it will be worth it. This part of Oregon has spectacular country roads with the vineyards along with way just adding to the experience. The fact that there are some wonderful wines to be enjoyed there just makes the drives that much better. I'll have to make another trip this direction some afternoon and stop for wine this time. It's worth the trip even without it, and that's saying something for me.
