WILLAMETTE VALLEY WINERIES WELCOME SUMMER IN STYLE

Ever-Eventful Memorial Weekend in the Wine Country Returns

Willamette Valley’s famed wine scene bursts to life this May, delighting tasters with a weekend-long string of celebratory events known as Memorial Weekend in the Wine Country. Nearly 150 producers will open their tasting rooms, barrel caves and rustic barn doors May 27th-29th, inviting people in to savor the region’s memorable ode to local wine and the coming summer.

Wineries big and small, young and old, greet the public with vineyard tours, barrel tastings, patio parties, live music, food carts and more. Visitors can drink in a bit of wine country history at places like Argyle, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, or try something brand new at Cramoisi Vineyard in Dundee or Tumwater Vineyard in West Linn.

“This is easily one of the finest times to be hopping from tasting room to tasting room,” said Sue Horstmann of the Willamette Valley Wineries Association (WVWA), the non-profit behind the event. “Excitement for summer is high and winemakers all over the Valley are in the mood to celebrate with special releases, classics from vintages long ago and just-bottled wines.”

World renowned for its Pinot noir, the Willamette Valley is also home to outstanding Chardonnay, Pinot gris, Riesling and Gamay noir. The region is equally admired for its hospitality, which will be on full display Memorial Weekend. Visitors can enjoy everything from a clever food pairing to exclusive producers like Shea Wine Cellars, open to the public just a few days each year.

Named 2016 Wine Region of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, the Willamette Valley is home to the largest concentration of winegrowers in the state. The industry took root in 1965, when an aspiring David Lett of Eyrie Vineyards planted the area’s first rows of Pinot noir. Over a half-century, hundreds of vintners and countless awards later, the Valley continues to dazzle visitors with its wines and the picturesque landscape from which they’re born.

Memorial Weekend in the Wine Country takes place May 27th-29th at various venues throughout the Valley, with hours mostly ranging from 11am to 5pm daily. The weekend caps off Oregon Wine Month, a statewide promotional stretch honoring the state’s rich wine culture. For details on events, hours, locations and more, visit willamettewines.com.

About the Willamette Valley Wineries Association

The WVWA is a non-profit industry association dedicated to achieving recognition for Oregon’s acclaimed Willamette Valley as a premier Pinot noir-producing region. Currently, the WVWA has more than 230 members representing wineries and tasting rooms throughout the Willamette Valley region from Portland to Eugene. For more information, please visit willamettewines.com, call 503-297-2962, or follow on Twitter & Instagram @wvwines and on Facebook.