HAZELFERN CELLARS
We were excited to visit Hazelfern Cellars for two reasons: 1- They are a newer brand with small scale production and a very cool origin story. They make wine for, “life’s hardest moments, best moments, or Tuesdays.” 2- We were intrigued by their tasting room style and unique use of social media.
Laura, co-founder and ‘head honcho’ greeted us when we arrived and took us through a private tasting (they are by appointment only). The tasting room is housed inside the barn where the wine is made and stored. It is a beautiful unused horse barn turned winery, with a stylistic flare and sweet playlist.
Laura and her husband Bryan originally started as home winemakers, hauling grapes into their garage on Hazelfern Street in North-East Portland (hence the name). Their hobby turned into a profession and they moved to their current location in Newberg where they began their life as a wine-making family.
Tasting Notes: The tasting fee is $20 per person, but is waived with a two bottle purchase; bottles range from $22-$48.
2017 Rosé of Pinot Noir, Stormy Morning Vineyard, Willamette Valley: The quintessential summer rosé. Described as “strawberries and cream, salted watermelon…” basically we loved it.
2016 Pinot Noir, Silvershot Vineyard, Eola-Amity Hills: Grown lower on the vineyard, more meaty and masculine. Described as “aromatically complex with an edgy personality…earth tones, crushed hazelnuts.”
2016 Pinot Noir, La Chenaie Vineyard, Eola-Amity Hills: This is grown on the same vineyard as the wine above, but much higher up. This “wild child and a rebel soul” of a wine boasts, “boysenberry, wild plum, and a raspberry puree… with spiced accents.” LOVED IT!
2016 Chardonnay, Willamette Valley: “Precision and texture. Meyer lemon, brûlée’d pear, pineapple, Hawaiian lei flowers, jasmine, lemon thyme, and crushed oyster shell salinity on the finish.” Neither of us are huge chardonnay fans, but were positively surprised by the flavor of this wine. It had a lot going on.
What did we buy?
Between the two of us, we bought 2 bottles of Rosé, a Chardonnay, and a 2016 Pinot Noir, La Chenaie Vineyard.
Overall Experience
We had high hopes for Hazelfern Cellars and were not disappointed. The wines were on point, the hospitality was incredible, and the ambiance was outstanding. Laura was welcoming, informative, and a lot of fun to hang out with. It was perfect for two aspiring wine aficionados because she told us all about the wine-making process, but emphasized that there is no wrong answer to wine preference. Overall, we highly recommend Hazelfern Cellars and encourage you to check out their farming and wine making adventures.
HOLE-IN-THE-WALL FALLS
The Columbia River Gorge has the greatest concentration of waterfalls in North America. So why wouldn’t you pick a hiking trail that goes to a waterfall?
When we saw the Hole-In-The-Wall waterfall, we knew where it got its name from. It is quite literally a hole in a wall. After doing some more research, we found that this is a man-made waterfall and exists because someone blasted a hole in this wall of rocks around 80 years ago.
We drove to Starvation Creek State Park, parked the car, and started walking. After a one-hour drive from downtown Portland, we were happy to find a restroom in the parking area. To get to the Hole-In-The-Wall Falls, you follow a paved walkway along the Interstate 84. This makes the waterfall extremely accessible for small children, strollers, or wheelchairs. We walked around 10-15 minutes from the parking lot to the waterfall.
On the way to the Hole-In-The-Wall Falls, we passed another, smaller waterfall called Cabin Creek Falls (that we initially mistook for the actual Hole-In-The-Wall Falls – oops). Once you get to the bottom of the waterfall, you will find a sweet little picnic area where you can have your homemade or not so much homemade lunch.
The Hole-In-The-Wall Falls lives up to its name – What you see is what you get. There are also many other hikes you can take that start at Starvation Creek State Park, but keep in mind many are still closed due to the Eagle Creek Fire. We enjoyed exploring this area, especially the breeze from the waterfalls on a hot summer day. And, according to Aubear, splashing in the water is very refreshing.
Cheers and Auf Wiedersehen!
Emilie and Elena
grapesandgravel.com 