Oregon

The North Valley Vineyards tasting room is a classic wood cabin ideal for holiday parties and cozy drinks by the fire. However, we visited the winery on a warm 100 degree day and were unable to participate in these cold weather activities. We were greeted upon arrival with a refreshing glass of rosé and made our way into a beautiful entry completed with a large stone fireplace and elegant rustic finishes. The tasting room maintains a cozy, comfortable elegance in every detail one encounters.

North Valley Vineyards is part of the Soter Vineyards Estate but focuses on making pinot noir distinct to each sub-appellation in the Northern Willamette Valley. They strive “to grow and craft certifiably earth-friendly, sustainably-farmed wines that are examples of the northern Willamette Valley at its qualitative best.” The wines are divided into 3 classifications or “classics, origins, and reserves.” The classic series are the winery’s core portfolio, with the Origin series being the small production lots from sub-appellations, and the reserves show the finest wines from each harvest.

Tasting Notes: Tasting fees are $25 per guest. One fee is waived per bottle purchased.

2017 North Valley Rosé of Pinot Noir

This was a wonderful welcome and beginning to the tasting, it had, “a striking salmon color and aromas of watermelon and sour cherry.” YUM!

2015 North Valley Pinot Noir: Origin Ribbon Ridge

This pinot noir had a distinct darkness to it with, “smoke and mineral accents…allspice and mocha notes.”

“The center of the compass icon indicates the center of the Northern Willamette Valley. The directional line points to the location of this AVA in relation to the compass center point.”

2015 North Valley Pinot Noir: Origin Eola-Amity Hills

“Offering black raspberry, cherry cola, lavender and spice cake flavors…” How could one resist a wine with such a description when it tastes as described?

2015 North Valley Reserve Pinot Noir

A beautiful representation of the North Valley, with “black raspberry complemented by lavender and star anise.”

2016 North Valley Reserve Chardonnay

A chardonnay finish with a restorative flavor of, “citrus, golden apple, and summer melon.”

The beautiful exterior of the cabin tasting room.

What did we buy?

Two bottles of the 2017 North Valley Rosé of Pinot Noir and one bottle of the 2015 North Valley Pinot Noir, origin Eola-Amity Hills.

Overall experience

We had a fabulous time spending a relaxing afternoon with our welcoming and informative hostess. North Valley Vineyards is a great place to cool down on a sweltering summer day. Also, we imagine it would be a perfectly cozy pit stop on a grey winter day. We highly recommend a visit to North Valley Vineyards next time you’re in Newberg.

Cheers and Auf Wiedersehen!

Emilie and Elena

We both have three things in common: We love wine, we love hikes, and we just finished our first year of the MBA program. A couple months ago, we were stressed about everything and lived each day by the amount of assignments we had to finish. So, we decided to reward ourselves in the summer with a weekend getaway to Bend, Oregon. We packed up two friends, got in the car, and drove down there (and before you ask, we did have a great road trip playlist).

But we didn’t just want to go to Bend for fun, we decided to do the South Sister Hike. Why? Because we thought it would the most challenging but rewarding hike we have done so far. And we were right. Just look at the pictures.

Bend, Oregon, South Sisters — Where it all began.

Let’s start from the beginning.

The South Sister is one of the three volcanic peaks of the ‘Three Sisters’ which are part of the Cascade Range that extends from British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. The South Sister, known as ‘Charity’, is the highest and most active volcano of the three and the third tallest mountain in Oregon.

The South Sister Trail is very popular so it is recommended to avoid weekends. We went on a Friday and we found it was fairly well trafficked.

South Sister, Bend, Oregon — Us on the trail.

The hike starts at Devil’s lake campground it’s an ~11.2 mile out-and-back trail. A valid recreation pass is required to park at the campground. We got there at 7:30 am and started the hike. You will enter the ‘Three Sisters Wilderness’ shortly after leaving the Devil’s lake trail head. The hike starts off very steep, bringing you through a hemlock forest to the base of the mountain. From there you’ll walk along the Pacific Crest Trail for a while which is a steady, easy walk. You will have a stunning view over Moraine Lake.

Moraine Lake, Bend, Oregon, South Sister — Moraine Lake (We told you – stunning)

When you reach the ‘mountain’ the hiking trail increasingly becomes a climbing trail requiring your full body to move forward

The trail gives you two options: You can either go up to the Lewis Glacier (Teardrop Lake) at ~9,000 feet or the summit at ~10,300 feet. You reach the glacier after approximately 5.2 miles and around 3,650 feet elevation gain.

We stopped at the lake and decided not to climb up to the summit because one, the terrain becomes treacherous and two, we have 6 bad knees and a couple bad ankles.

Throughout the hike, you will catch some of the most breathtaking views of the Moraine Lake, Broken Top, and Mount Bachelor.

After we finished the hike (~7.5 hours), we drove back to our hotel, changed to swimsuits, and headed back into town for an afternoon floating bash. Our legs were just as happy as our faces.

Bend, Oregon, Floating, Deschutes River — Us on the river.

We recommend you pack:

A lot (!) of water
Protein bars
Hiking Poles
Insect Spray
Sunscreen
Layers of Clothes (The temperature will change from the trailhead to the summit)

Cheers and Auf Wiedersehen!

Emilie and Elena