As the air begins to chill, the leaves turn color and the harvest is gathered, Oregon’s culinary craftspeople invite travelers to enter their workshops where they serve up superb cuisine, excellent wines and welcoming hospitality. This is the time of year when locals and visitors alike celebrate Oregon’s bounty, when winemakers are finishing the crush of Pinots and Chardonnays and toast the season by bringing out some of their best vintages to share with company. Brewers mull over next season’s beer, while chefs cook up signature dishes and create new masterpieces. Willamette Valley inns and B&Bs welcome visitors to kick back, put their feet up and enjoy a glass of Pinot noir while watching the sun set over the hills. During the Oregon Bounty promotion, the doors to the Willamette Valley are open, beckoning the curious traveler to explore its lush fields, friendly people and appreciation for the good life.

Unwind in the Tranquil Willamette Valley

Wine Tasting Basket Delights
A crackling fire and cozy rooms invite visitors to spend the night at the Hideaway Hills Bed & Breakfast in Yamhill. Start the next day off right with a breakfast of seasonal fruits picked from nearby fields, hazelnut muffins and a smoked salmon omelet made with fresh local dill goat cheese. Hideaway Hills is the perfect launching point for a day of vineyard exploration. As part of the Wine Tasting Basket Delights Package, guests receive a luncheon basket, perfect for a day of wine tasting, which includes farm fresh artisan cheeses, smoked meats, seasonal fruits, mineral water, crackers, bread and Dagoba organic chocolate truffles. 

Available Dates: Oct. 1 through Nov. 30
Price: $180
Phone: 503.662.4696
Website: www.hideawayhill.biz

Discover Valley Bounty
Relish the incredible flavors of Oregon Wine Country with Ankeny Vineyard wine, Silver Falls Creamery cheese, Euphoria Chocolates, lavender tea, homemade bread and a lunch to go all thanks to the Independence House Bed and Breakfast, a modest Victorian, lovingly restored. With a wrap-around porch ideal for enjoying the Inn’s delicious breakfast of home-grown produce and local products, Independence House gives travelers a place to step back in time, relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings of rolling hills and green vineyards.

Available Dates: Oct. 1 through Nov. 30
Price: $145 for one night
Phone: 503.838.0612
Website: www.independencehousebb.com

Oregon Bounty
The rustic beauty surrounding Camp Colton provides a tranquil escape for those wishing to forget the hustle and bustle of city life. With seven cottages nestled among firs, streams and ponds, this secluded spot offers 80 acres of lush forest to explore. Open a bottle of complimentary Willamette Valley wine, sit next to the fire and watch the evening fog settle across the forest—a reminder that fall is here.

Available Dates: Oct. 1 through Nov. 30, except Thanksgiving Day
Price: $150/1st night, additional night $50/night plus tax
Phone: 503.824.2267
Website: www.campcolton.com

Savor the Taste of the Willamette Valley

The Willamette Valley is filled with gastronomic gems, welcoming visitors to come in, take a seat and taste why Oregon is famous for its unique cuisine, beer and wine.  Here, fresh, local and seasonal are standard – Oregonians expect no less for themselves or their guests. Many restaurants in the Willamette Valley have created distinct menu items and prix fixe meals for their Oregon Bounty guests.

Take a Walk on the Wild Side with Truffles, Salmon and Muscovy Duck - Eugene, Albany and Dundee

The unique flavor of earthy mushrooms and fresh fish caught from nearby rivers entices visitors to Marché, located in Eugene. Try the Wild Oregon Chinook Salmon - roasted in a wood oven with sweet onion puree, grilled squash, cherry tomato & roasted new potato - or the Bruschetta made with summer chanterelles and experience the bounty of Northwest cuisine for yourself. This restaurant has a lively and elegant atmosphere and offers foods made with organic ingredients from local farms whenever possible.

Drive north to Albany to taste the eclectic cuisine of Sybaris. Owner and Chef Matthew Bennet named the restaurant after an ancient Italian city where Greeks came to indulge the senses, and chefs battled to become the most celebrated cook in the city. In the same spirit, Bennet challenges himself to create dishes that are invigorating and original. The menu changes monthly, with special creations prepared for the holidays. Regular features include such delicacies as crab, white truffles and Muscovy duck.

Continue to the epicenter of Oregon’s Wine Country and visit Dundee Bistro, a restaurant serving Pacific Northwest cuisine with an extensive wine list from Oregon’s best vineyards.  The mouth-watering menu features such items as Alder Smoked Salmon Pasta with spinach, lemon, capers and cream and Northwest Oysters on the half shell with shallot-champagne mignonette. Guests can order their favorite bottle of Willamette Valley Pinot, or ask the server for advice on pairing wines for each portion of their meal.    

For a specially designed feast that provides insight into the intricate flavors of Oregon Wine Country, try an Oregon Bounty Winemaker Dinner. Our Daily Bread restaurant, an antique church in Veneta, now sets the stage for a true Willamette Valley repast.  Partnering with Winter’s Hill Vineyard and Coelho Winery, Our Daily Bread is one of many valley restaurants that have created an intimate experience where foodies and wine aficionados can mingle with some of Oregon’s best vintners and chefs.

Brew Lovers Welcome - Corvallis and McMinnville
Get a taste of Oregonians’ other favorite libation—beer. Oregon Trail Brewery is a true representation of craftsmen’s commitment and innovation. This small operation, housed alongside a deli serving up simple sandwiches, salads and enchiladas, is several stories high to save energy and space. Its delicious brews — including Wit, an unfiltered wheat beer best served with a slice of orange and Bourbon Barrel Porter, a dark brew aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels — please all beer drinkers, whether they’re hops and barley connoisseurs or just lovers of a good pint.

Just because Yamhill County is the heart of Wine County does not mean good brew is hard to find. Sip the suds at Golden Valley Brewery and Pub in McMinnville. Focused on making traditional ales and lagers, Golden Valley beers range from the bitter Chehalem Mt. IPA to the American style Grand Island Golden. The owners even have their own ranch where they raise Angus beef on 76 acres of rolling hills. Try a sirloin steak with a pint of the American Pale Ale for the classic food and beer combination.

Oregon Wine County and You

The richness of the land, hospitality of the people and natural beauty of the Willamette Valley are waiting to be enjoyed by travelers looking for the next glass of exquisite Pinot, a hoppy beer and world-class dining. Come visit this fall and experience the true Bounty of Oregon’s Wine County.

For more information on packages or any of the establishments mentioned here, contact the Willamette Valley Visitors Association at 866.548.5018.

All Photos © 2007 Andrea Johnson Photography