Valentine’s Day in Washington County is a poetry of the senses, from the savory taste of sinful chocolate melting in your mouth, to a luscious glass of Pinot Noir tantalizing your sense of smell and taste. Come see for yourself why Washington County is made for lovers.
Chocolate Dreams
Live out your own decadent chocolate fantasy at the 13th annual Chocolate Fantasyevent at the Jenkins Estate in Aloha, Ore., Friday, Feb. 12. Experience the finest chocolate delicacies from local chocolatiers, bakeries and wineries, be inspired to cook up your own romance at the cooking demonstrations, and shop for Valentine’s Day gifts for that special someone. Admission is $5.
Can’t wait until February 14? Visit the World Forestry Center for its 5th annual ChocolateFest, Jan. 29-31. Sample artisan chocolates from local chocolatiers at the “Chocolate Bazaar,” then learn the art of pairing chocolate with wine, sake and beer at the “Chocolate Market.” While there, get a sneak peek at the World Forestry Center’s upcoming exhibit, “The Chocolate Story,” which explores the history of chocolate from its beginning as a potent and magical drink used by the Aztecs to its current worldwide popularity. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors (62+), $5 for children, and free for members of the World Forestry Center and children under the age of three.
Pinot Pleasure
Valentine’s Day is a special occasion to visit Washington County’s wine country. This year, many wineries have a slate of tasting events that are sure to bring a little romance – and perhaps a skip in your step – to your weekend.
SakeOne’s “Sake Shock,” aptly named for the surprising food and sake pairings, will offer a wild and wonderful experience at its brewery in Forest Grove, Feb. 12. The Valentine’s weekend tasting will explore craft-brewed sake paired with eccentric offerings, such as Thai Kettle Chips and chocolate and coconut-dipped fortune cookies.
Plum Hill Winery, located in Forest Grove, will be celebrating its first anniversary during Valentine’s Day weekend, Feb. 13-14, with live music, food and wine tasting. The first 200 people who visit will receive a free gift.
Down the road a bit in Gaston, Ore., Patton Valley Vineyardpromises a Valentine’s weekend event that is sure to make you fall in love. On Feb.13-14, the winery will be offering a flight of five wines, perfectly paired with tasty little bites with aphrodisiac qualities.
Also in Forest Grove, Montinore Estate’s celebrated “Two to Tango” event returns Feb. 14th, with a full tasting menu, sultry Latin beats, and free Tango lessons from local dance instructor, Paul Newman.
For a complete list of wineries in Washington County, visit our wineries and breweriespage.
Love is in the air this season, and why not make the most of it with a romantic weekend in Washington County? Start planning your trip now.
This fall, as the leaves are turning, the grapes are gathered and farmers’ fields yield to the harvest, it’s time to discover Oregon Bounty. Come meet vintners, chefs, and farmers; travel down roads you’ve never driven; sample what these artisans make, grow and catch; and spend a night or two so you can discover more. There are myriad ways to get a taste of Oregon Bounty in Washington County:
VISIT A WINERY
Tour Washington County wineries— more than 20 in all—many of which are conveniently located along the Vineyard and Valley Scenic Tour Route. Follow the signs on this driving journey that winds through quaint towns in the county known for their ideal grape growing conditions and outstanding finished products: wines!
SEE WHAT CHEFS DO
Taste the autumn bounty that’s abundant in Pacific Northwest flavor palates. Visit our site for details about the restaurants in the county that specialize in regional cuisine.
BE TOUCHED BY SPRITS SakéOne, the world’s only American-owned saké brewery, produces Momokawa brand premium saké and Moonstone brand fruit-infused saké. These high quality Ginjo sakés are intended to be enjoyed cold on their own and with your favorite foods. Sakétini Saturday happens on the third Saturday of each month; the tasting room is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
October 10:Great Onion Festival, Sherwood. This classic community event pays homage to the onion farmers of Sherwood, with a barbecue and assorted activities. Visit sherwoodchamber.org.
October 10:Oregon Heritage Farms hosts its annual Apple Fest. Enjoy the harvest of apple season with this festival–complete with country music, face painting, pony rides and hay rides. Plus, all proceeds benefit local students.
October 18:Heirloom Apple Festival, Hillsboro. Sample more than 20 varieties of heirloom and modern apples and pears fresh from the orchard. Enjoy freshly dipped caramel apples, hot apple cider and homemade apple pie made from an assortment of different apple varieties, all while enjoying live music. Kids’ activities will include a straw maze, face painting, petting goats and pumpkin gathering. Visit www.smithberrybarn.com.
October 31:West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta, Tualatin. Come cheer on 1,000 lb. pumpkin boats as people paddle across the lake at Tualatin Commons in races that are often wet and always entertaining. Visit ci.tualatin.or.us.
For a comprehensive culinary planning resource, visit TravelOregon.com/bounty, where you’ll find all that there is to see, do and taste. Oregon Bounty is produced by the Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, in partnership with Oregon’s many destination marketing organizations and industry guilds. Discover Oregon’s Bounty with special fly/stay/drive packages from Horizon Air.
Saturday, Sept. 12: A demonstration of “Artisan Cheese of the Pacific Northwest: A Discovery Guide” by Tami Parr. Parr’s Pacific Northwest Cheese Project blog has become the preeminent source for local cheese news, producer profiles, and cheese reviews. Her guide, Artisan Cheese of the Pacific Northwest, was released this spring, and she will be signing copies.
Saturday, Sept. 19: The 52nd Annual Beaverton Celebration parade kicks off at 10 a.m. and can be viewed from the west end of the market.
Saturday, Sept. 26: The market transforms for “Medieval Market Day.” Enjoy medieval activities, games and demonstrations.
Saturday, Oct. 3: A demonstration of “Deep, Dark Chocolate” by Sara Perry, a food columnist for The Oregonian and author of 12 cookbooks, including the latest about chocolate–what she calls “one of the most important food groups.”
Over the weekend, my mother, daughter and I ventured to Tualatin, Ore., for the annual Tualatin Crawfish Festival, which is reportedly the oldest crawfish festival in the country. Not knowing what to expect – none of us has eaten a crawfish, let alone attended a festival in honor of this misunderstood crustacean – we were excited to experience what has become one of Tualatin’s largest events.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Payne.
Unfortunately, we arrived too late to see the “Atsa My Dog Show,” and we missed many of the morning events, but we arrived just in time to see the kids’ crawfish eating contest. When I saw kids posing for pictures with their yard-sized, green garbage bags, I knew I didn’t want to stick around for that contest, as things could get messy.
So, we walked through the exhibit area, which, oddly, did not have a crustacean theme. However, we did learn some interesting historical artifacts about Tualatin and perused the booths of beautiful handcrafted jewelry and wares.
But this festival is about the food. Crawfish skewers, bisque and other inspired dishes were the specials of the day, and we bought two dozen crawfish “to go.” My mother, always the inquiring mind, asked: “Where do these crawfish come from?” (The answer: Lake Chinook, Oregon!) She should have asked how to eat a whole crawfish; watching her try one for the first time would have been great fodder for a bloopers show on the Food Network.
Photo courtesy of Daniel J. Payne
As for my daughter, appeasing a 14-year-old isn’t always easy, especially one who finds food festivals as interesting as, well, crawfish. When she spied a bunch of teenage boys showing off their skateboarding skills in the EXIT Real World Skate Trick Competition, one of the festival’s official events, she declared the Tualatin Crawfish Festival to be “the best festival ever.”
That’s when I knew that this festival, indeed, did have something for everyone.
Don your cowboy boots and hats and head over to the Washington County Fair Complex, July 30 – August 2, for the annual Washington County Fair. Of course, the fair has all of the attractions you expect to see at a county fair: farm animals, arts and crafts, baked goods, carnival rides, monster truck and tractor/truck pulls and live entertainment.
However, this year, Bag&Baggage Productionswill be bringing live theater for the entire family into the mix with productions of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and “Pecos Bill and Sluefoot Sue.” Also returning to the fair this year after an eight-year hiatus are “Cook’s Famous Racing Pigs.”
Some of Mexico’s hottest bands, including headliners Tierra Cali, Larry Hernandez and La Autoridad de la Sierra, will be performing at the ”Reventon de Verano Latino,” which takes place at the Demar Batchelor Amphitheater. Admission is $10 for ages 12 and up, and the event will also feature food and games.
As always, entrance into the Washington County fair and to many of the attractions is free (excluding carnival rides, motor sports demonstrations and Reventon de Verano Latino). Parking is $5.
Forgot where you put your cowboy hat? No fear, you can buy one at the fair!
Here is a little post from one of our stakeholders. Summer eves + wine + outdoor lounge + movie??!! I don’t drink much wine personally (I know, it’s a shame), but I’d go just for the outdoor lounge. It’s gorgeous!
Hi Friends, Thanks to everybody who made it out last Friday. It was a really nice evening of wine, garden time and one of our favorite movies, Cinema Paradiso. This week we are going to be open on both Friday and Saturday. Friday’s movie, ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’, is fun and represents a solid departure from most of our other selections. For those who haven’t seen Saturday’s movie, ‘Jean de’Florette’, you should, it’s beautiful and a great story.
The North Willamette Vintners are kicking off their Vinology class series, featuring a Wine Lovers track and another for Professionals. The Wine Lovers series is the one for you whether you’re an avid wine lover or just discovering the lifestyle. This is an educational, entertaining and hands-on opportunity to advance your love of wine, with classes including:
SWIRL, SNIFF, SIP, SPIT:
FUNDAMENTALS OF WINE TASTING; June 13, 2009, 1pm – 3pm at Oak Knoll Winery
PRECISION VITICULTURE:
FARMING FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND QUALITY; July 18, 2009, 1pm- 3pm at Patton Valley Vineyard
SPARKLING WINE 101:
EVERY DAY SHOULD BE A CELEBRATION; August 8, 2009. 1pm-3pm at J. Albin Winery
BARREL MAKING 101:
THE CRAFT WITHIN THE CRAFT; September 12, 2009, 10am – 12pm at Elk Cove Vineyards
SAKÉ 101: October 10, 2009, 10am – 12pm at SakéOne
For more details on these classes, complete details on the Professional series, and to purchase tickets, visit the North Willamette Vintners website.
Each class is only $30 in advance or $40 during the week of the class – don’t miss this opportunity to get the inside scoop on wine and saké from the pros!
This Saturday, June 6, is Oregon State Parks Day. Stub Stewart State Park is offering a full slate of events to get kids of all ages outside to celebrate; activities range from guided mountain bike rides and trail hikes to disc golf demonstrations and bike safely checks.
You can get a guided tour of the upcoming single track biking trail, and a preview of the location for the park’s Gold Tee Disc Golf Course, to be built this summer. The park is also hosting a hot dog lunch from 11:30-1:30, so don’t miss out!
•Stub Stewart Activities •State Parks Day Flyer
Oregon State Parks are also offering FREE day-use and overnight camping (in traditional campsites only).
To reserve your campsite for June 6, call 800-452-5687 today!
Mt. St. Helens (left) and Mt. Adams from the route.
Yesterday, in the glorious sunshine, I had the chance to drive our new Vineyard and Valley scenic tour route. It’s a brilliant glimpse into Washington County’s past, present and future. Historical sites include the Old Scotch Churchand the Joseph L. Meek land claim historical marker. The plethora of vineyards, nurseries and farms attest to the perseverance of early settlers and demonstrate just how much of a player Oregon has become in the agriculture industry. All of this bucolic splendor has been preserved for the future through fortuitous legislation limiting urban sprawl and ensuring that our open spaces are protected. In these last few days of sunshine, myriad trees and plants have burst into bloom, and it is truly a perfect time to explore the area; if you’re lucky, the mountains might come out for a photo op for you, too!
The tasting room and The Vineyard Home at Ponzi Vineyards
Looking for great ideas for your Memorial Day weekend celebrations? Here’s one! On Saturday and Sunday, May 23rd and 24th, Ponzi Vineyardsis offering a special Memorial Day Weekend Brunch at The Vineyard Home (reservations required). This wine country brunch is the perfect start to any wine tasting tour. From 9am-11am guests will enjoy a gourmet buffet-style brunch prepared by Ponzi’s very own Private Winery Chef, Gavin Ledson, paired with their 2008 Ponzi Rosato. The cost is $45pp/$40pp for wine club members, which includes gratuity and wine. Yum!
Can’t wait until February 14? Visit the World Forestry Center for its 5th annual ChocolateFest, Jan. 29-31. Sample artisan chocolates from local chocolatiers at the “Chocolate Bazaar,” then learn the art of pairing chocolate with wine, sake and beer at the “Chocolate Market.” While there, get a sneak peek at the World Forestry Center’s upcoming exhibit, “The Chocolate Story,” which explores the history of chocolate from its beginning as a potent and magical drink used by the Aztecs to its current worldwide popularity. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors (62+), $5 for children, and free for members of the World Forestry Center and children under the age of three.
October 31: 
The North Willamette Vintners are kicking off their Vinology class series, featuring a Wine Lovers track and another for Professionals. The Wine Lovers series is the one for you whether you’re an avid wine lover or just discovering the lifestyle. This is an educational, entertaining and hands-on opportunity to advance your love of wine, with classes including:
