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Celebrating the Fourth with Local Wines

June 27th, 2011 by WCVA

Independence Day is best associated with hot dogs and apple pie, and here in Oregon’s Washington County, we like to celebrate with a glass of locally produced wines. Our friends at the North Willamette Vintners Association agree, as they are set to launch their first “Red, White and Celebrate” event, July 2-4. Eighteen wineries, plus SakéOne, Forest Grove’s own saké brewery, will be featuring tastings paired with each stop’s own brand of good ol’ American hospitality.

The following is a list of participating locations and scheduled activities:

Red, White & Celebrate! at ADEA Wine Company (26421 NW Highway 47 Gaston, OR): Open on Saturday or by appointment on Sunday and Monday

Red, White & Blueberry! at Apolloni Vineyards (14135 NW Timmerman Rd. Forest Grove, OR): 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday-Monday; wine tastings, blueberries from Tom’s Berry Patch and blueberry baked goods for sale

Red, White & REV! at Ardiri Winery & Vineyard (35040 SW Unger Rd. Cornelius, OR): 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday-Monday; tastings all weekend “paired” with exotic, high performance cars on display on Saturday, plus traditional barbecue fare available for purchase

Red, White & Strawberry! at Cooper Mountain Vineyards (9480 Grabhorn Rd. Beaverton, OR): 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday-Monday; wine tastings, plus samplings of local strawberries, drizzled with Cooper Mountain’s own balsamic vinegar produced from the winery’s vineyards

Red, White & Fun! at David Hill Vineyard & Winery (46350 NW David Hill Rd. Forest Grove, OR): 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday only; wine tastings, art, music, food and lawn games

Red, White & Rose! at Elk Cove Vineyards (27751 NW Olson Rd. Gaston, OR): 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday-Monday; wine tastings

Red, White & Firelight! at Garden Vineyards (12960 NW Dick Rd. Hillsboro, OR): 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday July 4th; wine tastings, grilled foods, lawn games and viewpoints of fireworks displays throughout the valley

Red, White & Blues! at Helvetia Vineyards (23269 NW Yungen Rd. Hillsboro, OR): 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday-Monday; wine tastings, picnics and salmon snacks all weekend; special blues events on Monday featuring Bob Shoemaker, Delta Blues music master, with Leadbelly, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee and more

Red, White & Barrels! at Kramer Vineyards (26830 NW Olson Rd. Gaston, OR): 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday-Monday; wine flights and barrel tastings

Red, White & Sangria! at Montinore Estate (3663 Dilly Rd. Forest Grove, OR): 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday-Monday; wine tastings all weekend, special sangria tastings and activities, including live music on Saturday

Red, White & Rose Festival! at Oak Knoll Winery (29700 SW Burkhalter Rd. Hillsboro, OR): 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday-Monday; wine tastings and celebration of the winery’s commemorative Rose Festival labels

Red, White & You! at Patton Valley Vineyard (9449 SW Old Hwy 47 Gaston, OR): 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday only; new release and vertical tastings

Red, White & Watermelon! at Plum Hill Vineyards (6505 SW Old Hwy 47 Gaston OR): 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday-Monday; 3rd annual wine and watermelon event with wine tastings and watermelon with (or without) toppings

Red, White & Bocce! at Ponzi Vineyards (14665 SW Winery Lane Beaverton, OR): 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday-Monday; wine tastings and bocce ball

Red, White & Berry Fest! at Smith Berry Barn with Provincial Vineyards (24500 SW Scholls Ferry Road Hillsboro, OR): 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday-Monday; special wine tastings at the annual Berry Festival at Smith Berry Barn, featuring family activities, great food and live entertainment

Red, White & Celebrate! at Purple Cow Vineyards (52720 NW Wilson School Rd. Forest Grove, OR): 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday only

Red, White & Celebrate! at Raptor Ridge Winery (18700 SW Hillsboro Hwy. Newberg, OR): 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday-Monday; wine tastings

Red, White & Sake! at SakéOne (820 Elm Street Forest Grove, OR): 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday-Sunday only, closed Monday; saké tastings

Red, White & Rose! at Tualatin Estate Vineyards (10850 NW Seavey Rd. Forest Grove, OR): 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday-Monday; wine tastings

See a complete list of wineries in Oregon’s Washington County, or learn more about this event.

Interested in planning a weekend getaway to Washington County? See the list of hotels/motels and dining options.

Tags: 4th of July, Events, Independence Day, oregon wines, Oregon's Washington County, sake, summer, wine tasting, Wineries
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A “Berry” Fun Fourth of July

July 6th, 2010 by Sylke Neal-Finnegan

This year I decided to take full advantage of the cool, temperate weather and spend Independence Day outside. So, my daughter and I ventured to Smith Berry Barn for its annual July 4th Berry Festival.  The “berry barn” is a short drive to rural Hillsboro, and in addition to traditional festival festivities—food, live music and farm animals galore—the event featured berry picking and wine tastings from Washington County’s newest winery.

New winemaker Provincial Vineyards was pouring its 2008 Pinot Noir and 2009 Pinot Gris. Providence has been growing wine grapes at its vineyard site located outside of Forest Grove, next to Apolloni Vineyards and Purple Cow Vineyards. After selling grapes to local vintners, the vineyard owners decided to bottle the grapes under their own label. Provincial doesn’t have a tasting room; however, their wines can be purchased at local wine shops, such as Urban Decanter in Forest Grove.

After filling up on hot dogs and strawberry lemonade, we set out for our raspberry picking adventure. This was our first time picking raspberries, and it was quite easy, as the berries were easily pulled off their leaves. We filled about a quarter of the tub, which equated to a little more than two pints. And for only $2.25 for our entire bounty, it was a delicious bargain.

Because of the unusually long spring temperatures, the berries are ripening later than normal, so prime berry picking time is just starting here in Washington County. Raspberries, marionberries, blueberries, loganberries, and a host of other berries I’ve never heard of before are ripe, or nearly ripe, at U-pick farms throughout the region. It’s a great family activity, even for teens, and it’s tasty, too!

For a list of u-pick farms, farm stands and farmers’ markets in Washington County, Oregon, click here.

Tags: 4th of July, agritourism, berry barn, berry picking, Events, farm, farms, Hillsboro, Oregon, Smith Berry Barn, u-pick farms, washington county
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