© Don Hankins


After spending this past weekend in Oregon, I realized there are a number of decent wineries in that area of the United States. All along the coast you can visit cool climate vineyards and taste delicious American wines.

Here are some of Oregon's highlights:

King Estate: My first experience with King Estate was in Dallas. This classy little French place offered a variety of Ice Wines. The waitress suggested the one from Oregon (Vin Glase 2006). And let me tell you, I was pleasantly surprised. Best American Ice Wine I'd ever experienced.

Shallon: While in Oregon I went to visit Astoria. Astoria, while not only the home of The Goonies movie set, it also has a lovely winery called Shallon. I didn't get a chance to sample their wines but the areas is absolutely beautiful and they are well known for a chocolate wine I plan on ordering in the new future. (Don't bother going to their website, it's pretty terrible.)

Yamhill Valley: Oregon has a lovely cool, cloudy climate. That makes it perfect for cool weather wines. Pinot Noirs are particularly well known in Oregon. Yamhill in particular has a well known Pinot Noir, worth tasting for its spicy robust flavor.

So if you want to try something a little closer to home, why not pick up an Oregon wine this week. It's the new California.

Have you visited a vineyard in Oregon? If so, which one? Share your experience with us.