Hood River, OR - Mt. Hood Winery

The tasting room at Mt. Hood Winery. 

In northern Oregon the cold weather has set in and heavy snow is in the forecast, but I'm remembering a visit we took to Mt. Hood Winery late last summer.  It was perhaps the most beautiful setting of any winery I've yet to visit. Scenically nestled between Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens, surrounded by acres of orchards and fields of wild flowers, it offfers awe inspiring vistas.  The wine tasting experience was pleasant as well.

The winery is located on the famous Hood River Fruit Loop, a 35 miles route through orchards, lavender fields and alpaca farms. Once entering the contemporary tasting room, you immediately notice the wall of windows along the front and side walls, opposite the tasting bar, offering spectacular views of the fields and vineyards.  But there was no reason to stay inside on the gorgeous day we visited, so we asked for our first glass of wine and headed to the patio, conveniently located right outside the tasting room.

Enjoying our wine on the patio. 

What did we have:  We had five wine enthusiasts in our family group, and together we sampled all the wine available that day. The choices for white wine included the Pinot Gris, Reisling and Chardonnay. There was one rose, the Pinot Noir Saignee, and three selections of red, Pinot Noir, Syrah and the award winning Tempranillo. All the wines were very drinkable, but the Tempranillo, a unique Spanish wine with rich flavors of black currents and spice, was definitely my favorite. I purchased several bottles for us to bring home. We also bought a bottle of the Saignee for our daughter who enjoys a sweeter wine.

Can you spot Mt. St. Helens in the background?

What was fun: It's all about the location of Mt Hood Winery.  We could have spent hours hanging out on that patio, drinking wine and taking in the scenery.  Unfortunately, we had a two hour drive ahead of us, so we could not drink as much wine as we would have enjoyed.  I do recommend that if you find yourself anywhere near Hood River, Oregon on a beautiful day, be sure to visit the winery, you will not be disappointed.