Evergreen Vineyards
What are the chances of finding a tasting room situated in an air museum? You’re probably thinking zero, zilch, nada. But one does exist. At McMinnville’s Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, visitors can sample wine, walk through the mammoth Spruce Goose (Howard Hughes’ famous HK-1 flying boat), and enjoy a movie at the IMAX Theatre. It’s definitely family friendly here, and not many wineries can claim that. Here, the kids will drag their parents inside and be reluctant to leave.
With wine, it all starts in the vineyard, and Evergreen Vineyard is no exception. In possession of 160 acres of premium wine grapes — mostly pinot noir and pinot gris — Evergreen Vineyards began making wine in 2002 under the winemaking direction of Laurent Montalieu. Today visitors can sample Evergreen Vineyard wines at two different tasting rooms, both at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, but in two separate buildings. WineTrail trekkers can taste a full line-up of pinot noirs, pinot gris, and rosé bearing the Spruce Goose label. For non-wine drinkers, a Spruce Goose pinot noir semi-sparkling non-alcoholic drink beckons.
On the way into the museum, take a moment to view the statue of Capt. Michael Smith, who died in car crash in 1995. It was Michael (and his father, Del Smith, president of Evergreen Aviation) who had the vision for the museum and the creative energy to successfully win the rights to move the Spruce Goose from Long Beach, Calif., to its new home in Yamhill County. I was told that the aircraft’s former owner, the Disney Corp., paid $1 for the Spruce Goose but then spent more than $1,000,000 just to move the plane, which has a wingspan of nearly 320 feet. More than 200,000 visitors visit the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum annually, and it’s not all due to Spruce Goose fever. There’s plenty of other aircraft to see, including a Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird — at 3.5 times the speed of sound, the fastest aircraft ever built — a model of a flying machine Leonardo da Vinci designed, and a replica of the Wright brothers’ 1903 Flyer.
It’s not necessary to purchase a ticket to the museum to experience the tasting room — it’s free. However, a visit is incomplete without a tour of the museum, which opens at 9 a.m. daily. The cost to tour the museum is $13 for adults and $12 for AAA members.
WineTrail: McMinnville WineTrail
Owner: Del Smith
Winemaker: Laurent Montalieu
Opened: 2002
Tasting Room: Open to the public
Amenities: Gift Shop, Picnic Area, Restaurant/Food Pairings, Tasting Room, Wine Club and Aerospace museum, Imax Theatre
Where To Buy: Winery
Phone: 866-434-4818
Website: www.evergreenvineyards.com
Official Winery Rep/Owner: Information Change? Click Here
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Evergreen Vineyards
Tasting Room
500 NE Capt. Michael King Smith Way Evergreen Aviation Museum, McMinnville, OR 97128 -123.144827 45.203615Hours: At Evergreen Aviation Museum (opens at 9); tasting bars open daily 11–5
Directions: When traveling south on I-5, take exit 294 for Tigard/McMinnville and follow the signs to McMinnville. Continue on Hwy 99W through Dundee until the Hwy 18 "Ocean Beaches" junction. Turn left on Hwy 18 and continue for approximately 4 miles. The Museum is on the right. When traveling north on I-5, take exit 253 at Salem for Hwy 22/Mission Street and follow the signs for Hwy 22/Mission Street through Salem. Stay to the left on Hwy 22 after crossing the Willamette River. Turn right (north) at the intersection with Hwy 99W. Continue northbound on Hwy 99W to the outskirts of McMinnville. Take the Hwy 18E exit and continue for approximately 4 miles. The Museum is on the left. When traveling on Hwy 101, take Hwy 18 and continue until the “Y” just before entering the City of McMinnville. Stay to the right at the “Y” heading toward Portland and Dayton. Continue on Highway 18 for approximately five miles. The Museum is on the left.
