Tyee Wine Cellars

Oregon wine tourists might be used to estate wineries featuring local artists, summer concerts, plenty of picnic space, great views, and wedding facilities — the “full-meal deal,” so to speak. But Tyee Wine Cellars takes it a step further (or should I say “steps further”?). Here you’ll need your walking shoes for a mile-and-a-half nature walk that takes you through the historic Buchanan Family Farm, the location of Tyee Wine Cellars. Open weekends from April through November, the interpretive walking trail leads walkers past oak groves, hazelnut orchards, a beaver pond, and the farm itself. Unfortunately, all visiting pooches will need to stay in the car — there’s just too much wildlife to chase and bark at.

Borrowing a Native American word for “chief” (Tyee), this family-owned winery celebrates nearly a quarter-century of fine wine production. Originally, the Buchanan family used a combination of estate and locally sourced grapes to produce their handcrafted wines. However, more recently they have come to rely exclusively on their own Beaver Creek Vineyards for grapes. Although their source of grapes has changed, their distinctive packaging, which features a Northwest Indian design on the label, has remained the same. At the winery’s tasting room, WineTrail trekkers can taste current releases of gewürztraminer, pinot blanc, pinot gris, chardonnay, and pinot noir. Take a few moments, with wine in hand, to check out the art gallery located next to the tasting room. Local artists’ works are featured each month, with an emphasis on nature genre.

The winemaker for Tyee Family Cellars literally grew up at the winery. Merrilee Buchanan Benson has worked closely with her family in the winery and vineyard most of her life, emerging as chief winemaker for the 2006 vintage. Now, from bud break to bottling, she shepherds the development of this delightful juice for the family’s estate wines. All production processes use certified Salmon Safe viticultural practices to turn out about 2,000 cases of wine per year.

With a venue that lends itself to music concerts and winemaker dinners, it’s a good idea to visit the Tyee Wine Cellar’s website for event information when planning a visit. Given the wide variety of wines to sample, art to view, and music to listen to, you may just want to make a day of it. In addition to packing a picnic, be sure to include a good pair of walking shoes for that nature walk through the family’s farm.