McMinnville WineTrail

The McMinnville WineTrail can be summarized by the following: history, location, soil, and ice cream. When it comes to history, it was David Lett, an Oregon winemaking pioneer, who transformed a turkey processing plant into a winery in 1970. Now nearly 40 years later, The Eyrie Vineyards continues its reputation as an outstanding producer of fine wines. But they are not alone. Today over a dozen wineries have sprung up in close proximity to them, including Panther Creek Cellars, R. Stuart and Co., Anthony Dell Cellars, and Walnut City Wineworks.

Lying to the east of the Coast Range provides protection from the moist air of the Pacific and helps explain the relative dryness of the area. The soil itself is made of marine sedimentary loams and silts and provides for exceptional drainage characteristics. Industry specialists argue that grapes need to struggle to bring out the best in flavors. Hot summers, cool nights, relative dryness, loam and silt soils, all conspire to make McMinnville a unique agriculture area for growing noble grapes. It’s little wonder that over 600 acres of grapes are under cultivation in the McMinnville sub-appellation of the Willamette American Viticulture Area. Get ready to see row upon row of wonderfully maintained vineyards in your visits to Evergreen Vineyards, Maysara Winery, and Yamhill Valley Vineyards.

As for the reference to ice cream? I’m just a sucker for ice-cream shops, and McMinnville is the happy home of some really terrific ones. In between swirling and sipping, you can do some serious licking!