Destination: wine tasting in Dundee, OR. Staying another night at Champoeg State Park, OR
We awoke early to a sunny day. With the new foam topper, we had an amazing night's sleep.
We had a 12 noon appointment at Alit Winery in downtown Dundee for wine tasting. It was an experimental, small winery that stood for natural processing using yeast from grapes only and no added yeasts, unlike other producers. The sommelier was very charming and patient as he answered Van's numerous questions about the wine market.
At 2 PM, we tasted at Argyle, only a few blocks from Alit. They specialized in sparkling wine. Their mirror-topped tables created a beautiful setting for all the different colors of wine.
We learned they were the first to make sparkling wine in the Willamette Valley. They had a library displaying dozens of dinner menus and thank you letters from past White House administrations. It seems many official government celebrations involved Argyle wine. Of course, we had to buy some for our upcoming New Year's celebration in RI. We would have a lot to celebrate.
We followed Rachel's tip for her favorite market in Dundee, Red Hills Market, just a short walk across the street. It had a modern, farmhouse style vibe and sold sandwiches, cheeses, wines, gifts and beer on tap. Van was very happy to have his gifted growler filled with a local craft brew.
On our drive back to camp, we both agreed to stay another night in Dundee. This place was special. There were many spaces free so it was easy to reserve another night.
The park had a vast leash-free dog park, where we learned a great exercize regimen for Quinnbo. Van and I stood 100 yards apart, treats in hand, and alternated calling, "COME." Quinn darted to each of us, without distraction, to pick up his treat. This was a great improvement of throwing the tennis ball and dropping it nowhere near the tosser.
Our evening dinner of hot dogs roasted over the campfire, s'mores, Willamette Valley craft brew and an exhausted pup, created the perfect end to a jam-packed day. No rest for the weary.
Thank you, Rachel, for telling us about this beautiful area.
