An undeniable trend is emerging in several small towns
throughout Pacific Northwest wine regions. For
about 20 years, dramatic growth of the region's wine
industry and a corresponding increase in wine tourism
have fueled a gradual transformation of sleepy (but
strategically located) small towns into "wine towns,"
towns in popular wine regions where wineries and
vineyards are looking for new ways to build
relationships with wine enthusiasts. Well-known
area wineries may choose these towns for satellite
tasting rooms; smaller, less-known wineries may locate
both production and tasting facilities in these towns.
And where there is a concentration of tasting rooms,
there is bound to be a proliferation of eateries...
everything from casual to fine dining. You may
also find breweries, distilleries, chocolatiers and
galleries.
In response to this wine-town trend, WinesNorthwest will
occasionally feature these towns and their services in
ways that will help you make plans for your own visit.
You'll find these towns all have strollable downtowns
and lots of tasting opportunities, along with in-town
lodging and dining, a gallery of two and one-of-a-kind
boutiques, making wine towns ideal for car-free touring.
Some of what we'll include in our WineTown profiles:
■
Some background information
about each town;
■
A walking map with featured
tasting, dining and lodging opportunities;
■
A list of wine-tasting
locations, hours and contact info;
■
A list of food-establishment
locations, hours and contact info;
■
A list of suggested nearby
lodging with contact info.
Our currently featured WineTown: McMinnville, Oregon
