November is Wine Tasting Month

Oregon has developed a great tradition of wine tasting over Thanksgiving Weekend, so time to plan your trip, plan your wineries....so many wineries, so many choices.  Oregon's Willamette Valley is known for outstanding Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, and Oregon is receiving more and more national and international recognition for the quality of our wine.

Territorial Vineyard is our neighborhood with an urban tasting room in Eugene.

 Oregon is home to over 400 vineyards, most fairly small and family owned.  The South Willamette Valley offers particularly intimate wine tasting with small, family owned businesses, a beautiful setting, no serious traffic, and no huge crowds in tasting rooms or long lines.  That said, Thanksgiving weekend will be busy for all the wineries in the area with wine specials, great food, and music, all for your enjoyment.

Pfeiffer Vineyards is a boutique winery in a stunning setting, just four miles away

So, whether you are a visitor or a local, start making your plans for Thanksgiving wine tasting weekend, finding your winery route and that perfect place to stay if you are visiting the area.  For wineries to the north of us, visit the Heart of Willamette Wineries website for Thanksgiving weekend details and a map.  For wineries to the south of us, check out the South Willamette Winery Association's "Northern Route" list of wineries, many just minutes from us.  

And, of course, for you visitors, you need a perfect place to stay.  If you love the country and love being in the heart of wine country, we're the place.  Look through our website, send us an email, or give us a call.  We love to chat with potential guests.  And visit us on Bed and Breakfast.Com.  We're INN OF THE MONTH for November.  And, we have lots of friends at the wineries.  More info on wine tasting to come to help you with your plans.  Plan your "after the turkey" fun now.

Time for Some Halloween Fun

 

For All our Horse Friends from Danas Doodles

Unusual Guests this Week

Country Porch in the Fall

Creative Carving

Fun in the Fall

Wow.  What happened between spring and fall?  While we were visiting with B&B guests and then sipping a delicious glass of Territorial Wine from our neighboring vineyard during a quiet moment, summer came and went.

At Territorial BBB, we love our neighbors at Territorial Vineyards

Over the summer there was great weather, many great B&B guests, as well as family and friends, summer trail rides, horse camping, wine tasting, the Budweiser Clydesdales in Junction City, and lots of garden and yard work.  Summer went by in the blink of an eye.

Budweiser Clydesdales in Junction City....Yes, Amazing

Daughter Jerri, gardening enthusiast, with some of her harvest

Fall in the country is well underway.  Now the garden is harvested, the pumpkins are decorating the front porch, football is everywhere, the corn maze and the pumpkin patch are fall fun, and the stores are pushing HalloweenThanksgivingChristmas all our way in one holiday swoop.  So much to do, so much fun to have. 

Pumpkins, pumpkins on the porch...can't have too many

Here's the fall fun plan:  Check out all the great produce still available at Lone Pine Farms, just down the road from us.  Halloween is their last day open until next spring.  We're stocking up on delicious honey and some local jams and jellies for those B&B breakfasts throughout the winter.  And, if you didn't raise your pumpkins, as we did, they are a great place to take  horse drawn or tractor wagon ride to the pumpkin patch and pick yours out in the field.  Two versions of the corn maze (scary and not so scary) are available through Halloween for more fall fun.  

Next, get your tickets for our amazing Halloween Party in the neighborhood at Pfeiffer Winery. We've bought our tickets and are now worrying about a creative costume.  Great food, great wine, an amazing setting, and a rocking band.  What better fun for Halloween?

And last, but not least, Sports Fans, there are plenty of Oregon Duck and Beaver games coming up to keep enthusiastic sports fans in the stadium or in front of the TV.  So, come to the country for the pumpkin patch, wine tasting, Halloween parties, and football.  Who says we live a quiet life in the country????

Spring in the Country

Spring has sprung in Oregon's beautiful South Willamette Valley.  Grass is green, flowers are in bloom, and there are beautiful sunny days as well as spring rain to keep it all beautiful.

Memorial Day, which really kicks off the summer season with great weather and more and more activities is just a few weeks away.  The University of Oregon and Oregon State Commencements are coming soon in June, bringing friends and relatives from near and far to cheer on graduates from Oregon's prestigious universities.

And we've been having a little fun on the farm with our horses and dogs this spring and are proud to share daughter and farm partner Jerri's success with her Dalmatian.  Meisje earned the title of "Road Dog" working with Jerri on horseback at the Dalmatian National Special near Portland.  There was lots of fun dog and horse practicing at the farm that really paid off.

  

May is Oregon Wine Month, and wine tasting is a big Memorial Day tradition in the Willamette Valley. Wineries are primed to welcome visitors for tasting with many offering special activities, food, music, and lots of fun.  For wineries nearby and to the south of us, check out the South Willamette Wineries Association for a great listing of wineries and maps to get there. For more wineries near us and to the north, check out the Heart of Willamette Wineries for all they have to offer.

Cheers to spring in the Oregon countryside.

Spring is Coming

Spring is coming in the South Willamette Valley.  For sure.  Even though it has been a record setting winter for cold and snow, and now the rain and wind is here, sunshine is peaking through now and then and days are getting longer.

Plants are budding, and bulbs are pushing their heads up through the damp soil.  Can't wait for gardening, spring trail rides, and wine tasting and music on Friday nights at nearby vineyards.

And bridal fairs are in full swing to plan those summer weddings.  Come visit our booth at Brides on Broadway, this Saturday, February 22 from 2 to 7 pm.  We'll have information our our cozy and country B&B convenient to wedding venues in Junction City, Harrisburg, Monroe, Halsey, and the surrounding area. We're the perfect B&B for a small group of family or friends who want to be within an easy drive to a wedding and just down the road from lots of wine tasting for added fun.

Wine, Food, and More

Even though we are officially in the depths of winter in January, there are hints of spring if you look very closely.  The days are getting longer, and even that extra 15 to 30 minutes of daylight extends our days and activities just a bit.

In our yard, there are already the smallest green shoots signaling the earliest of the bulbs pushing their leaves and stems upward to burst into color as we roll into spring.  Seed catalogs are stacking up on the coffee table as we plan the spring garden planting.

And food and wine events are appearing on calendars in beautiful technicolor, beckoning us to enjoy our area's bounty of delicious food and outstanding Oregon wine.  For those of us with horses, we're looking at the year's upcoming events, marking our calendars, checking with our clubs and our friends and making plans for a fun equestrian season.

It's been raining and more rain to come, but that's what keeps our beautiful Willamette Valley green, and even with rain, there are cozy fires, cozy inns, and cozy tasting rooms to help us feel warm and fuzzy and hopeful for spring even in the depth of winter.

Visit Eugene, Cascades, and Coast for activities to the west and south of us, and Visit Corvallis for activities to the north.  So, whether you are a local or planning a visit for pleasure or business, check out all out beautiful area has to offer and come to the Country in the South Willamette Valley of Oregon.