Monday, Jun. 08, 2009

Wine touring along the Lower Columbia River Gorge

By Jackie Johnston, special to Wine Press Northwest

A bird's-eye view of the Columbia River Gorge on a sunny day is nothing short of breathtaking. Downriver to the west, the evergreens canvas the cliffs. Upstream to the east, sagebrush and wind turbines dot the arid landscape. In between, views of snowcapped Mount Hood and Mount Adams peek around every bend along the blue ribbon of the Columbia.

Looking around, it's hard to escape the fact that this 80-mile-long canyon, which was carved out of the Cascade range by the Columbia River and the ice age floods between approximately Troutdale, Ore., and Maryhill, Wash., is one of the most beautiful stretches of the Pacific Northwest. And it's easy to see why anyone who loves the great outdoors would flock here.

"It's just a mecca for sports: skiing, biking, rafting, fishing, hunting. It's got everything you need if you're an outdoorsman, that's for sure," says Scott Hagee, who owns Pheasant Valley Vineyard & Winery in Hood River with his wife, Gail.

With all the wind surfers, kite boarders and sports enthusiasts who come here and the fact that wine grapes grow well in the silty soil along the river, it's no wonder the Gorge is also becoming a food and wine hotspot.

"We get an influx of a hundred thousand people here in the summertime," Hagee says. "And people are just drinking more wine. The restaurants are second to none here. We just have great food. The wine and food go hand-in-hand, of course. It's a really good relationship," Hagee says.

Linda Barber, general manager of Mount Hood Winery, who moved to the Gorge area from the Willamette Valley eight years ago, agrees that the wine business in Hood River, for whatever reason, is booming.

"The growth and development that's evolved is amazing. Downtown with The Pines, Quenette, Springhouse Cellars and Naked all within a block of each other, it's sort of like Walla Walla. You know, you park your car and you can walk around to different tasting rooms. It's crazy down there."

For Gary Sorrels, the general manager of Bonneville Hot Springs Resort & Spa in North Bonneville, Wash., the tourism boom here is all about location: its proximity to the Portland population center to be specific.

"The Columbia Gorge is a great, easy-to-get-to destination from Portland. You can make last-minute plans very easily."

Whatever the reason, the Columbia River Gorge is sure to continue to grow in popularity as a wine touring destination as more wineries pop up in the area. So before it gets too crowded, here are some things you might want to check out.

View Wine Touring along the Lower Columbia River Gorge in a larger map

Wineries

There are wineries and vineyards along both sides of the Columbia River, some in the Columbia Gorge appellation, which was established in 2004, and the rest in the older Columbia Valley AVA.

In Hood River off Interstate 84 you'll find the following wineries:

Pheasant Valley Vineyard & Winery

Pheasant Valley Vineyard & Winery, which has the first certified organic vineyard along the Gorge, hasn't gotten too far away from its roots.

"About five years ago, we decided we'd grow some grapes, so we took 16 acres of pears out and planted 16 acres of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, some Syrah, some Tempranillo and some Gewürztraminer. And they all seem to do really well," says Scott Hagee, who along with his wife, Gail, were certified organic pear and apple orchardists long before going into the wine business.

Now that they're making 4,000 cases of wine a year with the help of winemaker Garrit Stoltz, oddly it's not their award-winning Syrahs or Zinfandels that are their best-sellers.

"We do an organic pear wine, which is very popular," Scott explains. "I don't know if it's because pears are grown around here and everybody just wants them. We do it on the dry side so it's food-friendly, great with salads. It's our best-selling wine."

And, of course, their Organic Pear Wine gets its fruit from none other than Pheasant Valley Orchards, where the Hagees still grow 15 acres of pears and 5 acres of apples.

3890 Acree Drive, Hood River, OR 97031, 541-387-3040, pheasantvalleywinery.com

Cathedral Ridge Winery

Robb Bell took over this winery in 2003 when Don Flerchinger retired. Bell changed the name from Flerchinger Vineyards to Cathedral Ridge Winery. Since then, Bell has focused a lot of effort on producing great red wines with the help of winemaker Michael Sebastiani, who travels several times a year from his home in Sonoma, Calif., to check barrel samples and craft blends. Bell's efforts have paid off with a large number of awards, and in 2007 we named Cathedral Ridge our Oregon Winery of the Year.

In addition to offering free tastings daily, Cathedral Ridge also offers private vineyard tours and classes for groups who book ahead.

4200 Post Canyon Drive, Hood River, OR 97031, 800-516-8710, cathedralridgewinery.com

Mt. Hood Winery

Mt. Hood Winery has a tasting room at the Gorge White House but plans to open its new 8,000-square-foot facility on the 4th of July. It will have offices, a tasting room and storage, along with a venue for weddings.

Brothers Steve and Don Bickford, along with Don's wife Libby, own the winery with Rich Cushman, the owner of Viento, making their wines. Like other wineries along the Fruit Loop, the Bickfords were once orchardists. The story goes that about five years ago they got a good deal on some winemaking equipment.

"And they decided that, 'Well, we have the equipment. We'd better plant some grapes,'" chuckles Linda Barber, their general manager.

In addition to their white wines, the winery offers an estate Pinot Noir, a rosé made from Pinot Noir called Saigneé and a fortified port-style dessert wine made from Pinot Noir called Puerto Montaña. Apparently, this line-up has to do with meeting their customers' expectations.

"People when they come in here, they really want Pinots. I don't know if it's a Portland thing or what," Barber says. "But people will walk in and they'll say, 'I want some Pinot. I'm here to buy Pinot.'"

And Mt. Hood Winery is happy to oblige.

Currently at 2265 state Route 35, Hood River, OR 97031; soon to be moving to 2882 Van Horn Drive, Hood River, OR 97031, 541-386-8333, mthoodwinery.com

Viento

Rich Cushman, Hood River native and longtime Oregon winemaker, named his winery Viento, the Spanish word for wind. Cushman has a small 1.5-acre Riesling vineyard but buys most of his grapes so he can concentrate on winemaking.

Once Mount Hood Winery moves into its new facility, Cushman - who is without a tasting room - will move into its old digs at the Gorge White House.

Moving soon to: 2265 Highway 35, Hood River, OR 97031, 541-386-3026, vientowines.com

Naked Winery

The Barringer and Michalec families make their wines in Wishram, Wash., but the action's at their tasting room/wine bar in downtown Hood River.

This self-proclaimed World's Sexiest Winery has some very funny labels, such as Dominatrix Pinot Noir and Foreplay Chardonnay, all made with "orgasmically grown" grapes. In addition to wine tasting, they offer live music nights on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays, staying open until 10 p.m.

102 Second St., Hood River, OR 97031, 800-666-9303, nakedwinery.com

The Pines 1852

Winegrower Lonnie Wright started working The Pines Vineyard in 1982, but it wasn't the first time that grapes were grown there.

Louis Comini, an Italian stone mason, brought some vines with him when he moved from Genoa to the Gorge in the 1800s. Lonnie was able to revive these old vines, which are now the Old Vine Zinfandel block of the vineyard.

After growing grapes for several years and selling to winemakers such as Sineann's Peter Rossback, in 2001, Wright decided to keep some of his grapes and start his own winery, The Pines 1852. Wright's whole family is involved in the business, and Rossback makes their wines.

You can arrange for a group tour of their vineyard in The Dalles or stop by their tasting room/wine bar/art gallery in downtown Hood River. Most Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights they are open late with live music.

202 State St., Hood River, OR 97031, 541-993-8301, thepinesvineyard.com

Quenett Winery

James and Molli Martin took their winery's name from the Lewis and Clark journals where it refers to Quenett Creek (now Mill Creek), in The Dalles, where Lewis and Clark set up their Fort Rock camp.

The Martins will be setting up their own camp soon in The Dalles, called Sunshine Mill. Until then, you can find them at their downtown Hood River tasting room/wine bar, which stays open late Friday and Saturday nights.

The countertop and benches at their tasting room are recycled church pews found from a "going out of business" listing online.

James jokes that it's appropriate "so you can have a spiritual experience while you're here."

Try some of their Zinfandel, Syrah or Sangiovese and you'll see what he means.

111 Oak St., Hood River, OR 97031, 541-386-2229, quenett.com

Springhouse Cellar

James and Lisa Matthisen opened their tasting room near Mount Hood Railroad in downtown Hood River, and consider their enterprise a love-of-labor and vice versa.

Their sense of humor is obvious with the names they've given their wines, such as Perpetual Merlotion, Make Cab Not War, and Peace, Love and Chardonnay. And for every bottle of this last one sold, they donate a dollar to Seeds of Peace.

One of the unique features here is that they incorporate a European wine tradition - they'll let you bring in an empty bottle and they'll fill it from their wine spigots. They also offer cheese and sausage plates and outdoor seating where you can relax with a glass of wine.

13 Railroad Ave., Hood River, OR 97031, 541-308-0700, springhousecellar.com

Wy'east Vineyards

Christie and Dick Reed got started in the wine business after moving to Hood River from Chicago to raise their children. After getting their feet wet partnering with Mt. Hood Winery, they branched out to start their own winery. Sineann's Peter Rosback makes their wine.

3189 Highway 35, Hood River, OR 97031, 541-386-1277, wyeastvineyards.com

Marchesi Vineyards and Winery

Franco Marchesi, who grew up in Piedmont, Italy, brings his love of Italian varieties to the foothills of Mount Hood. He grows Barbera, Dolcetto, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Nero. Alexis Pouillon of Domaine Pouillon makes Marchesi's wine.

3955 Belmont Drive, Hood River, OR 97031, 541-386-1800, marchesivineyards.com

Phelps Creek Vineyards

Along the Fruit Loop by the Hood River Golf Course, this winery is owned by Bob Morus, who has 20 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Winemaker Rich Cushman, who owns Viento, uses these estate grapes along with those bought from other vineyards to make a large selection of wine for Phelps Creek. Several wines can be bought at lower prices as futures, but the best prices are reserved for their wine club members.

1850 Country Club Rd., Hood River, OR 97031, 541-386-2607, phelpscreekvineyards.com

Cross over the Hood River Bridge from to the Washington side of the Gorge and you find a few wineries to check out:

Wind River Cellars

It's a little off the beaten path to get to Kris and Joel Goodwillie's Wind River Cellars, but it's worth the trouble, especially on a clear day when you'll have a spectacular view of Mount Hood from their hilltop winery. Their wine equals their view. In fact, their 2006 Cabernet Franc won a gold at last year's Northwest Wine Summit and a platinum from our best-of-the-best judging. They have special events planned year-round including their Running with the Bulls, a celebration of Tempranillo in late June.

196 Spring Creek Road, Husum, WA 98623, 509-493-2324, windrivercellars.com

White Salmon Vineyard

This Underwood, Wash., winery is open by appointment only.

509-493-4640, whitesalmonvineyard.com

Major Creek Cellars

This small winery in White Salmon, Wash., is open for special events and by appointment only.

503-860-8713, majorcreekcellars.com

North Shore Wine Cellars

Formerly Bad Seed Cider, North Shore Wine Cellars, owned by Craig and Kelly Sawyer, in downtown Bingen specializes in hard ciders and dessert fruit wines, including a chocolate cherry wine.

221 W. Steuben St., Bingen, WA 98605, 509-493-3881

Lyle, Wash., now with a half dozen wineries off the Lewis and Clark Highway (Highway 14) is turning into a wine hotspot:

Cor Cellars

Luke Bradford started COR Cellars in 2005 after working for a couple of years in Italian wineries, then working as an assistant winemaker at Wind River Cellars and then at Syncline.

151 Lyle White Salmon Rd. (Highway 8), Lyle, WA 98635, 509-365-2744, corcellars.com

Domaine Pouillon

Alexis Pouillon and his wife, Juliet, own this small artisan winery, formerly Domaine Pierre Noire, along with a small farm where they also raise chickens. Alexis makes 1,500 cases a year and stays busy as the winemaker for Marchesi Vineyards and Winery.

170 Lyle Snowden Road, Lyle, WA 98635, 509-365-2795, domainepouillon.com

Illusion

Illusion was established in 2002 by Dave and Dina Guest in Black Diamond, Wash. They purchased 20 acres near Lyle in 2004 and last year opened their boutique winery's tasting room. Call ahead or check the calendar on their Web site to make sure they'll be open for your trip.

31 Schilling Road, Lyle, WA 98635, 206-261-1682, illusionwine.com

Jacob Williams Winery

John Haw, formerly the head winemaker at Maryhill Winery, is the consulting winemaker at this small, family-owned and -operated winery.

421 State St. (Highway 14), Lyle, WA 98635, 503-577-3906, jacobwilliamswinery.com

Klickitat Canyon Winery

Robin Dobson, a botanist/ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service, is the owner and winemaker at this small, certified-organic processor. He proudly proclaims that his wines are vegan, with no added sulfites or yeasts. He ferments them until they are completely dry, and does everything possible to let the grapes stand on their own without chemically altering them.

6 Lyle-Snowden Road, Lyle, WA 98635, 509-365-2900, klickitatcanyonwinery.com

McCormick Family Vineyards

Memaloose Wines is the primary label for this family-run organic vineyard that has sites along both sides of the Gorge. Brian McCormick makes the wines, which can be sampled at their Mistral Ranch location. Bring a picnic and enjoy the view.

101 Lyle-Snowden Road (access from Murdock Road), Lyle, WA 98635, 360-635-2887, winesofthegorge.com

Syncline Wine Cellars

James Mantone is the winemaker, vineyard manager and founder of this boutique winery that he runs with the help of his wife, Poppie. Inspired by a passion for Rhône wines, the couple has been concentrating their efforts on making about 4,500 cases of wine annually using Viognier, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Roussanne, Cinsault, Counoise and Syrah, and racking up the awards and accolades at every turn. They have a loyal following of about 500 wine club members, most from the Seattle area.

111 Balch Road, Lyle, WA 98635, 509-365-4361, synclinewine.com

On either side of the dalles bridge you'll find wineries, some in Dallesport on the Washington side and some in The Dalles on the Oregon side:

Marshal's Winery & Vineyard

Ron Johnson, who has been making wine since 1956, named this winery after his son, Marshal. With some wineries, it can be difficult to determine when to stop by or if they are even open to the public. Not so at Marshal's, where the Web site encourages you to call or visit seven days a week, anytime between 9 a.m. and midnight. It reads, "Stop by and we'll celebrate!"

150 Oak Creek Road, Dallesport, WA 98617, 509-767-4633, marshalsvineyard.com

Gorge Crest Winery

This Underwood, Wash., winery and wedding/event venue is open by appointment only. They bottled their first vintage in 2007.

509-493-2026, gorgecrest.com

Shady Grove Winery

This Dallesport, Wash., winery is open for special events and by appointment only.

509-767-4000, shadygrovewinery.com

Bolton Cellars

Homesteaded in 1858, the Dufur Valley farmland where Bolton Cellars is located has been in the Boton family for four generations. The tasting room in The Dalles is open Wednesdays through Sundays.

306 Court St., The Dalles, OR 97058, 541-296-7139, boltoncellars.com

Dry Hollow Vineyards

Surrounded by the Hi-Valley cherry orchard and next to the Hi-Valley Vineyards, the Dry Hollow Vineyards' new tasting room is ideal for a Saturday afternoon picnic or horseback ride. Call ahead if you want to go on the horseback tour.

3410 Dry Hollow Lane, The Dalles, OR 97058, 541-296-2953, dryhollowvineyards.com

Erin Glenn Winery at the Mint

In 1864, Congress commissioned the building of a mint in The Dalles to turn the gold from the Canyon City diggings into coins. Unfortunately, not as much gold was found as anticipated, so construction on the mint was stopped before completion. The fortresslike structure with its huge blocks of hand-hewn stone carted from Mill Creek was never used as a mint. Tim and Erin Schechtel moved their winery and tasting room into the mint in 2005. Live music and a small plates menu prepared by chef Lise Larson can be found at the winery on Friday nights.

710 E. Second St., The Dalles, OR 97058, 541-296-4707, eringlenn.com

Along the lonely stretch of Highway 14 between Dallesport, Wash., and Maryhill, there's a single winery.

Cascade Cliffs Vineyard & Winery

Bob Lorkowski, the owner and winemaker of this small winery, earned our highest award in our last best-of-the-best judging with his 2006 Barbera. He and his partners purchased Cascade Cliffs from founder Ken Adcock in 1997. Lorkowski produces estate wines concentrating on northern Italian varieties such as Barbera, Dolcetto and Nebbiolo, in addition to some not as well-known varieties such as Symphony, a cross between Muscat of Alexandria and Grenache Gris developed by a University of California-Davis professor.

8866 Highway 14, Wishram, WA 98673, 509-767-1100, cascadecliffs.com

The Biggs Rapids-Sam Hill Memorial Bridge, which continues U.S. Route 97 across the Columbia River, has two wineries nearby:

Maryhill Winery & Amphitheatre

Vicki and Craig Leuthold won not only platinum awards for their 2005 Cabernet Franc and 2005 Proprietor's Reserve Malbec wines in our recent best-of-the-best judging, but they also were named our 2009 Washington Winery of the Year. Their cliffside winery produces 80,000 cases a year, making it the 15th-largest wine producer in Washington. It opened in 2001. As if the wines weren't enough, they've also turned the hillside next to the winery into an open-air concert venue. This summer, Counting Crows, Jackson Browne and John Legend will perform there. Concert-goers are able to purchase bottles of wine so they can sit on the grassy hillside sipping some of Maryhill's finest.

9774 Highway 14, Goldendale, WA 98620, 877-627-9445, maryhillwinery.com

Waving Tree Vineyards & Winery

The log cabin tasting room is across from the Maryhill State Park off Highway 97 just north of the Biggs Rapids-Sam Hill Memorial Bridge.

The wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Barbera, Grenache, Syrah and Viognier, mostly made from estate vines on the banks of the Columbia River just below the Stonehenge replica monument to World War I veterans.

2 Maryhill Highway (Highway 97), Goldendale, WA 98620, 509-773-6552, wavingtreewinery.com

On the easternmost edge of the Columbia Gorge, in the middle of wheat farms, cattle ranches and wind turbines, is a lone winemaking outpost.

Wheatridge in the Nook Winery

Larry Bartlemay, who has worked as both cowhand and wheat farmer on land his grandfather homesteaded, has turned his basement winemaking hobby into a job. At the end of a 5-mile-long gravel road, you'll find a vineyard where wheat once grew, and a tasting room attached to a refurbished garage. However, they are already dreaming of a future chateau. They're open daily 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

11102 Philippi Canyon Lane, Arlington, OR 97812, 541-454-2585, wheatridgeinthenook.com

Wine shops

If you are not able to get to all the wineries along the Gorge, you can always try to round out your shopping at some local wine shops. Here are a couple of note in Hood River:

The Gorge White House

Located in an historic farmhouse along the Fruit Loop, this wine shop/wine bar sells wines from 34 Gorge wineries in addition to local microbrews. It offers fresh local fruit in season and has fields of U-pick flowers. It's a good spot to bring your picnic lunch and enjoy a glass of wine or a pint of beer.

2265 state Route 35, Hood River, OR 97031, 541-386-2828, thegorgewhitehouse.com

The Wine Sellers

With more than 500 wines for sale, those from around the world in addition to around the Gorge, specialty food items, gifts and goodies, there's sure to be something at The Wine Sellers for everyone.

514 State St.. Hood River, OR 97031, 541-386-4647, wine-sellers.com

Lodging

If your visit to the Gorge is more than just a day trip, then you'll have plenty of options for where to stay depending on your budget. A few of the choices that stand out are also great places to eat:

Bonneville Hot Springs Resort & Spa

Along the wooded shore of the Washington side of the Columbia you'll find this resort not far from Bridge of the Gods. And if you find it early on your trip, you may be tempted to cancel the rest of your travel plans and just stay here and be pampered until it's time to go home. After all, it has an impressive wine list, heavy on local Gorge wines, but also with page after page of great wines from both Washington and Oregon. This is what earned one of our Outstanding Northwest Wine List awards.

It also has wine and cheese tastings for $15 in the Great Room on Friday and Saturday nights. Local wine enthusiast Mark Johnson will offer you generous pours of each wine with information about the winery and his tasting notes along with recommendations for which of the cheeses, such as the Rogue Creamery Chocolate Stout Cheddar, to try with each. And if the large plate of cheese, fruit and bread hasn't filled you up, the restaurant featuring chef Michael Hendrickson is top-notch.

Of course, there's also the whole mineral springs thing. Even if you don't subscribe to the healing properties of the water piped down from the natural mineral hot springs on the mountain nearby, you can still enjoy taking a dip in it. It offers a heated indoor pool, Jacuzzis indoors and out, a sauna, suites available with private hot tubs, and the full-service spa features mineral baths, wraps and massages among many other treatments.

1252 E. Cascade Drive, North Bonneville, WA 98639, 509-427-7767, bonnevilleresort.com

Columbia Cliff Villas

Next to the historic Columbia Gorge Hotel, its beautiful gardens and 200-foot waterfall down to the Columbia River are these vacation condominiums which are available to rent by the night. Some can also be purchased with the option of renting them the nights you're not there. Many of these luxurious condos, available with up to three bedrooms depending on the size of your group, have remarkable views of the Columbia River.

The Columbia Gorge Hotel closed recently. It may reopen if new owners are found.

4000 Westcliff Drive, Hood River, OR 97031, 541-386-5566, columbiacliffvillas.com

Skamania Lodge

This mountain resort overlooks the Columbia River. In addition to its guest rooms and suites, it offers a conference and event center, an 18-hole golf course, a full-service spa and fitness center including an indoor heated swimming pool, saunas and indoor and outdoor Jacuzzis, hiking trails and tennis, basketball and volleyball courts. Its restaurant, The Cascade Room, has a wood-fired grill and serves up dishes using local ingredients.

1131 S.W. Skamania Lodge Way, Stevenson WA 98648, 800-221-7117, skamania.com

Hood River Hotel

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this downtown hotel was built in 1913. It underwent a complete renovation in the late '80s after it had gone unoccupied for almost 20 years. It now retains many of the charms of yesteryear coupled with modern amenities. The restaurant, Cornerstone Cuisine, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

102 Oak St., Hood River, OR 97031, 541-386-1900, hoodriverhotel.com

Columbia River Gorge-Hood River B&B Association

If you prefer smaller, more intimate accommodations, this is the place to look at.

541-386-6767, gorgelodging.com

Restaurants

There are many great places to eat along the Gorge, especially in Hood River. Here are a few favorites:

Riverside Grill

Inside the Best Western Hood River Inn, this restaurant has one of the best views of the river in town and is also a past winner of our Outstanding Oregon Wine List award.

1108 E. Marina Way, Hood River, OR 97031, 541-386-2200, bestwesternoregon.com

The Sixth Street Bistro & Loft

Owner Chris Creasy took a windsurfing vacation here a dozen years ago, and the rest is history. A good selection of Washington and Oregon wines, local microbrews and fresh Northwest ingredients make this restaurant popular with locals.

509 Cascade Ave., Hood River, OR 97031, 541-386-5737, sixthstreetbistro.com

Three Rivers Grill

There's a large sunny deck with a view of the Columbia River and Hood River Bridge, chef Carlos Mendoza's Northwest cuisine with a taste of Mexico thrown in, and its all wrapped up with a nice Gorge-heavy wine list. The combination is why this restaurant draws as many guests as it does.

601 Oak St., Hood River, OR 97031, 541-386-8883, 3riversgrill.com

Celilo Restaurant And Bar

The restaurant's menu and decor are remininescent of Wildwood in Portland, and special events include wine dinners with chef Ben Stenn hosting Northwest winemakers. One fan, Autumn Woods of the Columbia Gorge Winegrowers Association says, "Celilo, especially, embraces the Northwest and believes in the drinking local, eating local ethos."

16 Oak St., Hood River, OR 97031, 541-386-5710, celilorestaurant.com

Solstice Wood Fire Café

Just across the bridge from Hood River, this café's imported Italian wood-fire oven is central to preparing the rustic Tuscan-style pizzas. It also features local wines and microbrews, panninis, soups and salads.

415 W. Steuben St, Bingen, WA 98605, 509-493-4006, solsticewoodfirecafe.com

Good River Restaurant

Its Web site says it best: "Best Gorge views, recycled old house, local farm food, Northwest wines, Northwest beers, imaginative cocktails." What more could you ask?

904 Second Ave., Mosier, OR 97040, 541-478-0200, goodriverrestaurant.com

Baldwin Saloon

This historic restaurant and bar date back to 1876.

The original brick walls and fir floor complement the decor along with an 18-foot long mahogany backbar from the early l900s and several turn-of-the-century oil paintings, several by Joseph J. Englehart.

The wine list has about 70 Northwest wines - many of them local - and regularly features seven by the glass. It also offers local microbrews and an extensive menu.

For the burgers, the bar makes and bakes its own buns and grinds its beef fresh.

205 Court St., The Dalles, OR 97058, 541-296-5666, baldwinsaloon.com

More Info

Here are several other places to search when looking for more information about traveling along the Gorge:

Columbia Gorge Winegrowers

866-413-9463, columbiagorgewine.com

Columbia River Gorge Visitor's Association

800-984-6743, crgva.org

Hood River County Chamber of Commerce

541-386-2000, hoodriver.org

Jackie Johnston, a freelance photojournalist, is a regular contributor and the page designer for Wine Press Northwest. Her Web site is WineCountryCreations.com

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