We enjoyed some great winery picnics in California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho last summer. Visiting wineries give us the opportunity to see the land and geography of a place, as well as the agriculture. They are almost always in beautiful setting as well and we continue to choose to drive out of the way to these estates (rather than get cheap fast food) because to eat and drink at the winery helps us understand the connection between land, people and food.
We went to 12 wineries on the tour and many included very educational block vineyard tastings such as the Pinot Noir at Bethel Heights in the Eola Hills of Willamette. Along the way we also discovered some new finds (for us) such as the winery called Pepper Bridge in Walla Walla, WA that had amazing Bordeaux style reds. We also did our first visit and tasting at the amazing Ridge Monte Bello Estate in the Santa Cruz mountains.
Most wineries offer a picnic area that usually has great views of the winery, vines, and surrounding areas.
So, to have your own winery picnic, its EASY! Go to the local market and get these items:
1. crusty bread
2. local cheese
3. good tomatoes
4. avocado
5. greens
6. local fruit
