There is no rest for the wicked as Tour 1 finished on Wednesday morning and Tour 2 started on Wednesday evening. Our venue again was Bentleys Grill which served up another great meal, washed down with an excellent Blancs de Noir fizz from Left Coast Vineyards, some delicious Pinot Blanc and the surprise discovery from earlier in the week – some Tempranillo from Willamette Valley.
The weather was not kind to us, it has to be said. There was a big storm blowing in to the north of Portland and its effects were being felt. However, it did nothing to dampen our spirits on our first full day as we made the short journey to Johan Vineyards. Chief winemaker Dave and assistant Morgan took us through their excellent range comprising some very elegant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but the surprise grapes were Gruner Veltliner and Blaufrankisch. Normally, you would expect to find these two in Austria but Johan have been enjoying some great success with them on a limited scale production. Dave and Morgan then took us into the winery for some barrel tasting of fermenting Pinot Noir and a nibble of Pinot Gris undergoing some carbonic maceration – a first for everyone.
The rest of day was spent with Left Coast Cellars. The full team were out in force to greet us. Owner Bob Pfaff explained the programme of the day and took us for a quick drive to show some aspects of the estate. We then bundled ourselves into a 4×4 and Luke McCollom, their general manager, took us on a slightly hair-raising drive through the vineyards, explaining the philosophy of the whole estate and giving some really fascinating history into the terroir of the valley. Ending up at the winery, we took the opportunity to sample some freshly fermenting Chardonnay with Joe, chief winemaker, followed by some delicious clam and bacon pizza with some fizz as a little aperitif.
Moving into the café for lunch, we tasted through a further six wines as part of a food pairing lunch. Roasted aubergine and garlic soup, rare fillet of beef, Oregon cheeses and sumptuous soufflé matched up with their top class selection of wines.
Our final day commenced at Soter Vineyards. The Soter family invested in vineyards in Oregon back in 1982, having established a reputation in California. At their Newberg tasting room, we got a detailed insight into the different AVAs of the Willamette Valley. This was shown brilliantly by contrasting four Pinot Noirs – all from 2014, all made in the same way, but reflecting the very different terroirs ranging from marine to volcanic. This showed up in the wines, with marked contrasts between the four. Elegance was the main descriptor but with varying 
degrees of structure, tannin and fruit. From Newberg we headed over to Soter’s Mineral Springs Ranch which is their main HQ. An utterly sublime tasting menu awaited us. Six amazing creations incorporating vegetables from their own patch, locally sourced chicken and lamb and a fabulous pear, blue cheese and walnut crème to finish.
From Soter we stopped in the Four Graces Family Estate. This is a lovely estate in the heart of Dundee town. After the intensity of Soter, it was great to relax in their tasting room and get a slightly different perspective – particularly on Pinot Noir. Again, great quality, but illustrating the diversity of terroir in a very small area.
Dinner on the final night was greatly enjoyed at Da Vinci’s restaurant in Salem. Great décor, friendly service and terrific food – a perfect finish to our tour.