This trip really started about 15 years ago while Jim and I were having dinner at The Water’s Edge in Cape May, NJ. We had a Pinot Noir from Oregon that I will never forget – earthy and rich, and I’ve been looking for something like it ever since. So here we are in Willamette Valley in search of that perfect Pinot.

Our tastings so far have been enlightening – Pinot can be crafted in so many ways it sometimes doesn’t even taste like the same grape from one vintner to another. We’ve tasted fruity, earthy and austere styles. I haven’t found my ideal Pinot from the Cape May trip, but we have confirmed that we like the more full-bodied versions of the grape over the fruitier styles.

Our first two stops made me a little nervous – there was one nice wine at $24, but most were priced at $50 and $60 – yikes! Would we be bringing any wine home? Thankfully, subsequent tastings offered more price ranges – though still usually $20+. (Unfortunately for the U.S. wine industry, everyday wines from outside the U.S. are usually a better value than U.S. wines.)

We started Day 2 of wine-tasting with a gourmet breakfast at our inn and a long list of recommended wineries from our host and sommelier, Jacques Rolland. The first was a winner -Walnut City Wineworks, which pours wine from a number of wineries. Per Jacques’ recommendation, we held off on buying anything early, but I think we’ll be back – there were some very nice, full-bodied Pinots at reasonable prices.

We weren’t as fond of the wines at Eyrie, the winery that planted the first Pinot grapes in the U.S. , but it was cool to visit the place where it all started.

We experienced the full range of tasting rooms yesterday -from the family winery Winter’s Hill where Dad tends the vineyards, Son mans the tasting room and Daughter-in-Law makes the wine, to Domaine Serene, which has a huge, gorgeous tasting room and a ‘cottage’ for visiting corporate partners. And despite Jacques’ recommendation, we bought from both. (Okay, maybe we paid extra for the ‘bricks’ at Domaine Serene, but wow, the wine was good.)

We finished the tasting day with sparkilng wine at Argyle. Unfortunately, the byzantine liquor laws prohibit them from shipping to New Jersey, but we’ll be looking for their sparkler at home – can’t wait to share it with our friends on New Year’s Eve!