We spent a long weekend exploring Oregon’s renowned Willamette Valley, located just an hour south of Portland. During our visit, we had the chance to immerse ourselves in the region’s wine culture, touring and tasting at wineries across two of its seven celebrated AVAs—Dundee Hills, known for its elegant and refined Pinot Noirs, and Amity Hills, where the wines often carry a bit more rustic charm and earthy depth. Beyond the vineyards, we also took time to soak in the natural beauty of Oregon, from the rolling green countryside dotted with farms and forests to the dramatic coastline of the Pacific Ocean, where the fresh air and sweeping views provided the perfect balance to our wine-filled days.

We loved this area so much last year, that we returned for a second visit. This time the destination was the cooperative winery called Favaios where they have a 2.75 (euro) white wine and a red reserve that was very tasty

Day 2 of this weekend trip was to discover the Ribeira Sacra wine region know for Mencía and Sousón and Brancellao grape varietals. Just like Cabernet Sauvignons, the higher quality Mencía wines are totally stand out wines with exceptional complexity and very enjoyable wines.

This was a weekend trip to taste white wines and find out how the Mencía grape wine tastes. Starting in Ribeiro, we attempted a view unscheduled visits and landing in one winery with a sample of whites and then enjoyed the evening along the river in our hotel which was also a winery.

And why not enjoy a day on the beach before flying home. We found a romantic hotel south of Barcelona, away from the crowds and seemingly just for our private use.

This was our longest drive across Spain and about 5 hours. The goal was to get to the Priorat region which is the 2nd DOCQ Wine Region in Spain along with Rioja.

A short 3 hour drive north from the Ribera Del Duero wine region landed us the Rioja region. We stayed in the Haro, the wine capital of La Rioja where the finest Tempranillo wine makers reside.

After a gentle electric boat ride in the Duoro Valley, we drove 4 hours east to the Ribera Del Duero wine region to start tasting Tempranillo wines from the heart of Spain.

.From Baiona, Spain, we drove 3 hours south and then East following the Douro River until we reached the town of Pinhao, Portugal to taste port wines and the exceptionally beautiful Douro Valley.

After a day in Porto, we drove 2 hours north to stay in a castle overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

We arrived Friday morning after a Thursday night flight from the United States and spent the day on the beach and walking the Porto harbor

5 wine regions in 10 days tasting wines from the most popular wine regions in Portugal and Spain.