wine country weekend

Weekend escape to Willamette Valley's wine country. Brick House, was a special treat. Now that they have hours over the weekend that aren't by appointment, we were able to stop by, and after hearing so much about them, they did not disappoint.

 

On our way up the winding road that loops around the property, two very friendly dogs came up to us and followed us so closely that we were a bit worried to keep driving in case we would run them over. They made an appearance again, as there they are later, on the porch of the brick house below! This is probably one of the only brick structures you'll find in the area and it is where the owner lives and what the winery is named after.

The tasting room was just the way I like it. Rustic, low-key, moody (which explains the darkness of the photo above) and the server was a character straight out of The Big Lebowski. On our drive out to another winery I saw this abandoned barn. I'm guessing it was for grain because it was tall.

After visiting 5 wineries we were ready for a nosh at Thistle, The Oregonian's 2011 Restaurant of the Year. Since the reservations for this restaurant in McMinville were completely booked, we had the option of sitting at the chef's table and have an up-close view into Eric Bechard's, a James Beard award-winning chef, every move as he put together the meals of the night. Magical. The place itself is a style I could have in every room of my house. A black and various shades of white palette. The furnishings were reclaimed. Tin tables, industrial chairs, antique typewriters, a punch of a black wall, hand-screened wallpaper from Scotland, a perfectly tufted banquette area, and counters made from an old bowling alley. J'adore! 

{photos: mine and oregonian}