Accessible Wine Tasting During Cellar Season

By Guest Author: Lilly Longshore

Cellar season in Clackamas County, located in the beautiful Willamette Valley, is the perfect time of year to linger with friends and family over excellent wine and have cozy conversations. St. Josef’s Winery in Canby, Oregon is where I started this year’s cellar season.

The outdoor courtyard area at St. Josef's Winery is beautiful and spacious.

Arriving at the stately stone and iron gates, my good friend and I passed rows of Italian cedars lining the drive of the lovely 64-acre spread. We could see the vineyards far to our right. We entered the warm and welcoming indoor tasting room via a wide stone ramp, just past a majestic fountain still iced over from an overnight freeze. We relaxed in this friendly space, made homey by warm wood surroundings and plenty of natural light streaming in through large windows.

St. Josef’s Winery, one of the first wineries in Oregon, produced its first wine in 1983. St. Josef’s provides affordable great wine so all can enjoy. They do everything on the estate, from growing and crushing the grapes to bottling and labelling the wine. In the end, they provide great wine, upholding their motto “serious wine for the not so serious.” We enjoyed seven different wines here. I liked the Gewurztraminer and the Farmhouse Red, going home with a bottle of each since the prices are so reasonable. I noted that the ADA restrooms were closed in the winter, as they are part of the outdoor tasting area.

After enjoying our wine, we explored the serene grounds, making our way to the lake to watch the goats and llamas on the far shore. It was a peaceful place to be.

The tasting room at Tumwater Vineyards is cozy and inviting.

Tumwater Vineyard in West Linn was a lovely place to spend our Valentine’s Day. My husband and I entered this elegant estate, passing acres of wintering vineyards, and parked by the Barrel House tasting room, a timbered lodge-style venue. This estate, established in 2016, was built ground-up to be what it is today — an expansive vineyard with excellent grape and wine production, with a rustic yet refined tasting room/event center.

I was impressed with the hospitality here. A welcoming server greeted us as we entered the charming tasting room. A glowing fire warmed the room which was lit by abundant natural light. Our attentive server seated us at a nicely wheelchair accessible table and offered much appreciated guidance for both tasty light bites and wines. We shared a generous hummus and veggie platter, and scrumptious deviled eggs made with gruyere cheese — incredible! My flight was mixed wines, all made on the estate.

With supervision from their French-trained winemaker, Tumwater Vineyard produces excellent wines. I especially enjoyed their stainless charddonay and their Clone 95 pinot noir.

With a belly full of fine wine and bites, we used the wheelchair-friendly restrooms, then wandered the beautifully manicured grounds, and warmed up at the outdoor firepot by the pond. Heading back to our vehicle, we crossed a footbridge over a babbling stream with gentle waterfalls. It was a Valentine’s Day to remember!