5 Ideas for Foodies in Oregon Wine Country

Are you coming to Oregon wine country, also known as the Willamette Valley, for vacation this year? If so, you should prepare yourself to eat some of the best food and drink some of the best wine that you have ever experienced. Our community is known for its Pinot Noir, but there is so much more here in the Willamette Valley when it comes to trying new flavors and tastes. If you are a foodie and want to make the most out of your trip to Oregon, we recommend that you start with some of these ideas that will make your mouth water.

Visit Farmers Markets

There is something special about an Oregon Farmers Market in the summertime. The sunshine and enjoying the outdoors is a special treat for locals since we get so much rain here during other times of the year. Tourists too will find the beautiful weather and fresh air an intoxicating aspect of browsing the produce of local farmers. If you’ve ever wondered about the difference between a Marionberry and blackberry, or want to try 5 different types of cherries all grown within 10 miles of each other, an Oregon Farmers Market is the place for you. Or, pick up fresh microgreens and locally caught salmon for a tasty meal to prepare at home. Whatever your experience at a Farmer’s Market here, we guarantee you can’t go wrong! Check out the Newberg Farmers Market on Wednesday or the Carlton market on Saturdays this summer.

Dine at a Farm

The concept of a Farm-to-table really becomes literal when you come to visit Oregon. In other parts of the country, this trend may mean that you visit a restaurant that has locally sourced food. In the Willamette Valley, you can literally eat at a Farm and get the most locally sourced meal possible. At Plate and Pitchfork’s Agriculture Cooperative, the dining experience includes walking a local farm first to see the product and learn about the history, then getting to enjoy a meal with that same food that you just saw. It’s a unique Oregon wine country meal that any foodie should check out.

Experience Local Chefs

If you’ve traveled to many places in the United States, you know that there is something different about Oregon cuisine when you dine out in restaurants. At Trellis, we capture the Willamette Valley style of dining perfectly. It involves unique flavor combinations with super-local ingredients, as well as some of the most delicious wine that you will taste. Thanks to our proximity to both the ocean as well as many farms, you will find an array of menu items that also happen to be local. Local Oregon chefs pride themselves in serving the best quality food while also coming up with new ideas, so a meal at a local restaurant like Trellis is surely not to be issued.

Do a Vertical Wine Tasting

Another unique thing about the Willamette Valley is the ability to do a vertical wine tasting while at a winery, or out to dinner at a local restaurant. Instead of trying different varietals of the same brand, a vertical wine tasting is when you try the same varietal across several different years. You will notice how the weather and other factors influence the grapes from the same vine when you do a vertical wine tasting. At Trellis, we proudly serve an extensive wine bottle list with many wineries, which makes it easy to do vertical wine tastings with us. A definite perk of doing a tasting like this at Trellis is the delicious food that goes along with it. Lots of pinot noir paired with a burger and fries? What’s not to love about that?

Forage Your Food

For the ultimate foodie experience, come to Oregon and forage your own food! Whether this means fishing in one of our rivers for your own fish, then visiting a farm to pick local berries and other produce, when the season allows, you can certainly acquire all the food you need for an excellent dinner from the bounty that the Oregon land provides. If you are planning a trip to Oregon wine country, this is a unique challenge that can certainly be achieved by anyone who is up for an adventure.

As you can see, Oregon offers an endless amount of opportunities for people who want to think outside the box when it comes to eating and drinking experiences. We welcome you at Trellis to come to try some of the best food in the Willamette Valley!