Memorial Day Events and Festivals in Salem, Oregon

May 24 - 26, 2008 marks the 18th year of the "Memorial Weekend in the Wine Country" tour. This monumental event includes all of the Willamette Valley featuring wineries in the Portland, Polk County, Corvallis and Salem areas. Over 120 wineries participate in the event, opening their doors between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm, although hours do vary. Some of these wineries are small, family-owned establishments which are closed the rest of the year, opening only for this event. Others are large wineries with tasting rooms offering both new releases and older vintages, barrel tasting, and gourmet foods. All wineries host tasting and many feature food, music and other entertainment. Some events are free while some establishments charge a tasting fee. Following is a brief alphabetical summary of some of the participating wineries in Salem and surrounding areas. Visit www.willamettewines.com to request a complete listing. Have a safe and happy holiday and don't forget to designate a non-drinking driver!

AIRLIE WINERY - Monmouth
www.airliewinery.com
Airlie Winery will feature great music like Wild Hog in the Woods, Retta Christie, Claudia with the BVD's and more! Jackie's Ribs will sell their delicious barbecue, perfectly paired with Airlie's wines. The $10 fee includes tasting & souvenir wine glass.

AMITY VINEYARDS - Amity
www.amityvineyards.com
This year, Amity will share several of its very special wines. The tasting fee is $5, but for $7 more you can go home with your own Riedel Oregon Pinot noir wine glass. $3 of each fee will be donated to Salud Clinic in Woodburn, Oregon.

ANKENY VINEYARD WINERY - Salem
www.ankenyvineyard.com
Arrive at Ankeny and you will enjoy a lovely spring weekend of music, food and wine. Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Chardonnay, and Marechal Foch will be served as well as new releases. Live music will be featured on Saturday and Sunday. The $10 entry fee includes wine tasting, food and live music.

ARCANE CELLARS/WHEATLAND WINERY - Salem
www.arcanecellars.com
This establishment will be offering their award winning wines and stunning new releases including Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Riesling, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Viognier. Don't miss this one as you will want to sample their fabulous food spread. Located in a beautiful setting, Arcane is just west of the Wheatland Ferry in Salem.

BETHEL HEIGHTS VINEYARD - Salem
www.bethelheights.com
Enjoy your wine and the view from the deck which is surrounded by gardens in bloom. Music by Tall Jazz will play from 1:00 to 5:00 pm each day. New releases from the 2006 and 2007 vintages will be featured along with wine friendly food that will be available for sale. The $10 tasting fee includes a souvenir glass.

BROOKS WINES - Amity
www.brookswines.com
Brooks Wines is celebrating their 10th anniversary this year! Visit their new winery in the heart of the Eola Hills and taste their serious old world style Rieslings and new world style Pinot noirs. The $10 tasting fee includes appetizers, wine and a logo glass that you get to keep!

CHERRY HILL WINERY - Rickreall
www.cherryhillwinery.com
Cherry Hill Winery celebrates Memorial Day Weekend with the release of their 2007 Poverty Road Pinot gris. Also taste handcrafted 2005 Pinot noirs and Pinot noir dry RosŽé. Special discounts will be available on selected wines. The $10 tasting fee will be applied toward a wine purchase and you'll get to enjoy music and food.

COELHO WINERY OF AMITY - Amity
www.coelhowinery.com
This Memorial Day Weekend at Coelho will be filled with fine wines, fabulous food pairings, live music, and local art. New releases for this tasting include 2006 Paci�ncia Pinot noir Reserve, 2007 Renova�‹o Pinot gris, and 2007 Divertimento Pinot noir RoséŽ. The $10 tasting fee includes a logo glass.

CRISTOM VINEYARDS - Salem
www.cristomwines.com
Cristom Vineyards will feature a preview of their 2006 Pinot noirs. Enjoy live jazz entertainment provided by Dan Balmer and Friends. Sample cheeses from Willamette Valley Cheese Company along with your wine. The entry fee is $10 per person.

CUBANISIMO VINEYARDS - Salem
www.cubanisimovineyards.com
Cubanisimo's offerings include unique Rosado de Pinot noir, elegant estate Pinot noir, Tapas & Latin-Cuban Music. The tasting fee is $3, and with $5 more you'll get a souvenir glass.

EMERSON VINEYARDS - Monmouth
www.emersonvineyards.com
Emerson Vineyards will be celebrating their one year anniversary at their tasting room/vineyard with new releases including first estate Pinot noir "Avelina." Also featured will be Pinot gris, Chardonnay, Syrah and Willamette Valley Pinot noir. The tasting fee for this event is $5.

EVESHAM WOOD - Salem
www.eveshamwood.com
Evesham will have tasting and sales of their spring releases: 2007 Blanc du Puits Sec, 2007 Chardonnay Willamette Valley, and more! Tour this certified organic vineyard and experience great wines, hors d'oeuvres and Provvista cheeses. The tasting fee is $7.

HONEYWOOD WINERY - Salem
www.honeywoodwinery.com
Oregon's oldest operating winery, Honeywood was established in 1934. This special weekend, Honeywood will be offering complimentary tasting. While you are there, be sure to check out the gourmet marketplace which sells Oregon food products and wine related gifts.

KRISTIN HILL WINERY - Amity
Kristin Hill Winery invites you to bring a picnic and sing along with Irish balladeers, Shamrocks in the Wind. The winery will feature sparkling wines, port-style wine, MŸeller-Thurgau among others. The $5 admission fee includes a logo glass, live music, snacks and fun.

LEFT COAST CELLARS - Rickreall
www.leftcoastcellars.com
Join Left Coast and help them celebrate the first anniversary of their opening! Enjoy new and current releases of estate Pinot noir, Pinot gris and Chardonnay. Visit Left Coast for the fine foods, great music and the beautiful 306 acres of vines, lakes, meadows and gardens. The $10 tasting fee includes a logo glass.

NAMASTƒE VINEYARDS - Dallas
www.namastevineyards.com
Spectacular views and award winning wines make NamastŽé Vineyards one of Oregon's most popular new wineries.The $5 tasting fee covers seven wines, including the 2006 Reserve CuvŽe Pinot noir and Reserve Chardonnay, plus several new releases.

REDHAWK WINERY - Salem
www.redhawkwine.com
Join RedHawk for the release of their 2006 Estate & Reserve Pinot noir and 2006 Pataccoli Family Vineyard Pinot noir. Enjoy live music, a lovely view and special pricing on wine. The $10 tasting fee includes amazing food, barrel tasting, a Redhawk wine glass and so much more! This is something you just can't miss!

ST. INNOCENT WINERY - Salem
www.stinnocentwine.com
St. Innocent celebrates its very first open house at their new Eola Hills Winery at Zenith Vineyard. The $10 entry fee includes tastes of new releases, plus a fabulous buffet of wine-friendly foods.

STANGELAND VINEYARDS - Salem
www.stangelandwinery.com
Stangeland celebrates 31 years of grape growing in the Eola-Amity Hills. You will be able to sample their newly-released 2007 Pinot gris and 2007 RoséŽ of Pinot noir. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres will include Willamette Valley cheeses. Tasting fees are $5 and $10 and case discounts will be available.

VIRIDIAN - OLSEN FAMILY VINEYARDS - Monmouth
www.viridianwines.com
Viridian asks you to please join them at their very first Memorial Weekend open house. Viridian wines include estate-grown Pinot noir, Pinot gris and the first release of their 2007 RosŽé of Pinot noir. Tasting will be free and "Oregon nibbles" will be provided. Don't forget to ask them about their case discounts.

WILLAMETTE VALLEY VINEYARDS - Turner
www.willamettevalleyvineyards.com
Do you love a challenge? Willamette Valley Vineyards will be conducting a blind taste test where you will match world class Pinot noir to its appellation of origin. The person who makes the most correct matches over the entire weekend wins the Grand Prize: a day with Willamette Valley Vineyards' winemaker! Don't miss the barrel tasting, grilled food, gourmet cheeses, music and much more. Visit the tasting room to sample new releases or to take a tour of one of the cellars. A $5 admission fee gets you in for all the fun!

WITNESS TREE VINEYARD - Salem
www.witnesstreevineyard.com
Memorial Day Weekend marks the release of Witness Tree Vineyard's 2006 "Hanson" & "Vintage Select" Pinot noirs. They will offer an amazing line-up of those and other Estate wines. Barrel-samples of 2007 "Vintage Select" Pinot noir and Chardonnay will be available. The $6 fee includes a complimentary glass, hors d'oeuvres and jazz by the John Nilsen Trio.