“Grape growing is not about romance.” So says Junction City-based Brigadoon Wine Company’s website, and it makes sense. Growing grapes and making wine may be a labor of love, but it’s still labor. The fruits of that labor, though, are to be enjoyed now, just in time for Memorial Day weekend as COVID restrictions start to lift. The southern Willamette Valley has more than two dozen vineyards and wineries from which you can sample a pinot noir, a pinot gris or a chardonnay with lovely views of the vineyards of Eugene. The South Willamette Valley Wine Trail is a complete list of area wineries. From the north, you can visit Benton-Lane Winery in Monroe, or you can travel south to Saginaw Vineyard. In Eugene, among others, there is Territorial Vineyards & Wine Company, Sarver Winery and Sweet Cheeks Winery. 

A detailed list of wineries that make up the South Willamette Valley Wine Trail can be found at EugeneCascadesCoast.org. There may still be some COVID-related restrictions at the wineries, particularly on the size of parties, so consult with each winery’s website for protocols.