If the drive away from the noise and traffic that is city life to the scenic wine estates isn’t tempting enough, think of the relaxing glass of merlot or white wine outdoors with family and friends at the end of the road. This Memorial Day weekend, the wineries are up and running at full speed. Most of the vineyards have been open throughout the spring, but Abbelone Vineyard on Christensen Road (AbbeloneWine.com) and Rain Song Vineyard in Cheshire (RainSongVineyard.com) will officially open for the summer season on the holiday weekend and complete the roster of more than a dozen wineries in Lane County that are operating. Other longtime wineries that offer a variety of wines and beautiful scenery include LaVelle Vineyards in Junction City (LavelleVineyards.com), Noble Estate Vineyard on Gimpl Hill Road (NobleEstateWinery.com) and Pfeiffer Winery in Junction City (PfeifferWinery.com) as well as Hayworth Estate Wines on Powerline Road (HayworthEstatesWines.com) and Saginaw Vineyard (SaginawVineyard.com). More information about the locations of Lane County’s wineries is at EugeneCascadesCoast.org. Be sure to check the websites for each winery for the hours of operation.

The weather could be a mixed bag on Saturday and Sunday, but Monday’s forecast is for sunshine, so enjoy the drive to and the ambiance of any of Lane County’s vineyards on the three-day Memorial Day weekend. And be safe.