Pheasant Valley in Hood River, Oregon: a great B&B and organic vines. ©Laurel Kallenbach
I love beautiful, rural settings and local, farm-to-table foods, which is why I’m a fan of the agritourism trend: visiting and staying at farms. I like that it puts me in contact with local agriculture, and I like that farmers benefit from the additional income that small-scale tourism brings.
Recently, my husband and I spend two nights at an organic vineyard in Hood River, Oregon: at the Pheasant Valley Winery B&B. This small, Columbia Gorge vineyard is run by Scott and Gail Hagee, who live right there amid the grapevines.
The Hagee house is lovely, and they have three guest rooms—the Tempranillo Room, the Zinfandel Room, and the Pinot Noir Suite.
We stayed one night in the small, but comfy Zinfandel Room, and spent our second night in Pinot Noir, which is definitely worth the extra expense. The spacious suite has a private balcony with sweeping views of the countryside and the always-mesmerizing, snow-covered Mt. Hood. It also has floor-to-ceiling windows with the same view, vaulted ceilings, a sofa/sitting room, and a huge, luxurious bath with a walk-in shower and a Jacuzzi tub.
Hood River's peaceful and sustainable wine country ©Laurel Kallenbach
Whether or not you opt for the big digs, the house has plenty of shared space: an open, gorgeous living room, a front porch with that sweeping view of the volcanic mountain, and a shady back patio with tables. And a real bonus is Gail’s breakfasts. We dined on French toast one morning and a Mexican-style omelet the next.
Tasting the Grape
Another bonus: When you stay at the B&B, you get a free wine tasting—your choice of any six of Pheasant Valley’s vintages. We walked through rows of grapevines to the tasting room and sat outdoors on the patio overlooking Mt. Hood and the pine forest on a warm summer afternoon.
Whether you stay at the B&B or not, Pheasant Valley Winery's tasting room is worth a visit. ©Laurel Kallenbach
If the weather isn’t great, the indoor tasting room is quite atmospheric with its European décor, huge stone fireplace, and wine-barrel tables. (If you prefer to eat while you sip, Pheasant Valley Winery sells antipasto platters and ploughman’s lunches too.)
I enjoyed the refreshing, citrusy 2012 Estate Organic Pinot Gris; the 2011 Organic Pear Wine (great for dessert or with a light lunch); the berryish, oaky 2009 Tempranillo; and the smooth 2009 Syrah.
Between the wonderful wine and the beautiful surroundings, Ken and I loved Pheasant Valley. Flavor and relaxation…organically.
—Laurel Kallenbach, freelance writer and editor
Organic grapes at Pheasant Valley. ©Laurel Kallenbach
See my other blog posts about agritourism on “Laurel’s Compass”:
- Oregon’s Sustainable Wine Country: Day 1
- Oregon’s Sustainable Wine Country: Day 2
- Greener Grapes: Sustainable Oregon Wineries
- Living Local at the Fresh & Wyld Farmhouse Inn, Paonia, Colorado
- Scottish & Sustainable: A Farmhouse B&B, Callanish
- Sleep in the Straw in Switzerland
- B&B on an Organic Kentucky Farm
