Ron R.
Yelp
We pulled up to the vineyard and I imagined it all! Blooming vines, a sunny reflection from the pond, and a few green rolling hillsides. Only it wasn't like that at all lol! It was cloudy, fairly wet, out of season and barenaked vines without leaves. It was a typical cold, cloudy, and rainy April day in Oregon. But when we parked and walked up to the tasting room, all the gloomy weather went away. Time to get my swirl on!
So we were warmly greeted by Shelby who checked us in, and let us sit out on the patio with the sun creeping from the clouds. Shelby explained to us a little about the property, as well as facilities, the varieties of their wines, and its sister vineyards in the surrounding area. And what a grand view of the vineyard from the patio. Really calming and picturesque to say the least. It almost felt like I was in Napa all over again. Its just a beautiful property!
Then came the wine! We didn't know what to try, so we tried both their Estate Tasting flight and their Reserve Tasting flight; I forget their menu names sorry, but its self explanatory. Our charcuterie board came out and presented to us by Kohl. He also did an awesome job in explaining the cheeses, meats, and what makes a good pairing with our tastings. And boy did we enjoy their wines! The flights were served in the right order as my palate went from 'mmm, to hmm good, to oh wow, to oh man that's smooth, to ugh just perfect'. Their wines speak for themselves!
Elk Cove is a vineyard worth visiting. Their wines were so good that we ended up signing up for a membership. From driving up to leaving the grounds, the views from all around are also pretty stunning. I can only imagine the summertime blooms and harvest. Some day when they reopen doing facility tours, we plan to give it a try. The staff seemed to all be receptive and welcoming. But "thank you" to Shelby and Kohl for making our experience here a pleasant and relaxing one. Folks, if you haven't been here, add it to your "Oregon must try vineyard" list. We shall be back!