John R.
Yelp
The Kincade Fire caused us to pivot from Russian River to Willamette Valley for our fall wine trip. Our hearts are breaking and we offer thoughts and prayers for our winery friends impacted (Soda Rock, Field Stone, etc.)
On the second day of our Willamette trip, we stumbled into Longplay (Newberg OR) on a Friday afternoon/evening. In fact, it was a First Friday. Wow, what a gem. Where to start, the wines or the vibe?
Got to start with the wines. We were using the Oregon Wine Passport which gets you a complimentary tasting for 2 at Longplay. The wines we sampled were amazing. We tasted the 14 Pinot Noir Lia's Vineyard, the 14 Pinot Noir Jorey Bench Reserve, the 14 Hi Tone Lia's Vineyard, and I think the 18 Sparkling Rosé of Pinot Noir, "Pixie," Lia's Vineyard . They were all amazing. We are not bubble people, but the Sparkling Rosé was very good.
Now quickly on to the vibe that evening. I think most of the people in the tasting room were club members and friends with some new customers/tasters. Todd put on some Tom Petty on the turntable and then came by with a splash of one of the tasting wines. I took a sip or two, looked at my wife and said I was hooked. I was ready to sell the house in NE and move out to Newberg so I could come and sample Todd's special creations in what was a very magical setting.
OK, wait...back to reality. I actually told Sue that I wanted to buy a bottle to have with dinner and join Longplay's Groove Club. Sue said that let's buy the bottle first and sleep on the club decision. Reluctantly I agreed. She is the smart one. Long story short, I managed to not so subtlety structure the rest of our tasting trips to somehow end up back at the Longplay tasting room for a splash or two and a purchase. On our final day we stopped and I told Todd that I was ready to commit to become a Groove Club member. I was secretly hoping that I would have an option to purchase a cool leather jacket.
Todd slightly deflated my Jacket hopes by indicating that joining the Groove Club was not a sign of exclusivity/privledge. It was really an opportunity to recognize loyal customers by offering new and special Longplay wines as significant discounts. OK, no Jacket, but I was still hooked. Before we left the Airbnb on Monday, I hit the Longplay website to join and "share the ride."
If you are in Newberg OR make sure to stop at Longplay, have taste, and enjoy some great music on vinyl.