OK, I guess I have to acknowledge it. I am more sun sensitive than I like to admit. I have always believed that I could will my Vitamin D levels up…..of course I was living in sunny NorCal at the time.

But now I live in Willamette Valley, Oregon and it is very gray here…OK, so that is not news. We just broke some crazy record for number of days of rain, wettest March, all those kinds of things. But now that we have a bright sunny day (OK, diffused, but there are serious shadows), I am out of here.

Good thing that my lair has such engaging winter materials to absorb, enjoy. I’m still working through the goodies from Xmas (no, not the candies, those were gone ages ago); tons of new music, books, electronic keyboard……

Damned if by the time I hit the road there was nary a shadow in sight, but after a few minutes of doing my spoiled child routine I jumped in the car and headed out rain or no rain…ok, rain.

The destination was Left Coast Cellars in Rickreall. I am familiar with their wines and certainly their incredible estate (although I had only heard about it and seen photos) but just learned that they had a “truffle orchard” on the property planted in the early aughts. (Thanks Kimberley!).

I headed south on the Lafayette Highway through Amity:

Yeah, had to stop for one of those pies on the way home!

There is a small café at the Left Coast Cellars tasting room and I planned to end up there for lunch. In the same neighborhood are Cherry Hill Winery and Van Duzer. I did a drive by on both and then back to LCC for tasting, lunch, and conversation.

I had a chance to say hello to friend Mark Pape who started at LCC last August. Prior to that he was working at Witness Tree. AND had a great chat with Luke McCollom, winemaker and viticulturist. He clearly loves growing things. He currently has a black lab puppy in training to be a truffle dog.

As they had a white wine production meeting on the afternoon agenda I took my leave with an agreement to come back for an in depth discussion on growing truffles (both European and domestic) in Oregon.

No trip to rural Oregon is not without its moments.

Something For Everybody!


Winter in the Nursery


Beekeeping


Hand Carved