If searching out incredible food and wine tops your list of criteria when selecting a vacation spot, then Southern Oregon should definitely be on your short list. The area is bursting with organic farms, award-winning wineries, artisan food producers and some mind-blowing farm-fresh restaurants. There is also a plethora of historic inns and romantic B & B’s, making Southern Oregon the perfect choice when putting together your own luxurious (or could be budget oriented-your call) Food & Wine tour. Another selling point, (if you tend to be directionally challenged- like me) is that after you land at the Medford airport nothing is further than a 3 hour drive through gorgeous countryside that provides unlimited calorie-free jaw-dropping views. Stop to ask for directions and chances are you’ll be talking to an impassioned winemaker who will happily pour you a taste or six, or a local cheesemaker or chocolatier eager to explain their methods, or a farmer dropping off a box of produce-still warm from the fields- at a local restaurant. Everyone seems to be working hard at something they love, or as one of the locals told me, “We love dreamers here.”
There really is no wrong turn to make here since any turn results in discovering another boutique winery, hidden farm or orchard, a historic small town perfect for exploring, a beach to comb or clam or crab or even fish for your supper. If you choose to take a more organized approach, the Southern Oregon tour planner is filled with information and has a calendar chock full of culinary festivals and events .
After a week of meandering through hills and valleys, I only scratched the surface so be sure and allow plenty of time for off-the-beaten track explorations.
Read on for my list of faves…
Hey Janice,
I go to Seattle frequently for business ( I am an eastcoast guy) and often bring my family
on one trip per year., We’ve gone North to Vancouver and made one trip to Portland.
Southern Oregon sounds pretty great…my question:
How many days would you think we need to get a flavor of the place?
and….Seattle weather can be pretty dreary… is southern oregon
weather about the same?
thanks,
Richard
Hi Richard,
The weather is def. seasonal so best check first..but I don’t think it’s as rainy as Seattle. I’d suggest at least 5 days for touring So. Oregon and for sure you’ll want to spend a day at Crater Lake-which is a must-see. There’s tons of great food and wine happenings coming up that you might want to base a trip around so you’ll want to check out the calendar of events on the Southern Oregon websites