Author Archives: Emily Grosvenor

What do women in Oregon bring to the table? It turns out, everything. In the past, it might have made sense to celebrate Women’s History Month in March by slapping together a list of women winemakers and calling it a day.  Right now, there can be no doubt that the influence of women in Oregon’sContinue reading “What women in wine are bringing to the table”

Small towns slay the sweaty summer doldrums. Don’t believe me? In Oregon wine country, it’s actually possible to fill all those late sunsets with every kind of party and none of the hassle. With a scene set for late-night strolls, nightlife that is just happening enough, and spaces meant to maximize the easy living ofContinue reading “7 Ways a Tiny Wine Country Town is Saving Summer”

Most horses can sense your relative ease or total incompetence and will carry you accordingly, but Gracie isn’t one of those horses. A chestnut-colored, flat-shod Tennessee walking horse who has been carrying visitors into the Dundee Hills AVA for over a decade, she’s got the breed’s trademark calm, its sure-footed legs and smooth stride. In otherContinue reading “The best travel guide in Oregon wine country has four legs”

When I think about Christmas in McMinnville it feels like opening an advent calendar, each little window a surprise tableaux of tiny festivities – a lit candle, a perfectly hung wreath, a shopkeeper reaching across a counter with a just-wrapped package, people snug in their winter coats, a simple child’s toy framed with a sprigContinue reading “McMinnville has much to sing about while shopping for holiday magic”

Here’s something we don’t talk about enough as inspiration for making a travel a part of our everyday life: Poetry. The right, perfectly timed poem can set me on my way like nothing else. I was reminded of this recently when I had one of those sweet Oregon winter moments when a flock of CanadaContinue reading “In the deep grey of Winter, poet Mary Oliver is all the travel inspiration you need”

Dear Newberg-Dundee Bypass, In vain I have struggled to hold back my feelings. It will not do. I can no longer mask my ardor, the unrequited passion I feel surging in the depths of my being whenever I glimpse the verdant, silver-lettered sign heralding an alternative route from the beginning of Newberg to just pastContinue reading “A Love Letter to the Newberg-Dundee Bypass”

The far end of Cellar Season – dank and dim, no sunshine in sight – and I’ve got my nose to the pavement in pursuit of a character with a shifting personality. But I need some help, so I put word out on the streets that I’m looking for someone of the Pinot persuasion, complexContinue reading “On the trail of an elusive Pinot noir to age with the Wine Country Detective”

Small town have a tendency to upend your expectations of travel. Instead of exalting vistas and towering monuments, there are tiny moments of deeper connection and everyday joy. The slower pace primes you to notice these snapshots, and the longer you stay in a small town, the more they start to accumulate. All of aContinue reading “10 Moments When You Understand Why You Came to McMinnville”

Here comes the sun, everybody, and with it, one of those seriously Oregonic behaviors that are rooted in the intelligence of pure science: Eating outside makes food taste better. McMinnville has a king’s share of outdoor dining options, from the corner two-top tucked into the front of a restaurant to a long table at aContinue reading “Outdoor Dining Makes Everything Taste Better”

Traveling while gluten-free: It’s not a crime, but it can certainly feel punitive if you’re in the wrong destination. But it doesn’t have to be this way, especially if the place is McMinnville, a town where farm and foodie culture mingle to great results. I’ve been living the gluten-free lifestyle for five years now andContinue reading “Gluten-free dining options abound in McMinnville”