Welcome to our wine-centric podcast where we are celebrating Oregon Wine Month! Did you know that the first vines in Oregon were planted in the 1840s by settlers on the Oregon Trail wagons? However, due to prohibition, the wine industry was almost non-existent until the 1960s when a few small family wineries began to operate. Fast forward to today, and there are now 725 wineries and over 1,000 vineyards in Oregon growing 72 varieties of grapes across 19 approved winegrowing regions.The Willamette Valley is the largest wine growing region in Oregon, producing two-thirds of the state’s wine, thanks to its fertile soil created by multiple ice-age floods. It’s interesting to note that 70% of Oregon wineries produce fewer than 5,000 cases per year, and only 1% of the wine produced in the U.S. is from Oregon. Oregon is also on the 45th parallel, just like France and other notable wine regions around the world.Let’s talk about some of the fantastic wines and wineries in Oregon. Some of the top wines that we recommend trying are the Three Feathers Pinot Noir, Chehalem Reserve Pinot Noir, Inox Chardonnay from Chehalem, Beckham Estate Amphora Blanc, Argyle Champaign Blend, Phelps Creek Ice Wine made from Riesling, Muller-thurgau from Sokol Blosser, Teutonic House White, Pinot Meunière from Teutonic, and Winderlea Pinot Blanc. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the Gewurtztraminer (orange) from Beckham Estate.When it comes to wineries, we recommend trying Potcake Cellars in Dundee, Longplay in Newberg, Avidity in Sherwood, August Cellars in Sherwood, Tori Mor in Dundee, Stoller in Lafayette, Chehalem in Newberg, Beckham Estate in Wilsonville, and Rex Hill in Newberg. We also have a wish list of wineries we want to visit, including Adelsheim in Newberg, Ridgecrest in Newberg, Et Fille in Newberg, Domaine Serene in Dayton, J.K. Carriere in Sherwood, Eyrie Vineyards in McMinnville, High Pass Winery in Junction City, RainSong Vineyard in Junction City, Furioso in Dundee, Resonance in Carlton, Elk Cove in Gaston, Bergstrom Winery in Dundee, Soter Vineyards in Carlton, Domaine Drouhin in Dundee, and White Rose Estate in Dayton.Oregon has so much to offer in terms of wine, and we hope you get a chance to explore some of these top wines and wineries during Oregon Wine Month. Cheers!