McMinnville, Oregon may be just a stop along your way to the Coast or that town you never quite make it to because you’ve stopped at too many wineries on your way down from Portland.  But to us, McMinnville is a destination we have made our home.  This quirky little town has a lot to offer, providing enough to make it a destination for your next outing.  Here are five things to do in McMinnville, besides visiting Panther Creek Cellars.

1. Visit the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum. In addition to the spectaculr Spruce Goose and many other flying apparatuses, they also have a great IMAX theater.  And soon its going to get a whole lot better once their new water park is finished where you’ll be able to slide into the water down a Boeing 747.

2. Shop along our lovely Downtown 3rd Street. This little street has come a long way since the time when the old JCPenny used to be the only option for women’s wear and gifts.  Now you can find fun, original stores such as Cupcake Couture, Mes Amies, Bella Casa, Red Berry and more.

3. Dine at one of our locally and worldly inspired restaurants. Nick’s Italian Cafe, Thistle, Bistro Maison, La Rambla, Kame, and Golden Valley Brew Pub are all great choices for top notch cuisine and ambiance.  And if you’re looking for something a little bit more low key, you can alway go down to Alf’s where you can have a burger and homemade ice cream all while hanging out with our town’s favorite monkey, Elvis, who is named so for his long sideburns.  A great breakfast can also ensure you have the stamina to make the day last.  Visit Wildwood Cafe or Crescent Cafe.

4. Take a break from Pinot and drink some beer. Besides raising their own beef for their restaurant, Golden Valley Brew Pub makes a great array of delicious beers.  Heater Allen is a small artisan brewing company that specializes in producing distinctive all-malt lager and other German and Czech style beers.  They are usually around the brewery Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays most weeks and can meet with you per your request.  And when the sun starts sinking West, head to McMenamins and climb up to their Rooftop Bar where you can catch a great view and enjoy their famous ales.

5. Sip some of our wonderful neighbors wines. Lastly on our list, but most importantly, we are honored to be making wine alongside some great winemakers. Places like Eyrie, R. Stuart and Co., Dominio IV/Lumos, Walnut City Wineworks, Twelve, The Willamette Valley Vineyards Wine Center, and many other great producers can all be enjoyed right here in town while others such as Maysara, Coleman Vineyards, Youngberg Hill, and more make great getaways into the countryside.  For a full list of wineries in the McMinnville vicinity visit the McMinnville Downtown Association’s webpage.  

McMinnville is a great destination and if you decide you’d like to stay the night, there is always room at local B&Bs as well as the quirky Hotel Oregon.  So if you’ve never been to McMinnville, or you’ve never given yourself the time to enjoy it, we invite you to come start here, and stay here.  Just don’t stay too long, we like keeping McMinnville quaint.

Last week we bottled several of our delicious pinot noirs, which will soon be ready for your enjoyment. Here’s a quick video of how what the mechanics of the process looks like during the bottling of our 2008 Verde Vineyards Pinot Noir: