Weekends in Dundee

Join us as we explore Willamette Valley Wine Country one weekend at a time!

#WineWednesday ~ Winter’s Hill Estate

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All across the Oregon Wine Industry, critics have been raving about the exceptional 2014 harvest and how it was quite possibly the Vintage of a Lifetime! Pretty impressive accolades considering harvest occurred in mid-September and the Pinot Noir won’t be available for purchase until Spring 2016…the wait is going to be the hardest part!

Before I dive into our experience at Winter’s Hill Estate, I must disclose that I’m very much still in the “learning phase” when it comes to identifying great wine. However, my education around wine received a big step in the right direction after a 2014 Barrel Tasting at Winter’s Hill Estate. 

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Winter Colors ~ Black Cap Raspberry Vines

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This time of year the ground is wet and the weather is cold. Most of the trees are bare and everything just seems to be in a muted shade of brown or green…hibernating through the winter preparing for the summer months ahead.

Although, if you find yourself driving through the country this time of year, you might just spot a beautiful field of purple. And if you squint your eyes and forget how cold your fingers are while taking a picture along the side of the road, you might even convince yourself that you’ve found a lavender field!

The rows upon rows of lovely purple vines are in fact black cap raspberries! Beautiful don’t you think?

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Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies for Santa

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Everyone knows to put out milk and cookies for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, but if you want to leave him something extra special…I’ve got just the recipe for you!

You may remember that back in November I was invited to do an olive oil tasting out at the Oregon Olive Mill. As part of that event, we explored olive oil through food pairings. One of the pairings that I was most impressed with were the Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies sprinkled with Jacobsen Sea Salt. They were absolutely divine, sure to impressed dear ole’ Santa Claus!

Below you’ll find the recipe and pictures of the process, enjoy!

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Is that Santa riding a Brush Rig?

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Have I mentioned that I love living in a small town? Ha! I may have mentioned it a time or two…or three…

Last Monday evening we celebrated the season with the Annual Dundee Fire Department Holiday Parade. It was the perfect opportunity to make some hot cocoa, bundle up nice and warm, stand on the sidewalk, and take in the sights! Around 6:30pm,  I could just hear the faint sound of sirens so I quickly ventured up to SW Dogwood Drive to take in the parade.

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Olio Nuovo at the Oregon Olive Mill

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Have you every wondered how olive oil is made? And did you know that we have our very own olive mill right in the heart of Oregon Wine Country!?

I was lucky enough to spend last Tuesday morning exploring the Oregon Olive Mill. I felt like I was on a live version of the Food Network show Unwrapped, but instead of learning about how candy is made, I was watching beautiful olives turned into the most aromatic golden oil.

The Oregon Olive Mill is part of the Red Ridge Farm property and is tucked back on a hillside overlooking the lavender mounds and olive orchards.

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Fall Colors in Dundee

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As I sit here and write this blog post, the sound of rain can be heard rushing through the gutters of our house. We’re experiencing our first major rain storm of the season and while it makes me miss summer, it also means I get to curl up by the fireplace and sip on spiced cider.

Some people wait all year for spiced pumpkin lattes, but I am a cider girl through and through!

I was out on a walk this past weekend and couldn’t help but take pictures of the fall leaves. Such beautiful colors this time of year.

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Celebrating Dundee Fire Station No. 3

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Saturday was an exciting day in Dundee, as community members came together to celebrate the opening of Dundee Fire Station No. 3! The weather was overcast and a bit drizzly at times, but that wasn’t enough to prevent a crowd from gathering. By the time I arrived, the new 54-stall parking lot was completely full!

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The Best Biscuits and Gravy in Town!

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I know I’ve said this before, but I really do look forward to Sunday mornings all week long. Something about the slow pace of a Sunday morning rejuvenates my mind and body. The Renaissance Man and I typically drink tea, eat breakfast and then go for a stroll in the park.

However, last Sunday when we woke up, neither one of us felt like making breakfast so instead we set out on our walk with our destination being breakfast at Red Hills Market.

Such a beautiful morning walk. The hot air balloons were floating by…

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Cluck! Cluck! Watching the Chickens

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Living in a small town certainly has its benefits. Unlike living in the City where neighbors seem to pass each other like ships in the night, in a small town you get to know your neighbors. We actually know almost every single one of our neighbors, which in my opinion, is pretty darn impressive!

So when we learned that one of our neighbors was heading out of town and needed someone to watch their chickens, we were more than happy to help out.

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Wine Tasting with Julie, Sharing the Dundee Hills

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As I mentioned in my last post, my good friend and college teammate Julie was in town last weekend vising from Atlanta. Julie is a huge fan of Oregon Pinot Noir (she finds her Oregon Pinot Noir at Total Wine in Atlanta), and on Sunday we decided to do a quintessential day in wine country. We kicked off Sunday with the highly recommend brunch from the Babica Hen Café. Our neighbors have been raving about their brunch, and ever since we had dinner at Babica Hen over Memorial Day weekend, I’ve been looking for a reason to go back!

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