Last March, the Portland Monthly magazine published a terrific piece entitled, "The Insider's Guide to Oregon Wine Country" For anyone contemplating or planning a visit to the Willamette Valley during this year's harvest, I encourage you to check out this guide. The stunning photo essay by Janis Miglavs, a former National Geographic photographer, should motivate any reader to jump in the car and visit Oregon wine country now.

Before you go, be sure to review the guide's recommended wineries to visit, which are broken out into three sections covering the northern, central, and southern parts of the Willamette Valley. You will also find useful information on places to stay and eat throughout the valley as well as suggestions for visiting wineries in southern Oregon. And if the Portland Monthly guide is not enough, here are the Oregon wineries I have visited in the last year that went beyond the bottle to connect me to the people and places behind their wines:

Anne Amie Vineyards
Domaine Drouhin
Lemelson Vineyards
Penner-Ash Wine Cellars
Scott Paul Wines
Soléna Cellars

I can't wait to get back out on the road to experience some of the wineries featured in Portland Monthly and others recommended by fellow wine bloggers. As evidenced by all of the recent wine travel articles, the Fall harvest is one the best times to experience wine country in Oregon.