Girl’s Getaway to Wine Country (Amity, OR)

Travel

May 26

Written By Lisa Linh

Located an hour outside of Portland is Amity, also known as wine country. It is home to 30 wineries and on a Saturday afternoon, it is the perfect place to unwind with your girlfriends.

We took a flight out to Portland early Friday morning from LAX, via Alaska Airlines, and enjoyed the lounge since we were flying first class. There were plenty of delicious and fresh options, and a pancake machine. Full bar, of course, and plenty of seating options.

Let me just go ahead and put a disclaimer that this trip was in partnership with Alaska Airlines, and they were so kind to send us first class (both ways). However, I believe you can actually purchase a day pass to access the lounge on the day of your flight.

Our flight to PDX was easy and less than 3 hours (around 2.5hrs roughly), and included meals. The extra legroom and comfy seats made it so easy to fall asleep, and by the time I woke up, we were about 30 minutes from landing and being given our last round of refreshments of our choice. Once we landed in Portland, it was a brief walk to the rental car area where we got ourselves an SUV for the weekend. Before heading to Amity, we decided to grab lunch and do some exploring around Portland first.

Places to Eat in PDX:

The chicken and rice at Nong’s is a must and there are 2 locations in PDX, so make sure to stop by there.
For those who love sneakers and coffee, Deadstock Coffee is your go-to. Right across the street is a vintage sports shop called Laundry, which is also worth visiting.
For Thai food, Kati Portland is a great option. Although, it is outdoor seating only at the moment.
Ding Tea exists in Portland (2 locations) so if you’re craving boba, go there!
For a sweet treat, 1927 S’mores company looked really good. Unfortunately, we had such a hard time finding parking Downtown that we decided to skip it.
Lastly, for sushi with a show, Bluefin Tuna has quality fish and the presentation is IG-worthy.

After a day in Portland, we drove to Amity before the sunset (fun fact: the sunset is around 9 PM out there). We got there right in time for dinner, to which we were treated to a private chef (Chef Andrew) who cooked one of the most delicious meals - all paired with Lingua Franca. Our charming home for the weekend was the Stiling Vineyard Farmhouse, which featured 3 bedrooms and 3 baths, and a beautiful vineyard view as your backyard. It’s so nice and quiet out there, and watching the sunrise each morning was peaceful.

Amity Must-Visit Wineries

The next day was filled with 3 wine tasting experiences, starting off with a lunch tasting at Brooks, which was just a 3-minute drive up the road from our rental. We were immediately greeted by their cute corgi, Potato, before being seated inside. The view there is incredible and if it wasn’t slightly chilly, we would’ve taken advantage of their large patio that overlooks the vineyard. The staff at Brooks were knowledgeable and passionate about what they do. We were told the story of Pascal, who is the sole owner of Brooks, and had inherited the vineyard at the age of 8. During our tasting, I had some of the 2018 Cahiers Riseling and fell in love, so of course, I bought myself a bottle to take home. Oh, and before I forget to mention, their scallops were so delicious and I appreciate that they had a meat-only charcuterie option since I’m lactose intolerant and can’t have cheese.

Our next stop was Bethel’s Heights, located in Salem. Family-owned and operated, and is big on sustainability with 40 years of history. Kate took great care of us during our visit, and we got to enjoy our tasting overlooking their beautiful vineyard. Of course, their Pinot Noir is quite popular and a must-try. They offer two types of flights, in which we chose the mixed to explore both the red and whites.

Last, but not least, was a tasting at Bjornson Vineyard. Another family-owned business focused on sustainability and has a big passion for Pinot Noir. I honestly wished we started with this tasting first because Jerry, who guided us around the property, really took the time to teach us how to properly taste wine. As he explained it, “I wish someone had explained this to me when I first started so I want to make sure I explain it so you understand it well.” His attention to detail and enthusiasm was so refreshing, and we truly appreciated his passion for his job. If you’re Jerry’s boss reading this, give this man a raise, please!! He was a delight to be around and we had the best time (thanks to him). Also, their snack pairings for the wine were perfect.

You can imagine that after 3 wine tastings, we probably ended up with a decent amount of wine bottles we wanted to take back home. In fact, we had a case of wine we wanted to fly back to Los Angeles! Typically, I would’ve been stressed about figuring out how to pack all 12 bottles into my check-in luggage but since I was flying Alaska, my wine is FREE to check in!

Wine Flies Free on Alaska Airlines

If you’re flying from any of the 32 West Coast cities on Alaska Airlines, your wine can fly free. What does this mean exactly? It means that you can enjoy your wine in Amity and take a case back home, checked-in, for free — no baggage fees at all! Such a deal right?

How does the Wine Flies Free offer work?

Book a flight to one of the 32 West Coast cities participating in the Wine Flies Free offer. Add your Mileage Plan number to your reservation to make sure your first case of wine won’t count towards your checked baggage allowance. Sip and shop at your favorite winery destinations. Make sure your purchases are properly packed for the trip home — in a case or box, with packing material such as styrofoam, cardboard liners, or bubble wrap.

Check your properly packed case of wine with an Alaska Airlines customer service agent at our ticketing counter. A helpful hint: We consider one case of wine to be a single box or case containing up to 12 bottles and weighing 50 lbs or less.

Bringing wine luggage with you? Please note if you're flying from a non-participating city to one of our Wine Flies Free destinations, all luggage incurs standard checked bag fees. Only flights departing from the destinations listed above are eligible for Wine Flies Free.

With no worries and a stress-free check-in, we breezed through Portland’s airport and headed straight to the Alaska lounge for some relaxation before our flight back home. I loved that the PDX lounge was conveniently located near our flight, literally right across, and the seating options there were super comfy. Not to mention that the food options were great and of course, they had coffee, which is a must for me. There is also a full bar for anyone else who wants a drink pre-flight. Also, plenty of outlet options and the concierge services are useful. We actually utilized the concierge at the Alaska lounge in LAX, to get our flight changed from PDX. I totally forgot the guy’s name but he was so helpful and got it done for us quickly! (P.S. I’ve overheard that they’re expanding the Seattle and Portland lounges in Summer 2022 too!)