Wining and Biking In Washington County, Oregon

Make Forest Grove your home base

Story and Photos by Hilary Meyerson

Photo at right: Rolling up the magnificent tree-lined driveway of Montinore Vineyards in Washington County.

Washington County, Oregon is a land of gentle, rolling hills of rich farmland that have made it an agricultural Nirvana. It’s been farmed for hundreds of years, and it isn’t surprising that winemakers began flocking there a few decades ago. It’s now the gateway to wine country in the Willamette Valley.

Those same rolling hills and farmland vistas also make it a perfect destination for cyclists. No need to choose whether to come for the wine or for the cycling—come for both. Enjoy the wines of the region while cycling some back roads and bike paths of Washington County.

Our trip began in Forest Grove, an easy half-hour drive from Portland. My biking partner and I used the McMenamin’s Grand Lodge as a home base. A former Masonic lodge, it features some odd artwork on the walls, ceilings and even pipes. It’s a good budget-friendly option for cyclists, if you don’t mind a walk to a shared bathroom down the hall. They also have a disc golf course and nightly movies.

It’s not the place for solitude and silence, however, but it’s definitely unforgettable. It makes a great headquarters to explore the town of Forest Grove, which is about as cute and Americana as can be. There are lots of bike racks to rack your ride before setting out.

Bike Trail Options

It’s worth getting your hands on a copy of the Washington County Bike Map put out by Visit Washington County. It’s got a variety of loops to choose from, and wineries and other points of interest are marked. We chose the Fern Hill Loop, which leaves directly from Forest Grove. A bike path is adjacent to State Route 47 and we pulled over at the Fern Hill wetlands, where there are numerous viewing platforms from which to view migratory birds and other wildlife. After enjoying the view, we continued down the road to our first stop.

Saké Stop

Checking out the unique murals at Sake One, the only American-owned large production kura in the world.

Sticklers might point out that saké isn’t wine, and the Saké One brewery isn’t a vineyard. However, it’s a unique stop. It’s the only American owned and operated large production saké brewery (or kura) in the world. Taste a flight of saké in the cool tasting room, or enjoy some out on their patio. Don’t miss the unique murals on the building depicting traditional saké production.

Montinore Estate Vineyard

Next we cycled on to Montinore Estate Vineyard. Riding up the driveway flanked by rows upon rows of grapevines and through an impressive gate, we felt like we were in a European vineyard. But if there is any doubt we were in Oregon, a misty rain began to fall and we ducked into an elegant tasting room, all polished wood, racks of wine bottles and too many varieties to name. However, it’s Oregon and pinot noir is the king of the hill. We put our bike helmets on the bar and tasted a flight while the hostess talked us through the finer points of pinot.

“The best fertilizer for the grapes is the winemaker’s boots on the ground,” she explained as she poured. This winemaker put in his hours; the wine was superb. We sipped and surveyed the vineyard from the picture window as we waited for the rain to pass.

A fun wine-themed water feature outside the Plum Hill Vineyards tasting room.

We continued on our loop, past bucolic farms and country back roads. The loop has a few gentle hills, but nothing too challenging. Plum Hill vineyards and the Patton Valley vineyard are also on the loop, allowing you to hit three wineries in a 20-mile loop. Plan for a long day if you’re going to visit them all, and leave time to admire the countryside between tastings.

After our ride, it was back to Forest Grove for dinner, where we enjoyed a classic Oregon farm-to-table experience at 1910 Main, a restaurant specializing in local ingredients and local wine. We enjoyed more Oregon pinot noir before heading back to the hotel for bed.

Banks-Vernonia State Trail

The next day we loaded our bikes on the car and headed to the tiny town of Banks, and to the trailhead for the Banks-Vernonia State Trail. It’s hard to get a spot in the lot—so come early! The trail itself is 21 miles, stretching between Banks and Vernonia. It’s a dedicated bike and pedestrian trail, the first of Oregon’s many “rails-to-trails” projects.

The Banks-Vernonia State Trail is the first of Oregon’s many “rails-to-trails” projects.

This is a little gem of a trail, and a neat little look into the railroad history of the northwest corner of Oregon. It was used for shipping lumber in the ’20s, but it’s much nicer to pedal along under your own steam now, undisturbed by cars.

The trail is highlighted by 12 bridges, including the Horseshoe and Buxton Trestles—two 600-foot long, 80-foot high railroad trestles. We saw many families along the way and were happy to note the many rest stops. The trail meanders through the long, skinny L.L. “Stub” Steward State Park which last June was Oregon’s first state park to open mountain bike access.

At the end of our ride, we loaded the bikes back on the car and within the hour we were perched on a stool in downtown Portland, enjoying a late lunch and another liquid example of Oregon’s agricultural bounty—a local beer.