I loved the view from the vine covered outdoor patio. You look out over the stunning Columbia Gorge. Of course the wine is wonderful too.
My wife and I found this winery by accident driving back to Portland on the Washington side of the river. It was a pleasant surprise and located with great sweeping views of the Columbia River.They have a large patio that is perfect for relaxing and enjoying your wine. Now I am not a wine expert but I thought the selections we had in the tasting room were only average. Their prices however are not.We were disappointed in the fact they not only charge a fee for tasting, but they want the fee upfront. Their wine pours are exceeding small as well. I know from researching wineries in the Columbia River area there are many that do NOT charge a tasting fee. However if you want a pleasant place to stop while traveling up or down the Columbia River this is a nice break, or if you simply want to try one of the wineries along the Columbia River the views can not be matched. Of course you can drink some wine while enjoying the views.
The amphitheatre is a great spot for a summer concert. It has good sound plus a good view of the surrounding hills and the river. It can get a bit breezy up there so be prepared. The staff is generally friendly. You can buy a bottle of wine to enjoy during the show. Food is available but I cannot comment on that as we brought our own picnic. The couple of times we've been there the parking has been an issue. We have an ADA placard and although they think they are being accomodating it's really not convenient or easy for folks with disabilities at all. The designated ADA parking is far from the venue. You have to board a bus and be shuttled over. The prime parking, including the ADA spaces is reserved for the VIP ticket holders. That doesn't feel right. I complained to the event coordinator and was told it's not an unfair advantage as anyone can buy those tickets.
We stopped in on a friends recommendation and found a great winery! Was surprised to learn of their concert series too. We sampled lots of good wine and left with a case in the trunk !!
The Maryhill Winery Amphitheater where they have summer concerts is an incredible venue. The amphitheater overlooks the Columbia River Gorge and it is quite a sight at sunset. The acoustical system is excellent - we sat in the grassy area and could still feel the thump of the bass. It is about a 2 hour drive from Portland, but is very scenic if you take Hwy 14 on the Washington side. We will definitely go to another Maryhill concert.
We recently had the opportunity to go to an Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) concert at Maryhill Winery. We arrived about 90 minutes early and were directed to a handicapped parking spot. Signs pointed to a Shuttle for those of us parked here. It was great. We were taken right to the venue and picked up and taken back after the concert. It made it very enjoyable. We did not have to wait at all to purchase a glass/bottle of wine and their staff was very knowledgeable and friendly. We chose a sweeter wine to go with the bread and cheese we brought. We had General Admission tickets but It was a short walk to finding a great spot to lay out our blanket. I wish we had arrived even earlier so we could have joined in on the wine tasting. It's very scenic countryside and the acoustics were very good. All in all, we had a wonderful time there. :-)
It takes a bit longer than you want to get here from Hood River, but it was worth the trip. good alternative when Mt. Hood is in the clouds. We brought a cooler filled with cheese, bread and fruit (from our Hood River fruit loop drive in the am), bought bottle of wine and spent a few hours on the terrace. Too bad it was during the week. On the weekends, they have live music! That would have been wonderful. The shop also has tempting gift things beyond wine too (t-shirts. kitchen items).They were sorting grapes near the entrance...too bad we couldn't get a closer look.
I had never signed up to have wine sent to me t any of the other wineries I visited, but I just loved this one so much... Loved the staff, their wines, the attention they gave us, their cheese and cracker tasting...If you are in the area, do yourself a favor and go try their wines. You will be surprised!I had no idea they even existed before that day... Now it has become my wine of choice...
Hello. Thank you so much for taking the time to post such a great review. We appreciate it so very much. You are not alone in your fondness for the Reserve Zinfandel. It is continually our most talked about, coveted and top selling red wine year after year. We would LOVE to be able to do the tastings outside but will have to settle for enjoying the beautiful vistas from our large windows during your tasting and welcome you to sit and enjoy the views with a bottle of wine and a picnic on our terrace. Thanks again. Hope you can come back and visit us soon!
Great concert venue. Very laid back. Not a bad seat. Decent food, good wine and comfortable. Wonderful place to see Ian Anderson aka Jethro Tull...or anyone else.