West Coast Wine and Food: Flavor Along the Pacific

Make a toast to the Pacific Coast!

Wine is produced in so many states in the U.S. — New York, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia, Colorado, and more. But say U.S. wine, and California and Oregon come to mind. And deservedly so.

California, of course, is the leading wine producer in the country and a giant in the international world of wine. In the north Coastal and inland areas, you’ll find Mendocino, Napa, and Sonoma counties, all producing stellar vintages.

Amazing wines, world-renowned restaurants, luxurious spas, and resorts — all can be found in Northern California wine country.

Central Coast Cool

The Coastal area of Santa Barbara also features cool area wines such as pinot noir and chardonnay, while Paso Robles is an up-and-coming but increasingly acclaimed region set inland on the east side of the Coastal Range of mountains. Warm weather prevails, and vineyards and olive groves sit side by side. Before it was known for wine, Paso Robles was celebrated for its hot springs.

Further inland and north are the wineries of the Central Valley and the Sierra foothills. Lodi in the north Central Valley has become known for its Zinfandels. The foothill wineries also produce Zins and Cabernet Sauvignon, but also many Spanish and Italian varietals. Foothill wineries tend to be smaller, family-owned and operated, and the towns date to the Gold Rush — so expect a fun, often quirky atmosphere and events.

All of the wine regions feature restaurants serving locally grown ingredients and locally sourced meats and seafood — plus local wine, of course. It is not hard to find a good meal almost anywhere in California and it doesn’t have to be fine dining.

Oregon Is for Oenophiles

One state north, Oregon is known for its Pinot Noirs. The Willamette Valley is at the center of the Pinot Noir production, with more than 80% of Oregon’s Pinot Noir grapes grown there. But, because of its cool climate, white wine lovers can find luscious Chardonnays and crisp Pinot Gris wines. And, since the Willamette is home to more than 700 wineries, there should be a wine to suit every wine drinker’s taste buds.

McMinnville is a beautiful little town with great restaurants and an evening Farmers Market. Newberg is also in the heart of Pinot country and offers lots of wine tasting and dining options.

The Willamette Valley runs from Portland in the north to Eugene in the south along both sides of Interstate 5.

Further south, the Umpqua Valley and the Rogue Valley wine regions tend to have more varied climates due to a combination of mountainous, valley, and coastal areas. So, wine lovers can find wines from both cool- and warm-weather loving grapes and sample Pinot Noir, Merlot, Tempranillo, and Syrah. (We’ve even had delicious Barbera, Sangiovese, and Petite Sirah in Southern Oregon wineries.)

Washington Wines

And at the north end of the Pacific Coast wine states, sits Washington. While Washington may be the lesser-known Pacific Coast wine state, it actually is the second-largest producer of premium wine in the U.S. It boasts 21 unique growing regions that run from the eastern foothills of the Cascades into the high desert of Washington’s east. The area runs from Lake Chelan on the north and follows the Columbia River Valley south to the Oregon border, taking in Yakima Valley, Rattlesnake Hills, Red Mountain, the Columbia Gorge, Horse Heaven Hills, and the Walla Walla Valley, among others.

Cities in the area include Wenatchee, Yakima, Prosserlla, Walla, and the Tri-Cities of Richland, Pasco, and Kennewick, plus smaller cities such as West Richland and Benton. A visit to the Tri-Cities area, Prosser and Walla Walla, followed by a drive west along the Columbia River, will bring RVers to hundreds of wineries — producing Merlot, Syrah, and numerous highly-rated red blends.

In the far eastern corner of the Statella Walla, an old Western town, the charming downtown is full of good restaurants. It seems odd, sitting in an Old West town eating escargot and steak tartare but the food was delicious and spot on — as was the wine.

Prosser alone is home to dozens of wineries with welcoming tasting rooms and some with restaurants. The annual Spring Barrel Wine Tasting draws thousands of visitors the last weekend in April. It is crowded and noisy but fun – with numerous bands, food vendors, and lots of wine. It helps to be parked in an RV park and walk or use Lyft or Uber to get home from the festival. A hint: many of the wineries offer the same pricing and tasting the weekend before the festival, and you can talk to the vintners and barrel taste without the lines.

Some of the tasting rooms at the wineries in the Tri-Cities are set in the hills above Richland. Many have good restaurants with outdoor seating, giving diners panoramic views over the valley and beautiful sunsets.

For wine lovers not wanting to venture far from the I-5 Corridor on the west side of the Cascades, the town of Woodinville near Bothell boasts more than 110 tasting rooms clustered into four “districts.” Some of the tasting rooms are at wineries, but many are just that – tasting rooms for wineries located elsewhere in the state, such as from Walla Walla, the Columbia River Valley, Prosser, and the Tri-Cities.

These RV parks and others will welcome wine tourists and have information on hand to help their guests discover their area’s best dining as well as wineries:

California

Rancho Los Coches RV Park, Lakeside
Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort & Marina, Newport Beach
Fountain of Youth Spa RV Resort, Niland
Pala Casino RV Resort, Pala
Campland On the Bay, San Diego
Mission Bay RV Resort, San Diego
Village Camp Truckee-Tahoe, Truckee

Oregon

Mill Casino RV Park, Coos Bay

Washington

Northern Quest RV Resort, Airway Heights
Angel of the Winds RV Resort, Arlington
Lake Pleasant RV Park, Bothell
Grant County Fairgrounds & RV Park, Moses Lake
Horn Rapids RV Resort, Richland