Memorial Day Weekend -- Árdíri's Grand Opening!

For Memorial Day weekend, my husband Matt and I drove up from Southern Oregon to Árdíri--a winery and vineyard located in the Willamette Valley outside Portland, Oregon. Art collectors John Compagno and Gail Lizak invited us to participate in the Grand Opening of their newly remodeled Winery.
To Matt's delight, he was immediately put in charge of hoisting a huge red balloon into the air. You could see this giant beacon from miles away. It's not often something can make my huge 6' 6" husband look small!
The 15 acres of vineyards are planted primarily in Pinot noir. The narrow spacing vineyard is one of the most densely-planted in Oregon; this spacing allows for rich and complex characteristics that come through in the wines.

The setting couldn't have been more picturesque! The view of Mt. Hood was positively breathtaking! I couldn't wait to break out my paints and start painting!