A tour through Oregon wine country

Making the rounds of tasting rooms, visitors will find themselves in Dundee and Dayton. Pictured, Jessica Pierce of Domaine Serene winery in Dayton greets visitors Micah Geisel and Amanda Staudt of Portland to the tasting room.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Domaine Serene vineyards in Dayton was founded by Ken and Grace Evenstad, who arrived in Oregon in 1989 and invested millions in making and promoting their estate-grown Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Pinot Noir grapes arrived in Willamette Valley more than 40 years ago and have flourished ever since. What was once a haven for hazelnut growers and turkey farmers is now known as the “Pinot Ghetto.”  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Among the various lodging options near the wineries is McMenamins Hotel Oregon in McMinnville, where the biggest attraction is probably the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, which houses the 1940s Spruce Goose.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Located in old downtown, the Hotel Oregon is owned by the McMenamins brothers, founders of a brew-pub empire in Oregon and Washington. They playfully rehabbed the 1905 hotel into a hangout with bar and restaurant below, 42 rooms above and a bar and patio on the roof. Rates start at $50.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

The Abbey Road Farm B&B in Carlton raised a few eyebrows when the owner converted three grain silos into five luxury guest suites. Other lodgings, including an upscale resort, will soon be popping up in the region.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Eyrie Vineyard’s Brooke Arthur talks to visitors from behind the counter in the tasting room in McMinnville. Eyrie is one of the early pioneers of winemaking in the region; founder David Lett planted the first Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris grapes here.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Equestrian Wine tour guide Jake Price, far left, leads a group through a vineyard near Domaine Serene. The tour travels through several vineyards and makes occasional stops at tasting rooms.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)