Vineyard and Valley tour inspires tourists to drink in the scenery

Firmly rooted in agriculture and history, but with an eye toward the future, the Washington County Visitor's Association officially introduced the new Vineyards and Valley tour route Wednesday.

Bicyclists and motorists have long enjoyed the route that wends its way from Helvetia in the north to Forest Grove in the west to Sherwood in the south, modeled mostly after the county's old Scenic Loop, said Ruthie Reinert, president and chief executive officer for the visitor's association.

The new designation of the route was funded by the WCVA Strategic Investment Fund, designated for tourism development as prescribed in the county's Tourism 2015 Plan. It became an official part of the Oregon Department of Transportation Byways Program in 2009.

Commissioned in 2004, Vineyards and Valley aims to weave Washington County's viticultural, agricultural and natural environments with its scenery to create an engaging visitor experience, Reinert said.

The maiden bus tour Wednesday with Washington County officials was made far more interesting by the encyclopedic knowledge of Forest Grove Mayor Richard Kidd, who pointed out trees growing in a circle at Montinore Winery, a remnant of a horse-racing track that used to be there. The Montinore name itself is the answer to a trivia question, combining the name of the home state of the original vintner -- Montana -- with his new home of Oregon.

"You don't have to dig very deep," said WCVA spokeswoman Sylke Neal-Finnegan. "There's a lot to tell."

Reinert said one idea for the future is to have a podcast to accompany the tour route, interspersing historical facts with some local lore.

The route takes visitors through small, rural communities and to some of the best scenic viewpoints in the county and offers hospitality at historic country taverns and old-time general stores. It also showcases agricultural bounty, including 17 of the county's 21 wineries, farms seasonal fresh produce stands and u-picks.

"Throughout the seasons there are different things you can do along the route," Neal-Finnegan said.

The visitor's association is working with farmers to install signs identifying crops along the route.

Early Washington County settlers like John Porter and Gustav Teufel helped establish the nursery business in Oregon, Neal-Finnegan said. Plants from Washington County nurseries are shipped to gardeners all over the country as well as overseas.

Many new settlers arrived in the county during the 1860s, drawn by land grants programs and the rich soils of the Tualatin Valley. Distinctive Scottish, German, Russian, Swiss, Austrian, and Dutch communities grew, and their legacy remains in towns like Helvetia, Roy and Verboort.

Special geography, soils and climate make Washington County conducive to all sorts of agriculture -- wine grapes, nursery stock, greenhouse crops, grass seed, berries, tree fruits and nuts, grains, hay, and vegetables.

Offerings from fields and orchards along the route include apples, peaches, plums, hazelnuts, walnuts, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries.

The area had eight wineries before prohibition, and continues to attract winemakers and wine lovers today.

Along Springhill Road, views of the Tillamook State Forest tell a remarkable story of ruinous wildfires and reforestation. The Tillamook Burn fires destroyed more than 300,000 acres of forest in Tillamook and Washington counties. Several burn sites still are within view, now covered by a thriving managed forest.

Washington County is now mostly known for its Silicon Forest, but 100 years or so ago the region was a rugged place full of loggers and railroaders. The rails are mostly memories, but can be revisited on the Banks-Vernonia State Trail, noted for its large railroad trestle.

Michal Thompson / The ArgusOfficially designated Wednesday, the 50-mile Washington County Vineyard & Valley tour route between Sherwood and Helvetia takes visitors through small, rural communities and to some of the most majestic scenic viewpoints in the county. A collaborative effort of the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Washington County Visitor's Association, the route is now part of the Discover Oregon Scenic Byways program.