Over the weekend of April 19 and 20, the 9th Annual Spring Beer and Wine Festival was held at the new Oregon Convention Center. Some 49 breweries and 15 wineries were present, giving the public a taste of the latest and greatest Oregon beers and wines. In addition, numerous Northwest vendors also attended, showing off different foods, sporting goods, cars and trucks, real estate and rental homes, and just about anything else you could imagine.  
 
The layout for the event, which was held in the newly-constructed wing of the convention center, was both inspiring and confusing. Attendees wandering the long hallways were treated to enormous sculptures of Gingko berries, which lined the hallways, as well as flowering Gingko branches, which hung high above from the ceilings. Next to the event's entrance were Cashier windows, where attendees could purchase tokens (to be used only for beer tasting) as well as commemorative beer and wine glasses.  
 
Four double-doors led the way to the floor of the main event. Entering it, we found ourselves in a large room, with live musicians performing to the right, and dozens of booths to the left. We soon were surrounded by thousands of thirsty beer drinkers, all cheerily sampling the goods from brewery stands - but we couldn't locate any wineries.  
 
Then, after winding our way towards the back of the room, we spotted some familiar names of some Oregon wineries - but still, it seemed others were hiding in the mix. As it turned out, a second large room was located behind the first, where the remaining wineries could be located. In addition, this second room contained the majority of non-food vendors (real estate, cars, sporting goods, etc).  
 
 
 
After greeting some of the wineries in the first room, we made our way to the second room, where we met up with John Platt of Helvetia Winery. He offered us vertical tastings of several wines, including Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. As good as Helvetia's 2001 and earlier wines were, the 2002 releases were even better, and in our minds are sure to be a big hit. In particular, we look forward to Helvetia's 2002 Pinot Noir and 2002 Chardonnay. Both are much fruitier and brighter, and all-around better-balanced, than in previous years.  
 
We also stopped in and said hello to Mike Wetherell, of Wetherell Vineyards. Located in Umpqua, Oregon, Wetherell Vineyards primarily grows grapes for sale to other wineries. However, Mike was offering tastings of a wine they had decided to produce - Wetherell White Zinfandel. "This is a fruity and fun wine," Mike explained. At $6 per bottle, it is a good buy, perfect for entertaining guests, enjoying on a hot afternoon, at the beach, or any other relaxing occasion.  
 
Among the other wineries we visited: Willamette Valley Vineyards, Hip Chicks Do Wine, and Nehalem Bay Winery. In all, the event provided a good opportunity to mingle and chat with local wineries. We just wish that the event's organizers had been, well, better organized. While beer tasters had to purchase glasses and tokens, the wineries were much more accommodating, offering free or minimal-charge tastings, most of which were refundable if the taster purchased some wine.  
 
As wine-related events occur throughout the coming year, look for additional event reports from OregonWines.com. We welcome your feedback and input.