Don't Miss

Oregon Pinot Noir trophies shine in Jory Restaurant at Allison Inn

By Eric Degerman on August 30, 2014

The Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg, Ore., will celebrate its fifth anniversary as Oregon’s wine country luxury lodge in September. (Photo courtesy of Laura Davidson Public Relations)

NEWBERG, Ore. — The Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg, Ore., immediately became one of the Pacific Northwest’s wine country destinations when Ken and Joan Austin opened it Sept. 26, 2009.

More than 200 wineries are within a short drive of the Allison, and the hotel’s Jory Restaurant — led by executive chef Sunny Jin and pastry chef Shelly Toombs — makes Oregon Pinot Noir a focal point. During most weeks, the living room at The Allison plays host to its Thursday Celebrity Wine-Tender Tasting, an informal event with a local winemaker that runs 6:30 –7:30 p.m. for guests.

Many of the Willamette Valley’s top producers were so thrilled with the arrival of the Allison that they presented personalized bottles to the Austins as a sign of their appreciation.

Sadly, Joan passed away last year at the age of 81. However, these large-format bottles remain displayed in the restaurant as a tribute to the food-and-wine experience she helped create as The Allison prepares to celebrate its fifth anniversary.

Here are some of the bottles at The Allison.

featured ticker

About Eric Degerman

Eric Degerman is the President and CEO of Great Northwest Wine. He is a journalist with more than 30 years of daily newspaper experience and has been writing about wine since 1998. He co-founded Wine Press Northwest magazine with Andy Perdue and served as its managing editor for a decade. He is a frequent wine judge at international wine competitions throughout North America and orchestrates 10 Northwest competitions each year.