A little wine and a mountain view

We didn’t climb Mount St. Helens for Mother’s Day this year — we will again someday though! — but we did get outside and enjoy a beautiful Oregon day. We tooled out into the country past Stafford, crossed the Willamette on the Canby Ferry, and spent a little time at St. Josef’s Winery a few miles outside of Canby.

The views of Mount Hood on the way to St. Josef’s were big, but the mountain is hidden from view once you actually arrive at the winery. No matter, it’s still an enjoyable and scenic place to stop for a sip.

But it also got me to thinking about some other wineries in the region that have not only nice wines, but nice views of Mount Hood. I wrote about a few of them in the 2012 Gorge Guide, which just came out a few weeks ago. Among my favorites, Hood River’s Phelps Creek Vineyards and Cascade Cliffs out in Wishram, Wash., both of which offer some fine wines and incredible mountain scenery.

The vineyard — and the mountain — at Cascade Cliffs.