Sip Copper Belt Wines in Baker City takes its name from the rich copper reserves found beneath the ground in this part of the state. You’ll find more than a dozen wines to choose from at this downtown tasting room — don’t miss the Merlot, which is grown and made entirely in Baker County. Then take your glass across the tasting room to The Cheese Fairy Cheese Shop & Tasting Room, which stocks more than 100 varieties of cheese, and assemble a tasting tray to complement your pour. About 90 miles west, taste truly unique wines at David Hamilton Winery in Mt. Vernon. Foraged ingredients like wild plum, elderberry, Oregon grape (a wild plant not to be confused with vinifera wine grapes) and mountain huckleberries form the basis for distinctively Oregonian fruit wines. Eat Start the day with a cinnamon-laced pecan sticky bun or a savory quiche alongside your Americano at Sweet Wife Baking in Baker City. It also offers a full lunch menu, including to match). An easier way to get a bird’s-eye view is to hop on the Wallowa Lake Tramway for a 3,700-foot vertical ascent to the top of Mt. Howard, where alpine views extend in every direction. Want to get into the wilderness on foot? The East Fork Lostine Trail leads 7 miles into the Eagle Cap Wilderness to Mirror Lake. Afterward, visit Lostine’s M. Crow, a 107-yearold general store now owned and operated by a local designer selling handmade clothing, mercantile items and fresh-baked pizzas with an expansive outdoor seating area. Stay The first guests checked into the Geiser Grand Hotel in Baker City in 1889. Today this fully restored historic building offers rooms with vintage touches like crystal chandeliers, silk- damask bedspreads and gilt mirrors. In Joseph The Jennings Hotel offers modern decor in a century-old lodging house, plus a shared kitchen, library space and sauna. hot sandwiches, soups and salads. You can also grab lunch or dinner at Barley Brown’s Brewpub, which pours classic and experimental pints alongside a full food menu of salads, sandwiches and pasta. At Peterson’s Chocolates, you can choose from a tantalizing array of homemade truffles, including some infused with Copper Belt wines. Haines Steak House, about 11 miles north of Baker City, serves hearty grilled steaks that pair beautifully with Snake River Valley reds in an Old West atmosphere. Play History buffs should head for the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center near Baker City, which brings the journeys of 19th-century settlers to life. You can walk through a life-size replica wagon train, see real ruts carved by migrant wagons, or catch one of the many ranger-led talks and programs. Hundreds of miles of hiking trails spiral out through the Wallowa mountain range, many offering incredible views (and altitude gains FROM TOP: TRAVEL OREGON; EJD VISUALS Quick Trip Snake River Valley For a landscape unlike any other Oregon wine region, head for the Snake River Valley AVA. With its high elevation, continental climate with four distinct seasons, uncrowded vibe and views that go on for days, it produces full-bodied reds that pair beautifully with local grass-fed beef. View of the Wallowas from Mt. Howard Sweet Wife Baking OREGON WINE TOURING GUIDE 37
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