Eat and Drink Vegan from Eugene to Portland

We flew into Eugene to check out what we heard more than one local refer to as a "miniature Portland".

Best known to us for vibrant breweries and cocktail bars, many walkable from one another, we prepared for a night of imbibing with a caffeine stop at Provisions Market Hall for a cup of Wandering Goat Coffee Co., the best in Eugene (according to the locals we asked).

After a restful afternoon, we started our night at Oregon Wine LAB for Pinot Bingo featuring trivia and vegan wines (the red ones are vegan). A few blocks away, Acorn Community Cafe serves plant-based dishes for brunch and dinner—with menus that change seasonally—as well as coffee and creative cocktails.

We hit Oregon Route 99W for a day of wine tasting in scenic Corvallis, home to Oregon State University, and surrounding counties. The multi-generational, family-owned Tyee Wine Cellars serves sophisticated Pinots and Chardonnay. 

Our tasting began with a lovely Pinot Gris, followed by an unoaked Chardonnay whose minerality and notes of vanilla and tropical fruit will convert any Chardonnay nay-sayer. As much as we enjoyed the Chardonnay, the award-winning 2014 Estate Pinot Noir and its premium cousin Estate Barrel Select were our faves from the visit. We came to taste and take in the sprawling property (and get in a few snuggles with the resident winery dog) and ended up leaving with a case of wine.  

We stopped in Salem for salad, kombucha, and a hearty veggie burger at Venti's Cafe—where vegan and vegetarian options are the default option and animal proteins are offered as substitutes.

After lunch, we continued onto Bethel Heights Vineyard for vegan wines in posh digs and to Willamette Valley Vineyards for sweeping views of the valley floor. We were on a Pinot mission, so we went straight for the 2016 Whole Cluster and 2015 Estate Pinot Noirs. Both were textbook expressions of Willamette Pinot—full of Bing cherry and baking spice.

We ended our day at vegan eatery/music venue Infinity Room to soak up all that wine with a burrito bowl and tofu satay. Pro tip: Takeout is available Wednesday-Saturday, and dine-in is available for show attendees when doors open for each event—be it a concert, open-mic night, or karaoke session.

We headed north to Chehalem Valley to sample some award-winning wines that just so happen to be vegan. Domaine Serene offers tastings outdoors with nearly 360-degree views of nearly all of the Willamette appellations. From there, we visited Beaux Frères (one of the top biodynamic wineries in Oregon Wine Country) for amazingly delicate Pinot from a winemaker who utilizes clean fermentation and indigenous yeast.

Our last tasting was at Duck Pond Cellars, a winery previously known for more commercial styles, but new winemaker Trevor Chlanda is upending the brand's status quo by creating a new generation of wines focused on texture and great aromatics to best represent the vineyards from where they come.

We needed some food after all that wine, which is why we stopped at The Allison Inn & Spa, Willamette Valley's best-known and longest-standing luxury hotel. The on-site, fine-dining JORY Restaurant serves produce-driven Pacific Northwest fare overlooking the area. The kitchen team—led by chef Jack Strong of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians—is happy to accommodate any dietary restriction with notice, and for us whipped up a lovely vegan scramble.

After lunch, we drove to Portland for more food (and more wine), stopping at vegan casual hotspot Harlow for the Hawthorne Mac—made with quinoa pasta-on our last night before heading to the airport. Instead of one last glass of vino, our taste buds were tapped, so we paired the Hawthorne Mac with local Soma kombucha.

Find more great Vegan travel ideas on Well+Away.