Spring weather makes vineyard visits enjoyable
Oregon's abundance ofwineiies
proindes a fun activity for
students during sunny days
BY NATASHA CHILINGERIAN
SENIOR PULSE REPORTER
With the coming of spring, procrastination
from homework and other commitments is be
coming more likely, and students may be looking
for excursion destinations. Oregon is a breeding
ground for great wines, so it makes sense to
travel to one of the great wineries near Eugene
for a little touring and tasting.
Although grapes are currently in an unexcit
ing phase of their growth cycle (vines don't
sprout until around May, and picking does not
occur until late summer), the sunshine will un
doubtedly make for a pleasant visit. Right in
town at 255 Madison Ave. is Eugene Wine Cel
lars, which does not have a nearby vineyard but
offers tasting Fridays and Saturdays from noon
to 6 p.m. or by appointment; the winery also of
fers live music on Wednesday evenings. Territo
rial Vineyards and Wine Company, at 907 W. 3rd
Ave., has two vineyards — one just west of
Junction City and one in Crow Valley. The winery
hosts tastings Fridays and Saturdays from 2 p.m.
to 7 p.m. and by appointment.
In Veneta, approximately 30 minutes from Eu
gene, is Secret House Vineyards, which owner
Patti Chappel says is special for its art gallery,
gardens and presence of wildlife such as hum
mingbirds and bluebirds.
"We have picnic grounds, so you can bring a
lunch, get a bottle of wine and enjoy the am
biance of the lovely gardens, especially in the
Nicole Barker | Photographer
Located inVeneta, Secret House Vineyards Winery boasts an art gallery and scenic garden in
addition to a vineyard and wine tasting room.
spring when all the birds come out," Chappel
said. "Sometimes a flock of wild turkeys even
comes out."
Aside from picnicking, touring Secret House's
vineyards and tasting its wines, one can incor
porate into his or her trip a visit to Veneta's his
torical museum and cafes. Because Veneta is
on the way to Florence, people can stop at Se
cret House Vineyards on the way to the beach.
King Estate is a winery with 1,033 acres of
vineyards in Eugene at 80854 Territorial Rd. The
winery is currently constructing an elaborate
visitor's center scheduled to open in May. The
center will host wine education programs,
tours and art exhibits and will include a fire
place and a kitchen to accommodate food and
wine pairing activities.
"We want to turn this estate into the mar
quee winery in Oregon, or even in the North
west," King Estate director of marketing Miles
Johnson said.
Currently, guests of King Estate can partake in
complimentary wine tasting and tours of the win
ery, including the barrel cellar and production
and fermentation rooms.
A little fartherfrom Eugene (approximately
60 miles north on Interstate 5) is Willamette
Valley Vineyards in Turner. This destination of
fers tastings and tours of its winery and cellars
daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The vineyard hosts
special events and festivals throughout the
year, such as the Wine, Cheese and Pear
Jubilee this Saturday and Sunday.
Employees at Oregon wineries typically
teach customers the basics of wine tasting
and wine and food pairing when they come
in. Johnson and Chappei said when it comes
to matching food and wine, there is no rigid
set of rules. They said the traditional rules of
white wine with chicken and fish, and red
wine with beef and lamb are broken more
often nowadays.
"People should let their own palates make up
their minds forthem and not be subjective to old
opinions," Johnson said. "A common pairing in
the Northwest is grilled salmon with pinot noir,
which breaks the common mold."
Each winery has its own techniques that
result in high quality wines. King Estate focus
es on small-batch wine making, which
makes the wine easier to monitor and experi
ment with. Willamette Valley Vineyards con
stantly monitors its grapes and stays away
from chemicals.
"We are catering toward a salmon-safe envi
ronment by not using herbicides or chemical
based fertilizers," Willamette Valley Vineyards
tasting room manager Mickey Bellman said.
"We're going more natural."
natchilingerian@dailyemerald.com
Students celebrate
spring break with
sun, sand, skiing
Travel agencies warn against last-minute travel
plans, as many airlines have no available flights
BY AMY LICHTY
PULSE REPORTER
Afterten grueling weeks
crammed with lectures, discus
sions, tests and papers, spring
break 2005 has almost arrived.
With only a week of vacation, stu
dents are packing up as early as
possible to enjoy beaches, skiing,
drinking and relaxing in places
such as Cancun,London, San
Diego and Miami.
The most popular spring break
location for students is sunny
Daytona Beach, Fla., with Can
cun, Panama City, South Padre,
Texas, and New Orleans filling
out the top five, according to
Askmen.com. But students at the
University have their own favorite
locations to spend their well-de
served vacation.
"The most popular places for
students to go during spring
break are Europe, primarily Lon
don, Germany, Paris and Amster
dam; Mexico, primarily Cancun
I
and Rosarito; and Hawaii, prima
rily Oahu," STA Travel manager
Marjory Werstuk said.
But those students who have
yetto set their spring break plans
might have to settle for a road
trip instead.
"We have sold out all of our
plane tickets completely,"
Werstuk said.
"There most likely isn't even a
seat available for a flight out of
Eugene or Portland," Ambas
sador Travel manager Vivienne
Kouba said.
Even if students did plan
ahead, flights out of Eugene and
Portland aren't cheap, especially
duringthistime of year.
"For Rosarito, you can proba
bly get a package for around
$350," Werstuk said. "But usually
prices range from around $500 to
close to $1,000 fora package to
Europe."
Although $1,000 seems pretty
VACATIONS, page 12A
■ Restaurant review
Bada Bings is a perfect
place for students to
eat, drink, be Italian
The restaurant has gambling, eight televisions and
diverse menu options to satisfy all customers
BY AMY LICHTY
PULSE REPORTER
A good neighborhood sports
bar and grill is essential for a
college town. Bada Bings Italian
Restaurant, located at 440
Coburg Rd. where G Williker's
Neighborhood Bar and Grill
used to be, is perfectfor Eu
gene. Even with a big-screen
television, arcades, video poker
and plenty of inexpensive
alcohol, it still maintains a
family-oriented environment.
About two weeks ago, G Willik
er's became Bada Bings and
there are still signs of the old
business throughoutthe new
restaurant. Although I'd never
been to G Williker's, Bada Bings
was a good first experience, with
a friendly staff, delicious food and
decent prices.
"Eat, Drink & Be Italian" is
Bada Bings' slogan, applied
throughoutthe establishment.
Red checkered tablecloths line
the tables, and the menu is
loaded with great Italian food,
along with classics such as
Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches
and burgers.
Appetizers like Frank's Spicy
Wings, quesadillas, nachos, gar
lic cheese bread and onion rings
are available for around $5 to $9.1
had the Fresh Battered Mush
rooms, which cost only $5.25 —
completely scrumptious, they
were worth every penny and I
recommend them to any mush
room fan. Bada Bings also offers
hefty salads such as the Santa Fe
Chicken Salad, which costs $7.95
for a regular size and $9.25 for a
"Hey Yo" size.
Specialty burgers range in
price from $6.95 to $8.95, but
most cost $7.45. Choices include
a Mushroom and Swiss burger,
a Pineapple Bacon burger, a
FOOD, page 12A
■ In my opinion
NATASHA CHILINGER1AN
NAT GOES TO TOWN
Dreams, open minds
for what may come
BY NATASHA CHILINGERIAN
SENIOR PULSE REPORTER
One year ago today, I had a stack of
brochures on my desk about work-abroad pro
grams. According to these pamphlets, I could
find a job as a waitress or bartender in London
and make just enough money to live among the
locals. Or, I could work at Euro Disney near
Paris for a few months and practice my French
with little children while dressed up as Belle
from "Beauty and the Beast." Yes, I knew for a
factthat after graduating early in March 2005,1
would spend time overseas before entering the
real world in the United States.
Then I changed my mind. Why waste so
much time doing the same kind of job a high
school graduate could get, when I could get a
head start on my career? So I made a decision
— I was going to work in magazine land in the
Big Apple. I'd get in touch with my family on
Staten Island for a place to stay, then hop on
the ferry and the subway every morning for the
buildings of Hearst and Conde Nast publishing
NAT, page 12A