WINE, WINE, WINE....

Wine lovers please note!

Not only are there dozens of wineries to visit within an easy drive of The Fulton House but there are also loads of wine events each and every week during the Spring and Summer months.

Beginning last week (Wed.-Tues. 5/16-5/22), there are at least 28 events in and around Portland for you to enjoy. This is a typical week, so next week and the week after that will offer just as many fine wine events and happenings. To get details, check the "Wine Events: Our Picks of the Week" column every Wednesday in the Food section of The Oregonian. Or, even easier, visit www.oregonlive.com and type in the keywords Wine Events.

But just to give you an idea of what to expect during any given week....

There's a 3-course dinner featuring Domaine Meriwether wines in Carlton and a Pork 'n' Pinot dinner in Dundee. There's a wine, plant and book sale at the Pittock Mansion in Portland, and a spring plant and wine sale in Oregon City. There's a class on wines taught by winemakers from Eola Hills Winery in a downtown Portland hotel and a basic wine education class in the northwest part of the City. Also in Portland are an early evening "drop-in" tasting at a restaurant, a tasting of wines from Maryhill Winery (Washington State), a "just for ladies" event appropriately called "Hip Chicks Do Wine," and a Port wine sampling.

Remember, events like these take place every week during the Spring and Summer. And none are farther than about 45-minutes from The Fulton House, while most are only minutes away. If they're in Portland or surrounding suburbs, you can take inexpensive and reliable public transportation, so there's no need to worry about parking or getting hit with a DUI on the way home. Best of all, you can pick up a bus a half-block from The Fulton House.

I almost forgot to mention that a mere two blocks from us there's a gourmet grocery store that offers free tastings of several fine wines and cheeses every Friday and Saturday.