K&M Tasting Room: Good Wine, Good People Carlton OR

If you’re seeking a wine tasting experience that's the polar opposite of, say, Napa Valley on the weekend – i.e. impersonal corporate wineries with about as much charm as the inside of a Home Depot, overpriced tastings and gobs of people jockeying for position at the wine bar – then the K&M Tasting Room is the spot for you.

K&M Winery Rose, ready and waiting

K&M stands for Ken and Mauro, the two men behind the food-friendly wines showcased at their modest-but-stylish tasting room. It’s a calm and welcoming space, defined by spare furnishings and large windows that look out onto Carlton’s charming historical Main Street.

If this all sounds dreamy, well, that’s because it is. And I’m always impressed when people seem to be living their dream, because it means they had the wherewithal to make it happen. Inspired by close friends who owned a small vineyard, Ken and Mauro worked, planned and saved for many years to purchase their own. In one of life’s more serendipitous moments, Ken jumped on craigslist and the perfect piece of property popped up. They jumped on it, and the rest is history.

Ken with a few of his bottles

I figure if I’m that charmed by the K&M tasting room and story, then I will be equally charmed by the K&M vineyard. I have yet to visit it, but will be able to several times a year once I join K&M's wine club – which the retelling of this tale has just motivated me to do.

And now, I can hardly wait for my first vineyard event.

K&M Tasting Room

143 E. Main Street

Carlton, OR  97111 

A Short Stretch – SR 47: Northern Willamette Valley OR

One fine Sunday morning, my dear friend Kathleen (of Good Stuff NW fame) took me for a spin in her snappy red Mini Cooper, and we set out for the nearby Northern Willamette Valley. When folks head out this way, they often hit 99W – a popular highway packed with large commercial wineries. But we decided to take SR 47, the road less traveled, and that made all the difference.

Kathleen and her Mini

And what a charming road it was. Not much traffic, with a gently rolling landscape composed of farms and vineyards, and the occasional picturesque barn. Quite the pleasant Sunday drive – and only about an hour from Portland proper.

Scenic SR 47

Being Sunday morning and all, we weren’t up for too much drinking, but we did check out the Carlton Winemakers Studio where you can sample several different artisan wines by local winemakers. And the space is lovely – open and airy and loft-like with lots of light. Plus, there’s a nice, spacious deck out back. If you plan ahead, you can bring a picnic and hang out all afternoon.

Tasters at the studio

One suggestion: If you do visit and want to do some serious tasting, make sure to bring your own snacks. When we were there, they didn’t have any bread or cheese on hand (which would of been nice, since this is wine tasting, after all). But we roughed, it and managed just fine without palette-cleansing treats.

After a bit of sipping, we hopped into the Mini and buzzed back to Portland lickity-split, and still had plenty of our Sunday left to savor.

Carlton Winemakers Studio
801 N. Scott Street
Carlton, OR 97111