Lumos celebration just the first taste of an overflowing week of wine events

A little bright green cabin stands at the edge of a vineyard in Wren, framed with peeled log posts and a shake roof. The Lumos Tasting Room Cabin feels right at home nestled among the grapes, its walls reflecting the color of the leaves, and the rosy wood deck mimicking the woody vines themselves.

The Wren-based tasting room is part of a 100-acre farm owned by Lumos Wine Company, on a former dude ranch. Although most of the original buildings are now gone, two cabins remain, and one of them has been turned into the tasting room, which is open this weekend for a pre-Thanksgiving celebration. According to PK McCoy, who owns the winery along with her husband, Dai Crisp, the tasting room is open only four times a year.

"This is also where we live," she said of the farm, so the family limits visits by the public.

Not only is it a rare opportunity for visitors to stroll through the picturesque farm, but the winery is introducing a very special, limited edition wine for Thanksgiving visitors. Their 2006 Wren Pinot Noir comes from grapes grown on the property, and they made only 54 cases of it. The wine won't be for sale anywhere else.

"It's so stunning, it's beautiful," McCoy said. "It's the estate wine."

The other wines they're offering at the tasting were produced from grapes grown at Temperance Hill Vineyard.

The Lumos event is just the first taste, so to speak, of a holiday filled with wine tasting opportunities. Anyone familiar with Benton County wines knows that there is a rich variety of wineries in the area, each offering unique products as well as incredibly beautiful settings around the area, from the rolling hills of Tyee Winery where artists can be found gaining inspiration from the vistas, to the gentle tranquility of Airlie Winery up north, where wildlife abounds alongside rows of wine grapes.

While Lumos (www.

lumoswine.com) is hosting its pre-Thanksgiving event from noon to 5 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday, most of Benton County's wineries are holding a weekend wine tasting tour following Thanksgiving.

Families can travel across the county visiting various wineries that are opening their doors during the holiday weekend, ranging from Monroe to Philomath, Airlie to Springhill, and of course, Corvallis, which has various tasting rooms around the city.

According to the Benton County Wineries Association, by purchasing local wines, 100 percent of the money stays in the local economy, with about 50 percent going to the local winery, 30 percent to the retailer and 20 percent to the distributor. Only 30 percent of dollars spent on imported wine stay here.

Check it out

The following is a list of Benton County wineries and shops participating in the Thanksgiving Weekend Wine Tasting event, including addresses, Web sites and date and time of tastings:

Springhill Cellars: Noon to 5 p.m. Nov. 28, noon to 10 p.m. Nov. 29, 2920 N.W. Scenic View Drive, Albany. www.springhillcellars.com

Emerson Vineyards: Noon to 5 p.m. Nov. 28-30, 11665 Airlie Road, Monmouth. www.emersonvineyards.com

Benton-Lane Winery: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 28-30, 23924 Territorial Highway, Monroe. www.benton-lane.com

Broadley Vineyard: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 28-30, 25158 Orchard Tract Road, Monroe. www.broadleyvineyards.com

Airlie Winery: Noon to 5 p.m. Nov. 28-Nov. 30, 15305 Dunn Forest Road, Monmouth. www.airliewinery.com

Pioneer Hopyard Vineyard: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Nov. 28. 255 S.W. Madison Ave, Corvallis, inside Coleman Jewelers.

Lumos Wine Company: Noon to 5 p.m. Nov. 22-23, 24000 Cardwell Hill Dr., Philomath. www.lumoswine.com

Cardwell Hill Cellars: Noon to 5:30 p.m. Nov. 28-30. 24241 Cardwell Hill Drive, Philomath. www.cardwellhillwine.com

Pheasant Court Winery: Noon to 5 p.m. Nov. 28-30. 1301 Main St., Philomath. www.pheasantcourtwinery.com.

Harris Bridge Vineyards: Noon to 5 p.m. Nov. 28-30, 22937 Harris Road, Philomath. harrisbridgevineyard.com

Tyee Wine Cellars: Noon to 5 p.m. Nov. 28-30, 26335 Greenberry Road, Corvallis. www.tyeewine.com

Spindrift Cellars: Noon to 6 p.m. Nov. 28, noon to 5 p.m. Nov. 29-30. 810 Applegate St., Philomath. www.spindriftcellars.com.

For more information on tastings in our area, see www.bentoncountywineries.com, www.willamettewines.com or www.oregonwine.org