Come visit this little gem for Tot-friendly fun, great wine, stellar pizza, and a beautiful riverside ambiance. Located between Salem & Independence, OR.
A great spot to relax, unwind & sip to your heart's desire
On a lovely Friday evening, the Tots Crew was finally able to make it out to Stomp Tasting Room, located on South River Road in Salem just before you reach downtown Independence. Boy, are we glad we did! We had been following them (stalking, really) on Instagram and everything about this place just screamed tot-friendly, family-fun!
First of all, it had been a long week for the Tots Crew. Tot #3, even though we really love her, still isn't sleeping great and is fussy as heck during the day. In our zombie-like state, Tots Mom and Tots Dad knew the only way to survive the weekend was with some pizza and (much deserved) wine. A visit to Stomp Tasting Room checked all our boxes!
Croft Vineyards and Stomp Tasting Room is a multi-generational, family-owned and operated establishment. The Croft Family are some of kindest, most community-oriented folks around. It's hard not to want to support great people making equally great wine!
The winding drive along South River Road was just lovely and it was a nice little escape from the city. When we reached our destination, we immediately felt a sense of serenity and calm. The grounds around Stomp are open and inviting. The property is flanked by the river and an orchard. There is a ton of green space complete with picnic tables, plenty of shade, and lawn games galore. In addition to being very tot-friendly, the grounds are pup-friendly, too!
The Stomp Tasting Room is a historic building that was renovated by the Croft Family when they purchased the property in 2013. It is truly magnificent. So charming and full of character. On a rainy or chilly day, we look forward to spending a lot of time in this very cozy and comfortable space. But for this visit, we elected to hang out on the outdoor deck to take advantage of the fleeting late summer sunshine. The deck overlooks the property and faces west (hello stunning sunsets!) The tents overhead provided some welcomed shade. There are stairs to get up to the tasting room but never fear - there is also a wheelchair/stroller lift for any visitors who need to use it.
The lovely Miss Amber took amazing care of us during our visit! Tots Mom and Tots Dad shared the White and Red flights to get a sense of the Croft Vineyards offerings. The pours were generous which we always appreciate. : ) All the pinot noirs were super sippable and provided some great variation. The whites were even more diverse as there was a pinot gris, sémillon, and sauv blanc - the latter two varietals you just don't see much of in our region. All very tasty! The Sauv Blanc was the stand-out for us. We then saw the Ridge Roamer Rosé on the menu and knew we had to have a glass of that to go along with our pizza! It was the perfect complement with the food and the heat of the day. For those wishing to take wine home, their bottle prices are extremely reasonable. And if you're just not into wine, Stomp carries Gilgamesh beer products.
Speaking of food, Stomp's menu is excellent. They have a lovely assortment of starters, pizzas, salads, and desserts. We have heard tremendous things about their smoked salmon dip which is made with fresh-caught Alaskan Salmon - caught by the Croft Crew themselves! How cool is that? Tots Dad has a seafood aversion (he's totally missing out) so Tots Mom will have to try this dish the next time she visits. We shared the Prosciutto Paradise pizza and Amber provided our tot with a cup of fresh blueberries (her favorite!) We had the meringue lemon zest dessert which was light, fluffy, and completely divine.
Pro-tip: If you're a wine club member, you get access to Stomp's private riverfront area. You can put in your kayaks or float tubes at Buena Vista, hang out on the river for two hours, and disembark at Stomp to then enjoy some great food and drinks. Sounds like a pretty perfect day to us!
What to expect when you visit:
Lots of seating options - indoor, patio, or picnic tables in the orchard
Delicious pizza, salads, starters, and desserts
Great wine with fun tasting flight options. Lemonade for the tots!
Changing table in the bathroom (high chairs are in the works)
Lawn games and green space
Their outdoor area is dog-friendly. WOOF!
No outside food please
More Info:
Website: Stomp by Croft Vineyards - Homepage
Open Friday 3pm - 8pm, Saturday & Sunday 12pm - 5pm
Closed Monday - Thursday
Address: 5475 River Road South Salem, Oregon 97302