Road Trip KTVZ: Salem more than big wigs, hot air

Salem is Oregon’s third-largest city, the state capital and what some locals jokingly call “so lame.”

This capitol city is so busy with bigwig politicians and state government, that some critics say nickel and dime us every year.

But if you look past the gold pioneer on top of the marble state capitol about six miles west into the Willamette Valley, you’ll find another reason why thousands of people come here each year.

Wine — and lots of it.

“We have a total of 21 acres, 15 of it is actually planted in vineyard, most of it is Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris,” event coordinator Debra Collada said.

Cubanisimo Vineyards is one of many wineries that has planted its roots in the Valley because of the perfect climate and rich soil.

Mauricio Collada, is a Cuban-American neurosurgeon who came to the United States with his family in 1962, a few years after Fidel Castro’s Communist revolution.

While attending the pre-med program at the University of Miami, his passion for wine grew by making it at home, using mangoes and bananas.

His wife, Debra Collada, plans all of the big weddings and events at the vineyard throughout the year.

“We produce about an average of 3,000 cases a year,” Collada said.

The work goes on year-round, making sure the grapes are perfected and hand-picked during the harvest in October.

The Cuban coat of arms emblem on the Cubanisimo wine bottles is a way of honoring Collada’s Cuban heritage.

Everything in the tasting room has a touch of Cuba, from pictures on the wall, to a statue of a Cuban man smoking a cigar. And their rumba pinot noir brings a rich and smoky cigar flavor to the classic red wine.

The Cubanisimo brand is growing not only here in Oregon, but also on the East Coast.

“People from Florida come and visit our tasting room a lot, which is amazing, and they’ll come to our events,” Collado said. “They’ll just fly to Oregon to see Cubanisimo vineyards and do a little salsa with us.”

The love for wine is very much alive here at Cubanisimo Vineyards.

For more information: http://www.cubanisimovineyards.com

Enchanted Forest

A few miles outside of Salem, another hidden gem can be found deep in the trees: an enchanting world full of laughter and fun.

“It’s just a theme park I guess — nothing fancy,” Enchanted Forest founder Roger Tofte said.

It’s a theme park with a castle built for a princess, where characters from our favorite nursery rhymes will greet you at Storybook Lane.

“I just did dream them in my mind and visualize what it’s going to be like, and I just sketched little doodles,” Tofte said.

He created this park for families, and it has grown over time.

From the western town of Tofteville to Ice Mountain, all ideas were designed by Tofte. But the family fun park was not always magical for him.

Many people would not take him seriously about the park. But with his determination, he kept on building, bringing families visiting from all across the world.

“Yeah, it’s pretty rewarding — especially seeing the families every year. I see people , and a lot of them were little. Now they have kids of their own,” Tofte said.

Learn more here: http://www.enchantedforest.com/