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I have to be upfront with you. I’m biased. There, I said it. I am biased as hell when it comes to where I’m from. I think it’s the best, and I honestly wouldn’t blame everyone if they wanted to come live there. It’s hard to navigate blog life and travel life as an unbiased creator when it comes to my hometown: Portland, Oregon.
So when I begin to write about anything Portland-related, I ultimately just end up thinking, “Well, go there. It’s the best.”
This applies to the food, the coffee, the beer, and of course, the wine. You would be absolutely remiss to visit Portland and leave wine out of your plans. The city has an incredibly robust wine scene, from wine bars like Bar Diane to the impressive carte de vin at restaurants like Ok Omens and Kann (which you can read all about here!)
But if you want the full Oregon wine experience, you need to head out to wine country. The Willamette Valley, which houses over two-thirds of all Oregon vineyards and is one of the best Pinot Noir-producing regions in the world.
About
The Willamette Valley stretches over 150 miles and is an excellent place to grow grapes, especially pinot noir. The Coast Range mountains to the west protect the valley from frigid ocean air, while the Cascade Mountains shield it from the desert-like aridity of the east. It’s a bit Goldilocks out there. Cocooned by mountains and fed a healthy diet of mild weather, the Willamette Valley has the kind of conditions grape growers dream about.
And then there’s the soil, which is where wine people start to get really annoying in the best possible way.
Jory soil, which is more volcanic in nature, holds moisture well and provides fertile ground for grapes. Another main soil type is marine sedimentary soil called Willakenzie, named for the Willamette and McKenzie rivers of Oregon. These are some of the oldest soils in the area and were formed by the uplift of the ocean floor many, many moons ago. This helps contribute to grapes developing darker berry notes and earthy character. Lastly, there is the windblown silt called Loess, which arrived by… the wind. Revolutionary. While its loose structure doesn’t make it ideal on its own for planting, it is well known for adding character to the wine.
So combine all of that with passionate, knowledgeable winemakers, and you have yourself an incredible wine region that still feels a little less commercialized than places like Napa. And thank God for that. In fact, because there are so many winemakers in Oregon, there is genuinely something for every budget. You absolutely can find very high-quality and very expensive Pinot Noirs from famous producers like Domaine Serene. But there are also other winemakers making wines that feel much more approachable in both taste and cost, like Stoller Family Estate Pinot, which will set you back around $21.99.
Planning a Trip to the Willamette Valley
With so many incredible producers and tasting rooms, you could spend ages exploring the region, tasting different varietals, and taking in the gorgeous scenery while you do it. Whether you go just for the day or decide to fully luxuriate in the Willamette Valley for a weekend, there are a myriad of options at your fingertips.
Ready to Explore? Book Here ↓
Where to Stay
There are plenty of Airbnbs around the Willamette Valley that can accommodate groups of all sizes. So whether you are planning a bachelorette party or a romantic getaway, you should be able to find exactly what you’re looking for. But if you want a more unique stay right in the heart of wine country, check out some options below.
The Allison Inn & Spa
This is your splurge spot. With beautiful rooms, excellent service, and one of the best spas I’ve ever been to, a stay at The Allison Inn should be at the very top of your list for your next Willamette Valley wine tasting adventure.
The Vintages
I love any opportunity to stay somewhere unusual. A tree house in Costa Rica, a clear-topped dome for the Northern Lights in Iceland, and in the Willamette Valley? Vintage Airstream trailers. Say less.
The Silos
Continuing on with unique stays, check out The Silos at Abbey Road Vineyard. These are actual grain silos reconstructed into adorable, well-decorated B&Bs. Bonus points for staying right on the property near all the wine, the vineyards, and the nearby farm animals, which really rounds out the pastoral fantasy.
Stoller Family Estate
Take advantage of staying on property at the well-known Stoller Family Estate. They have three vacation rental houses that accommodate six to twelve guests, respectively. And of course, you get the best possible views over the vineyards and estate without having to drive anywhere after a tasting. Huge win.
Airbnbs
While there is a wealth of fun and wine-focused stays in the Willamette Valley, there are also a number of excellent Airbnbs. Saunas, pools, and gorgeous views are very much the name of the game. Here are some beautiful spots for your trip.
Honorable Mentions
A Quick Bit About Wine
I nerd out a little bit on wine science. When people go to tastings and aren’t hanging on every word about how the wine was made, it genuinely boggles my mind. I want to know where the grapes are from, how long they fermented, what kind of vessel they aged in, and yes, how many weird little choices were made along the way. There are so many aging vessels now. Have you heard of an amphora? Because I have, and I would love to discuss.
Anyways, yes, this section is partly here for me because I love it, but mostly because I want to break the stigma around natural wine. Despite the internet memes, words like natural, biodynamic, and zero-zero still trigger something in people who love a traditional bottle. So let’s break it down real quick so you can head into Willamette Valley wine tasting with an open mind and without acting scared of a cloudy orange wine.
Conventional Wine
This is most of the wine people drink around the world today. There are policies wineries are beholden to, but farming practices, intervention, and growing techniques can vary widely. Wineries can use pesticides and herbicides if needed, they may use machines to pick grapes, and they may add sulfites and other additives to influence the wine during the winemaking process. This is not to say conventional winemakers are dumping Roundup into your glass, just that the practices are more open and more traditional. Winemakers still want to put forward their best bottles.
Natural
Maybe part of the issue is that natural wine can mean a lot of different things, depending on who is talking and how insufferable they are being about it. But for the most part, it means little to no intervention. This includes minimal filtering, fewer additives, low sulfur, and native yeast fermentation. Unfortunately, because of that lower-intervention approach, these wines often do not have the same long shelf life as conventional wines you can toss in a cellar for decades and forget about until you suddenly become a person who says “cellar.”
Organic
All natural wines are organic, but not all organic wines are natural. Essentially, organic wine means the grapes are grown without synthetic fertilizers and the winemaking is done organically, for example by using organic yeast. These grapes and wines can still have been treated with approved sprays during the growing process, unlike natural wines. And if you are looking specifically for organic wines, be careful: an organic label on the bottle can mean the grapes are organic, but not necessarily that the entire process was. Have I lost you? Great, let’s continue.
Biodynamic
This winemaking process goes back to the early 1900s and was developed by Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher. Biodynamic practices follow the lunar cycle in both crop growing and production. The calendar is broken down into fruit, root, leaf, and flower days, which guide practices like harvesting, pruning, watering, and resting.
While this can make people yell “witch!” and sprint back to their dependable conventional bottles, biodynamics is actually one of the more natural processes a winery can implement. Biodynamic wines, similar to organic and natural wines, do not allow the use of pesticides and other more conventional vineyard practices. While not strictly required, many biodynamic wineries also hand-pick their grapes and avoid machinery in the vineyard. It may sound crunchy, but the wines can be incredible, so let’s all calm down.
Wineries To Visit
This is arguably the most important question when visiting the Willamette Valley. You can find new and small producers, natural and biodynamic producers, and big pinot houses that will make you feel like you’ve been transported straight to Burgundy. I’ve included a mix of classic producers and spots with inventive wine lists that feel a bit more off the beaten path.
Domaine Drouhin
Over a century ago, Joseph Drouhin began his winery in Burgundy, France, and the family has since opened another stellar spot in the Willamette Valley. Burgundy and Oregon are closely linked, especially when it comes to chardonnay and pinot noir, and Domaine Drouhin does both beautifully here in Oregon. They took over 100 years of winemaking history in France and brought that expertise with them to create some truly incredible Oregon wines. Plus, their tiered patio overlooks the vineyards and has one of the best views around for a sunny afternoon. Tastings range from $40 to $60 depending on the tier you choose.
Day Wines
Day Wines, run by Brianne Day, is my personal favorite place to drink wine in the Willamette Valley. I was part of their wine club for years before moving to France, and yes, I consider that a huge endorsement. The tasting room is small and chic, and their crush pad patio is perfect for a sunny day.
The wines are made with grapes sourced from biodynamic, natural, and low-intervention vineyards, and the production follows suit. A tasting of five to six wines costs $25 and is waived with a $75 purchase. Do not miss a chance to try their pét-nat Mamacita, a personal favorite, and their Vin de Days L’Orange, which is a skin-contact orange wine that is perfect for anyone wanting to dip a toe into that world without feeling bullied by it.
Youngberg Hill
Nicolette, the owner of Youngberg Hill, has a goal of letting the grapes speak for themselves in the bottle. They focus on highlighting the fruit and allowing each glass to tell the story of the vineyard and its terroir. The Youngberg Hill property is located on, you guessed it, a hill, with some of the most beautiful surrounding landscapes in the area.
They also have a B&B on site if you want to wake up every morning with a view of the vines, which is an extremely good way to live, even temporarily. Youngberg Hill is also a great place to go with a group. They are very accommodating, tastings start at $30 per person, and reservations are not required.
Artist Block
This winery is another woman-founded and run spot in the Willamette Valley. Their focus is on creating the unexpected when it comes to winemaking and making art feel approachable for visitors. The owner, Anna Sweet, is well known for her pop-art sculpture donuts and has made Artist Block a home for up-and-coming local artists to showcase their work and grow their business on the walls of the winery.
They host parties, serve delicious charcuterie boards, and yes, offer bumps of caviar if you are feeling fancy. Tastings range from $40 for a non-alcoholic tasting to $100 for their rarest wines, and those fees are comped with a bottle minimum, an art purchase, or by joining the wine club.
Soter
Their 250-acre farm is 100% biodynamic. They really nurture the farm through natural processes, from purposeful pollinators to the on-site Scottish Highland cows that, combined with their farming practices, create a unique ecosystem for the grapes. They offer a traditional tasting for $40 per person or a more extravagant tasting and meal for anyone looking to indulge a little harder.
Argyle
Argyle is your sparkling wine destination in the Willamette Valley. They started with a grower-first mentality decades ago, and they apply an Ojo Brilloso philosophy to their winemaking. It means “shiny eye” or “nice observation,” and they’ve turned it into a broader philosophy about care for the land, intuition and deep knowledge of the vineyard.
They have landed on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list in the sparkling, chardonnay, and pinot noir categories, so do not sleep on the wines that don’t fizz. Tastings are around $45 per person, and they host a whole range of wine-related events like library tastings and master classes on sparkling wine. But they also have more community-focused gatherings like murder mystery parties, silent reading days, and western nights, which is honestly excellent programming.
Stoller
Stoller Family Estate is one of the best overall wineries to visit in the Willamette Valley. Their wine is good, but their tasting space is iconic. They have been making wine since 1943 and have spent the last 50 years cultivating their vineyards and farm across 400 acres of property.
Their indoor tasting room is modern and airy, while the outdoor space is fun for the whole family. With a tire swing off in the distance and rolling grassy hills for kids to run around, you’ll be in total bliss sitting in an Adirondack chair, glass in hand, admiring the view. Stoller is super approachable, walk-ins are always welcome, and tasting options range from $25 to $55. They also have smaller tasting rooms in Newberg and Bend.
Honorable Mentions
This is absolutely no shade to these spots. In fact, I love some of these wineries, but I would have you here all day if I wrote out every detail about each place, their practices, and their tasting rooms. So here are some amazing spots to keep on your list:
Where to Eat
Joel Palmer House
Located in Dayton, between McMinnville and Dundee, this is an unmissable fine dining experience. The restaurant is set in a historic white manor that feels like stepping back in time. The family has been running restaurants since the early 1900s, and they focus on wine and wild mushrooms, which is both a family tradition and a nod to their Polish roots.
This is not your casual in-between-winery-stops lunch like Trellis. This is your proper dinner plan, your “let’s act like we have taste and a reservation” meal while in the Willamette Valley.
Trellis
My favorite spot in the Willamette Valley. Make a reservation in advance if you’re coming with a big group or visiting on a weekend during busy season, or just walk in and hope for the best. The staff at Trellis are so kind and accommodating. I recommend fully committing to one of their sandwiches, and you absolutely must order the Trellis fries, which are covered in grated pecorino and rosemary. Those fries have my full respect.
Red Hills Market
Nestled in Dundee, Red Hills Market is your go-to neighborhood spot. Head there for breakfast to start your day with a bang or stop in between tastings for something easy and delicious. They have incredible wood-fired pizza, salads, sandwiches, and homemade cookies. And if you’re not looking to sit down, they also have a great market stocked with picnic goodies to take with you on the road.
Antica Terra
If you want to pair a memorable meal with your wine tasting, book it at Antica Terra. Located in Amity, a small town outside Dundee, this is the place for a robust lunch or dinner with food that emphasizes local Pacific Northwest agriculture. And the wine accompaniment to your meal will be its own adventure. Whether it’s a storied pinot noir from the region or a taste of some new, slightly weirder innovation, you will leave remembering this meal for a very long time.
Honorable mentions:
- Alchemist’s Jam: bakery in McMinnville
- Cuvée: French bistro in Carlton
- Rosmarino Osteria Italiano
- Pura Vida: Latin American restaurant
- JORY: attached to The Allison Inn
- Humble Spirit: farm-to-table in McMinnville
- HiFi Wine Bar
- Hayward
When You Don’t Want to Drink Wine Anymore
While wine is obviously the name of the game in the Willamette Valley, there are plenty of other adventures to round out your trip and make the most of your time.
Shopping
The cute main street of Newberg is a goldmine for boutiques. I once brought some friends from out of town there just to kill time before our first tasting, and we all ended up buying things we absolutely did not need but absolutely loved. But don’t skip the boutiques in McMinnville either. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Lemon
- Evelyn Taylor Avenue
- Blue Bow Boutique
- Left by West
- Mes Amies
- Lineage
- Lauretta Laynnie Boutique
The Beach
Driving out to the Willamette Valley puts you a touch closer to the Oregon Coast, especially to beaches farther south like Newport and Lincoln City. So if you feel like swapping pinot noir for sea air, here are a few options and drive times to make a coastal add-on happen:
- Pacific City: 1 hour 4 minutes
- Newport: 1 hour 33 minutes
- Lincoln City: 1 hour
- Neskowin: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Tillamook: 1 hour 24 minutes
Adventures
Enchanted Forest: A theme park based on stories and fairy tales. Crawl through the tunnel leading to Wonderland, visit the crooked house, and see Humpty Dumpty sitting on his wall, all while enjoying a log flume and a small roller coaster. While it’s mostly for children, I still think adults would get a kick out of it. Frankly, whimsy is wasted on kids.
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum: While this museum has over 150 air- and space-related exhibits, its pièce de résistance is the famous Hughes plane, the Spruce Goose. You can admire the iconic aircraft from the outside and also explore inside the cockpit and plane.
99W Drive-In: Yes, a drive-in movie theater still exists. For you younger people, I recommend watching Grease to fully understand the cultural weight of the drive-in movie experience. Located in Newberg, you can still roll up in your car, bring your own snacks, snuggle in, and watch a movie the old-school way.
Festivals: This region of Oregon has a ton of festivals throughout the year, especially in spring and summer. Keep an eye out for the UFO Festival, Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival (just outside of the Willamette Valley), Oregon Truffle Festival and Hot Air Balloon Festival. If you want to read about the best bucket-list type festivals around the world, I dove deep here.
Explore the Beer Scene: Wine is not for everyone, and that’s okay. If you need a break or want to accommodate others in your group, check out some excellent beer and cider spots:
- Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery
- TopWire Hop Project
- Xicha Brewing
- Raw Cider Company
- La Familia Cider
My Favorite Wine Tasting Accessories
Whether you are hosting a wine tasting or need a couple things for a wine focused picnic in the vineyards, here are some essentials that I personally use and love.
The Bottom Line
Despite not having the household-name recognition of Napa, Sonoma, Burgundy, or Tuscany, the Willamette Valley wine region can absolutely hold its own. With world-famous pinot noirs being bottled around every corner and a combination of valley air, Oregon rain, and coastal influence hitting the hills just right, some of the best wines in the world are being made here.
And yes, I said it at the beginning: I am biased. This is absolutely a homer pick. But I still think the Willamette Valley is worth the effort to visit. Because while it is about the wine, it is also about the community and the kind of special people who care deeply about the land, the bottle, and welcoming visitors into both.
