On the hunt for great Pinot Noir, we spent 3 full days exploring several Willamette Valley AVA's. I can unequivocally say that WV is far less commercial and pretentious than Napa (which we sill love) and the tasting prices reflect this. The wines are still in the $25-75 range for most, so in that respect, it is similar to California. What you will find, though, is that the people are super nice and love what they do. A lot of the wineries started as farms, and you will drive through farm fields everywhere you go. It's beautiful. And picturesque. And hilly - very curvy and hilly - so share your tastings! Most of the tasting guides did ask us if we wanted to share, which implies that it's common practice in WV.
Transportation
We booked Amtrak from Seattle to Portland ahead of time, and the cost was $63 for both of us. Much cheaper than flying! There was free wifi on the train and pretty views, so the almost 4 hour ride didn't seem so bad.
Lodging
AirBNB Room Rental - this was our very first time using this website and booking a room (or in our case rooms) in someone's house. I was a bit nervous to be sharing space with owners, but it worked out very well for us. Three nights only cost us $312 total. At a half mile from downtown McMinnville, it was a very easy walk to restaurants, cafes, shops, and tasting rooms. There was plenty of parking available when we did have the car with us, but it was nice to have the walking option. Our hosts were super friendly, and we did get to spend a bit of time with them on our last night, which was great.
Restaurants
Crescent Cafe (McMinnville) - The prices are on par with other places, and the breakfast was quite large. Cute little cafe downtown.
McMenamin's Roof Top Bar at the Hotel Oregon (McMinnville) - We visited for happy hour (I know you are shocked). Really good hard cherry cider and coffee rubbed burger. The roof top offers great views of the mountains. We walked down to the cellar bar before leaving, and it was a neat little dive bar reminiscent of days long gone by. If you have ever visited the basement restaurant bar at The Old Pink House in Savannah, this looks like a mini version of it. Very cool restored and fully operational hotel.
Subterra (Newberg)- There was no one else there but us when we walked in for happy hour at the bar. Although the food was good, the happy hour menu was not the one that is posted on the website, which really rubbed me the wrong way from the start. The small plates menu online indicates that some of the items are half-priced during HH - not the case when we were there. Prices were $2 off. People, it's really NOT that hard to make sure that your website is up-to-date - put in a little effort! We ordered a couple things, which were good, but they definitely were higher than what I'd expect for HH.
Taste of 808 (Newberg)- We went straight here after leaving Subterra - they share the same parking lot. The staff was nice, and the food was good and well-priced. It's a mix of carry our and sit down, so this place is good for a quick bit to eat as you are moving around the wineries.
La Sierra Mexican Grill (Dundee) - Stopped here for lunch. Quick service, good food options for lunch, and surprise dessert at the end. Worth going to if you are craving some Mexican.
The Horse Radish - Several wineries recommended this place for lunch, and I see why. There is a nice selection of sandwiches, and they are TASTY! And big. The hubs and I could easily have split one.
Wineries
Left Coast Cellars - LCC ranks as one of our highlights of wine country, and it was totally unexpected. We met a couple along our wanderings, and as locals and grape growers, they recommended stopping for a bite to eat at this place called Left Coast. The name doesn't exactly draw you in, but the whole experience was awesome! They have a little cafe with fresh made selections and a chef that is there to explain them to you. The food was DELICIOUS! We were able to pair our wine flight with the food to see how the different varietals and vintages held up to food, which was nice. The people, especially Riley and Ivey, were super helpful and very attentive. We loved our short time there and highly recommend it.
Bethel Heights - Cool place to visit, but our taste buds were too exhausted to actually taste much of the wine. That's a first for us - our tongues were totally burnt out so we went to lunch. It's a popular place, so I'm sure the wine is good.
St. Innocent - Interesting wine, but I'm not sure I'd push someone to visit here.
Witness Tree - Small, cute tasting room. Nice wine selection. One of the best Chardonnay's I had in Oregon - much more like the California oakiness that I prefer. Neat place for a visit, and we heard good things about their neighbor, Cristom, so it would be a good opportunity to hit two good ones very close together.
Armamenta - This was our very first winery visit when we drove into the Valley from Portland, and the son was just opening up the tasting room for his mom. He left when she came down from the house and offered us some cheese and crackers with our wine flight. Darlene is such a welcoming host! She explained the history of the winery and gave us some good insight of what to expect over the next couple of days. Highly recommend this place!
Utopia - I love winery dogs, and you will be greeted by two cuties when you arrive. Dan, the owner and winemaker, came down to greet us after his daughter unlocked the tasting room for us. His wine is incredible, and this would be a great place to picnic - wonderful valley views and a bocce ball court.
Argyle - When I asked several people for sparkling wine recommendations, they all pointed us to Argyle. We had a very nice tasting experience in their expansive tasting room and joined the Pop wine club. Recommend!
Chehalem - It's unassuming with quality wine. If you are looking for a quick tasting, you can easily get through the flight in 30 minutes with the friendly staff or sit enjoy your sips for an hour.
Willamette Valley Vineyards - This place is actually a tasting room in downtown McMinnville. You can stop here for a flight or a glass and just relax. Very comfortable atmosphere. The wines are good, too.
White Rose - Whoa, this one ended up being pretty pricey in comparison to all of the other wineries we visited. Expensive tasting, expensive (but delicious) wine. Beautiful property.
Four Graces - The tasting room is in a converted house, and it's really quaint. The back patio area is expansive and looks to be a great place for a picnic lunch. They do have cheese and crackers for purchase in the tasting room. Solid little winery.
Fairsing - Yet another beautiful place to visit with a new tasting room (house?). Great wine, great views, friendly staff. Very good rose.
Youngberg Hill - Youngberg Hill is also a bed and breakfast. It's absolutely gorgeous, and I bet that it's a wonderful place to call home for a couple days. One of the owners led our testing in the inn's carpeted living room. Spacious and comfortable space that opens onto a large patio area overlooking the vineyards. Recommend.
Ken Wright - The tasting room is an old train station in the town of Carlton. Maybe we were too tired and full after lunch, but we were not at all impressed. Skip.
Tips
Transportation
We booked Amtrak from Seattle to Portland ahead of time, and the cost was $63 for both of us. Much cheaper than flying! There was free wifi on the train and pretty views, so the almost 4 hour ride didn't seem so bad.
Lodging
AirBNB Room Rental - this was our very first time using this website and booking a room (or in our case rooms) in someone's house. I was a bit nervous to be sharing space with owners, but it worked out very well for us. Three nights only cost us $312 total. At a half mile from downtown McMinnville, it was a very easy walk to restaurants, cafes, shops, and tasting rooms. There was plenty of parking available when we did have the car with us, but it was nice to have the walking option. Our hosts were super friendly, and we did get to spend a bit of time with them on our last night, which was great.
Restaurants
Crescent Cafe (McMinnville) - The prices are on par with other places, and the breakfast was quite large. Cute little cafe downtown.
McMenamin's Roof Top Bar at the Hotel Oregon (McMinnville) - We visited for happy hour (I know you are shocked). Really good hard cherry cider and coffee rubbed burger. The roof top offers great views of the mountains. We walked down to the cellar bar before leaving, and it was a neat little dive bar reminiscent of days long gone by. If you have ever visited the basement restaurant bar at The Old Pink House in Savannah, this looks like a mini version of it. Very cool restored and fully operational hotel.
Subterra (Newberg)- There was no one else there but us when we walked in for happy hour at the bar. Although the food was good, the happy hour menu was not the one that is posted on the website, which really rubbed me the wrong way from the start. The small plates menu online indicates that some of the items are half-priced during HH - not the case when we were there. Prices were $2 off. People, it's really NOT that hard to make sure that your website is up-to-date - put in a little effort! We ordered a couple things, which were good, but they definitely were higher than what I'd expect for HH.
Taste of 808 (Newberg)- We went straight here after leaving Subterra - they share the same parking lot. The staff was nice, and the food was good and well-priced. It's a mix of carry our and sit down, so this place is good for a quick bit to eat as you are moving around the wineries.
La Sierra Mexican Grill (Dundee) - Stopped here for lunch. Quick service, good food options for lunch, and surprise dessert at the end. Worth going to if you are craving some Mexican.
The Horse Radish - Several wineries recommended this place for lunch, and I see why. There is a nice selection of sandwiches, and they are TASTY! And big. The hubs and I could easily have split one.
Wineries
Left Coast Cellars - LCC ranks as one of our highlights of wine country, and it was totally unexpected. We met a couple along our wanderings, and as locals and grape growers, they recommended stopping for a bite to eat at this place called Left Coast. The name doesn't exactly draw you in, but the whole experience was awesome! They have a little cafe with fresh made selections and a chef that is there to explain them to you. The food was DELICIOUS! We were able to pair our wine flight with the food to see how the different varietals and vintages held up to food, which was nice. The people, especially Riley and Ivey, were super helpful and very attentive. We loved our short time there and highly recommend it.
Bethel Heights - Cool place to visit, but our taste buds were too exhausted to actually taste much of the wine. That's a first for us - our tongues were totally burnt out so we went to lunch. It's a popular place, so I'm sure the wine is good.
St. Innocent - Interesting wine, but I'm not sure I'd push someone to visit here.
Witness Tree - Small, cute tasting room. Nice wine selection. One of the best Chardonnay's I had in Oregon - much more like the California oakiness that I prefer. Neat place for a visit, and we heard good things about their neighbor, Cristom, so it would be a good opportunity to hit two good ones very close together.
Armamenta - This was our very first winery visit when we drove into the Valley from Portland, and the son was just opening up the tasting room for his mom. He left when she came down from the house and offered us some cheese and crackers with our wine flight. Darlene is such a welcoming host! She explained the history of the winery and gave us some good insight of what to expect over the next couple of days. Highly recommend this place!
Utopia - I love winery dogs, and you will be greeted by two cuties when you arrive. Dan, the owner and winemaker, came down to greet us after his daughter unlocked the tasting room for us. His wine is incredible, and this would be a great place to picnic - wonderful valley views and a bocce ball court.
Argyle - When I asked several people for sparkling wine recommendations, they all pointed us to Argyle. We had a very nice tasting experience in their expansive tasting room and joined the Pop wine club. Recommend!
Chehalem - It's unassuming with quality wine. If you are looking for a quick tasting, you can easily get through the flight in 30 minutes with the friendly staff or sit enjoy your sips for an hour.
Willamette Valley Vineyards - This place is actually a tasting room in downtown McMinnville. You can stop here for a flight or a glass and just relax. Very comfortable atmosphere. The wines are good, too.
White Rose - Whoa, this one ended up being pretty pricey in comparison to all of the other wineries we visited. Expensive tasting, expensive (but delicious) wine. Beautiful property.
Four Graces - The tasting room is in a converted house, and it's really quaint. The back patio area is expansive and looks to be a great place for a picnic lunch. They do have cheese and crackers for purchase in the tasting room. Solid little winery.
Fairsing - Yet another beautiful place to visit with a new tasting room (house?). Great wine, great views, friendly staff. Very good rose.
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| Fairsing - LEED certified facility |
Ken Wright - The tasting room is an old train station in the town of Carlton. Maybe we were too tired and full after lunch, but we were not at all impressed. Skip.
Tips
- Share tastings!
- Takes lots of photos.
- Do NOT trust your GPS.
- Be prepared for very long driveways that are both paved and unpaved.
- Use a printed map as a guideline and then pay attention to the blue winery signage. You will rely on that more than GPS at time. When in doubt, call the winery to get directions!
- Ask for recommendations from other wineries. They will gladly give you suggestions for the rest of your day.
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