Willamette Valley, the heart of Oregon’s Wine Country, is growing in popularity each and every year. More and more people are finding out about this amazing wine region and are wanting to travel here. With it being just an hour away from the Portland airport, it’s very easy to get to and navigate.
Some of the world’s finest Pinot Noir is coming out of this region and many people say the wine is very Burgundian in style. If you’ve had Pinot Noir from Burgundy, Oregon might be the place for you. Not only is there incredible Pinot Noir, but there is also some amazing Chardonnay as well.
Beyond the wine scene here, there’s an incredible food/restaurant scene. There are several world class restaurants in The Willamette Valley, ranging from casual fare to formal tasting menus. You definitely won’t go hungry when visiting this region!
In this post you’ll find everything you need to know when planning a trip to The Willamette Valley. I included general tips, a map, a full weekend itinerary, restaurant recommendations and winery recommendations. Cheers!
Table of Contents
General Tips
Here are a few tips to keep in mind before visiting The Willamette Valley:
- Make reservations for the wine tastings.
- I’d recommend 3 wineries per day.
- Try to pack a lunch because you may not be near a restaurant when you’re out in the vineyards all day. Ask the winery if they allow picnics. If not, you could always eat in your car.
- If you’re visiting during a pandemic (Hello COVID-19), bring a mask!
Getting There
If you don’t live in the area, the Portland Airport is the best place to fly into. This airport is only an hour away from the Willamette Valley, so it’s super convenient.
Also, I’d recommend renting a car when you visit. You could hire a driver or transportation service to get around to the wineries during the day, but the cost of that can add up quick. However, if you’re going with a bigger group of people, that might make sense.
Where to Stay
In terms of where to stay, I’d recommend staying near one of these three towns: Newberg, Dundee or McMinnville. These are more or less the “hubs” of The Willamette Valley.
You aren’t going to find many chain hotels in this area, so I’d recommend staying in a Bed & Breakfast or Airbnb. This past trip, we stayed in a Bed & Breakfast near Newberg called Le Puy. I would definitely stay here again. I loved the location and the proximity to several wineries and restaurants. Also, the owner made us a fresh, gourmet breakfast each morning that was to die for!
On our past trip, we stayed at the Black Walnut Inn & Vineyard near Dundee. Similar to Le Puy, this was an amazing Bed & Breakfast and the rooms were fabulous.
If you’re looking for even more options or recommendations, here are a few other places that we’ve considered staying:
Where to Eat
Dundee
- Red Hills Market (Casual – Variety of Food)
- Tina’s (American/International)
- Dundee Bistro (Casual – American/Italian)
- Trellis (Casual – Wine Bar)
Newberg
- Jory Restaurant (Farm to Table + Tasting Menu Options)
- Rosmarino Osteria (Casual – Authentic Italian)
- Ruddick/Wood (Casual – Bar Food)
- The Painted Lady (Fancy – Tasting Menu)
- Barley & Vine Tavern (Casual – Bar Food)
- Recipe Neighborhood Kitchen (Fancier – Variety + Tasting Menu Options)
- Honey Pie Pizza (Casual – Pizza)
Map
Itinerary
Thursday
- 1 PM – Domaine Serene
- 3 PM – White Rose
- 5 PM – Check in at Le Puy
- 6:30 PM – Dinner at Jory Restaurant
Friday
- 10 AM – Antica Terra
- 12:30 PM – Alit
- 2:30 PM – Domaine Drouhin
- 5:30 PM – Cocktails/Appetizers at Ruddick/Wood
- 7 PM – Dinner at Rosmarino Osteria
Saturday
- 10 AM – Cristom
- 1 PM – Eminent Domaine
- 3 PM – Bergstrom
- 6:30 PM – Dinner at The Painted Lady
Sunday
- 11 AM – Penner-Ash
- 1 PM – L’Angolo
- 3 PM – Domaine Divio
- 5 PM – Beer + Snacks at Barley & Vine Tavern
- 6 PM – Dinner at Ruddick/Wood
Winery Recap
Domaine Serene
- Tasting Fee: $35 for 6 wines
- Varietals: Rosé, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Red Blend
- Favorite Wine: 2017 Evenstad Reserve Chardonnay
- Case Production: 40,000
- Food Options? Yes – food for purchase is available.
- Reservation Needed? Yes.
If you’re looking for a beautiful place to taste wine, Domaine Serene is your place. This winery is stunning and their estate is huge.
We made a reservation to taste their Estate Flight, and we also enjoyed some cheese and charcuterie during our tasting. All of the food we had was delicious! This would be a great option if you are looking for a place to do a wine tasting and lunch.
I really enjoyed the wines at Domaine Serene, and their Chardonnay was fantastic. Even though they are much bigger than a lot of other Oregon wineries, the wines were still top notch and had great quality.
After our tasting, we decided to order a glass of wine and sit outside and enjoy the stunning view of the vineyard. I could have sat there all day. It was so relaxing, and you just can’t beat that view.
White Rose
- Tasting Fee: $25 for 3 wines
- Varietals: Pinot Noir
- Favorite Wine: ALL OF THEM
- Case Production: 2,000
- Food Options? No.
- Reservation Needed? Yes.
White Rose is, by far, my favorite winery in The Willamette Valley. Their Pinot Noir is some of the best I’ve ever had, and I love how small they are. They make several single vineyard Pinots, and they do whole cluster fermentation. They make wine from their estate fruit, and they also purchase grapes from other growers in the area.
The tasting room at White Rose is really unique and kind of has a “Snow White” cottage feel to it. It’s super cozy, and it’s a great place to enjoy a wine tasting.
They offer two different tasting options (each option has 3 wines), so I’d recommend trying one of each. You can’t go wrong with either option, but it’s always better if you can try more of what they have to offer!
We had a great time tasting with the winemaker, and I loved how knowledgeable he was. It’s always interesting to learn more about the winemaking process and what all goes into crafting these amazing wines.
Overall, White Rose is a MUST when visiting The Willamette Valley. Their wines are the best of the best, and the staff is super knowledgable and friendly.
Antica Terra
- Tasting Fee: $95 for The Collective Tasting (8 wines + food pairings)
- Varietals: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon
- Favorite Wine: 2017 Antica Terra Botanica Pinot Noir
- Case Production: 4,000
- Food Options? Yes, food pairings come with the flight.
- Reservation Needed? Yes.
If you’re a seasoned wine taster and are looking for a more elevated experience, I’d highly recommend checking out Antica Terra. Their Collective Tasting is an incredible experience where you get to taste several different wines paired with gourmet bites from Chef Timothy Wastell.
During this experience, you’ll taste several wines from Antica Terra and several wines that are from all over the world. They rotate which wines they choose, but they are always giving you something that is very elegant and very high-end (grower Champagne, Premier Cru Burgundy, etc). It’s a super interesting wine tasting experience and an excellent way to try wines from all over the world.
Our host did a fabulous job explaining everything, and we had a great conversation about wines from all over the world. The food was fantastic and we were able to try some dishes that we had never had before (like rabbit liver!). I was amazed at the creativity of the dishes and how well each dish paired with the wine.
I really can’t say enough good things about this tasting experience. If you’re really into wine and food, you HAVE to give this a try. It is an expensive tasting, but it is worth every penny. Another perk to their tasting experience is that you can add yourself to their wine allocation list without ever having to be on the waitlist. This is a HUGE benefit to tasting here if you like their wines.
Alit
- Tasting Fee: $20 for 4 wines
- Varietals: Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé, Pinot Noir
- Favorite Wine: 2018 Sauvignon Blanc
- Case Production: 8,000
- Food Options? No.
- Reservation Needed? Yes.
Alit has a cute little tasting room in Dundee, and it’s a great place to stop if you are looking for a quick wine tasting. They had more variety on their tasting menu compared to several other Oregon wineries, so I thought that was nice. We tasted a Sauvignon Blanc, and I think that was the only Sauvignon Blanc we tasted all weekend!
Overall, I wasn’t super impressed with the wines. We tried about 8 different Pinots, and I really didn’t like any of them. It could have just been our palette, but they all seemed a little funky to me. It’s a cute tasting room, but the wines weren’t impressive.
Domaine Drouhin
- Tasting Fee: $40 for 7 wines (We did the 1880 Connection Tasting)
- Varietals: Rosé, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
- Favorite Wine: 2016 Laurène Pinot Noir
- Case Production: 38,000
- Food Options? No.
- Reservation Needed? Yes.
Domaine Drouhin is an iconic Willamette Valley winery, and it’s a MUST visit if you’re visiting this region for the first time. The views from their tasting room are incredible, and their wines are even better.
The Drouhins are originally from Burgundy, and they have been in the wine industry for 100+ years. They decided to plant Pinot Noir vines in Oregon in 1988, and the winery itself was constructed in 1989. Domaine Drouhin was the first to plant the Dijon Pinot Noir clones in Oregon.
Since we had visited Domaine Drouhin once before, we opted for the 1880 Connection Tasting Experience. This experience allows you compare the Oregon wines from Drouhin to the French wines from Drouhin. It’s a really interesting experience, and I highly recommend this if you are trying to improve your wine knowledge and tasting skills.
Overall, you can’t go wrong with a visit to Domaine Drouhin. Their wines are outstanding and their tasting room is gorgeous. They have plenty of tasting experiences available and they can accommodate both small and large groups. Be sure to add this winery to your list before visiting The Willamette Valley.
Cristom
- Tasting Fee: $75 for 8 wines (We did the Cristom Experience)
- Varietals: Rosé, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
- Favorite Wine: 2017 Jessie Vineyard Pinot Noir
- Case Production: 20,000
- Food Options? They typically pair a charcuterie board with this wine tasting experience.
- Reservation Needed? Yes.
Cristom was one of my favorite tastings from the weekend because the experience was extremely thorough and the wines were incredible. We opted for the “Cristom Experience” tasting where we got to tour the vineyard and go down into the barrel room. I highly recommend this experience if you want to learn more about the winemaking process and how they farm their land.
With the Cristom Experience, you will taste two different flights of wine. The first flight includes more variety, and you’ll get to taste a Chardonnay and rosé in addition to Pinot Noir. The second flight we tasted was all single vineyard Pinot Noir.
After tasting the first flight of wines inside, we ventured outside for a little vineyard tour. The vines were in the flowering stage and fruit set was about to occur. Even though it was cold and rainy during our visit, everything was so beautiful and so green.
Cristom uses biodynamic farming practices, and they don’t use any chemicals when making their wines. They are trying to do everything as clean and natural as possible.
After seeing the vineyards, we made our way into the barrel room and cellar. It’s always interesting to see how they label their barrels and keep track of all of the wine while it ages. I am always amazed that they can keep it all straight!
Overall, I LOVED our tasting experience at Cristom. We ended up joining the club because we loved the wines so much. They make some of the best Pinot Noir in all of The Willamette Valley so be sure to check them out. They also have plenty of outdoor seating, so it would be a great place to sit and drink wine on a nice day.
Eminent Domaine
- Tasting Fee: $20 for 6 wines
- Varietals: Rosé, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
- Favorite Wine: 2017 Estate Pinot Noir
- Case Production: 2,500
- Food Options? No, but you can typically bring a picnic to enjoy outside.
- Reservation Needed? Yes.
Eminent Domaine is a smaller winery in the Willamette Valley in the Ribbon Ridge AVA. Jeff and Heather (owners) started the wine brand after dealing with loss of property to the City of Portland under eminent domain law. The winery was established in 2006 and the property was purchased in 2008.
The tasting room itself is gorgeous and is very modern. We sat inside since it was raining outside, but they do have a lovely patio overlooking the wines. They also have picnic tables outside where you can bring in outside food and taste wine with a larger group of people.
Eminent Domaine does not distribute nationally and 99% of all wines produced are sold out of the tasting room and online. Basically, if you want their wine, you need to go visit!
I loved all of the wines we tried on the flight, but my favorite was their 2017 Estate Pinot Noir. It was silky smooth and had notes of cherry and strawberry. We loved it so much that we had to purchase a bottle to bring home!
Bergstrom
- Tasting Fee: $40 for 4 wines
- Varietals: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
- Favorite Wine: 2017 Silice Pinot Noir
- Case Production: 12,000-14,000
- Food Options? They typically offer wine and food pairings.
- Reservation Needed? Yes.
If you’re looking for an intimate and private wine tasting experience, look no further than Bergstrom. This was one of the nicest wine tastings I’ve ever done and the wines were incredible.
Bergstrom has a couple of different tasting locations, but our tasting was done at the original home of the Bergstrom Family. Honestly, this tasting room is STUNNING. The interiors are incredible, and I wanted to move in and make it my own home. They typically host food and wine pairing experiences in this space, but due to COVID, they were not offering that when we visited.
The tasting experience itself was lovely and we were able to learn a lot about the Bergstrom family, how it all got started, etc. We tasted several different Pinots and a Chardonnay. The Chardonnay was so unique and unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before. Interestingly enough, they save the lees (dead yeast cells after fermentation) from previous vintages, and add it back into the wine as it ages. This gives the Chardonnay a much creamier and richer mouth feel.
Overall, I couldn’t have loved the experience more. Bergstrom did a fantastic job with everything. The atmosphere was incredible, the staff was extremely knowledgeable and the wines were the cherry on top.
Also, if you get to taste at the original house, be sure to step outside and check out the vineyard views. The outdoor space is just as beautiful as the inside of the home. They also have a gazebo and plenty of gardens to explore while you are at their property.
Thank you, Bergstrom, for the most incredible wine tasting experience.
Penner-Ash
- Tasting Fee: $40 for 6 wines
- Varietals: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
- Favorite Wine: 2017 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir
- Case Production: 15,000
- Food Options? No.
- Reservation Needed? Yes.
Penner-Ash is a winery that a lot of people recommended to me, so I knew we had to visit. Their tasting room is tucked away among the hillside and has an incredible view of 4 different AVAs in The Willamette Valley. I was so impressed with their facility and the design of it all.
They purchase some of their fruit from some established growers in the area and they also grow some of their own estate fruit. I really enjoyed all of the wines we tried on our flight, but I think the standout was the Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir. If you get a chance to try a Pinot from the Shea Vineyard, do it!
While our tasting was done inside, they do have some chairs outside for people to sit and relax. They also had a bocce ball court and plenty of green space. This would be a great place to visit if you had a bigger group.
I think this winery does a great job of showcasing what Oregon Pinot Noir is all about. Their wines are a great expression of the terroir and the soil the grapes grow on. I highly recommend a visit if you’re visiting The Willamette Valley for the first time!
L’Angolo
- Tasting Fee: $25 for 4 wines
- Varietals: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
- Favorite Wine: 2017 Reserve Pinot Noir
- Case Production: 2,000
- Food Options? No.
- Reservation Needed? Yes.
L’Angolo is a great winery to visit if you want to sip some wine with a beautiful vineyard view. We were able to do our tasting outside, and it was so relaxing.
I loved all of the wines we tasted, and I appreciated that they were a smaller winery. They are a biodynamic vineyard so they are making the wines with minimal intervention.
It was nice to step out in the vineyard for a few moments and look at the vines up close. I love seeing where the grapes are in the growing process. When we visited in June, flowering was occurring and fruit set was about to take place. A lot of the wineries were worried about the cool/rainy weather during flowering, but I’m sure it will still turn out to be a great vintage!
Domaine Divio
- Tasting Fee: $20 for 5 wines
- Varietals: Rosé, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Beurot
- Favorite Wine: 2018 Willamette Valley Chardonnay
- Case Production: Under 2,000
- Food Options? No, but you can bring a picnic.
- Reservation Needed? Yes.
Domaine Divio ended up being one of my favorite wineries from the weekend because I loved their style of wines. Their winemaker, Bruno, is from France and is a 4th generation Burgundian grape grower and producer. The Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were some of the best wines I tasted all weekend.
Another great thing about tasting at Domaine Divio is their view. They have plenty of outdoor seating where you get to overlook several rows of vineyards. It was so relaxing to have this as the backdrop during our tasting.
If you come with a larger group, they do have some bigger picnic tables. We also saw some people that brought a picnic lunch, so keep that in mind when planning your day.
Domaine Divio practices biodynamic farming and does not use any artificial chemicals in their wines. I love their philosophy, and I also love that they are a small winery. They only produce about 2,000 cases per year, and this really allows them to focus on quality over quantity.
The best part of the tasting was the final pour – it was the 2018 Willamette Valley Chardonnay. I don’t usually get that excited about Chardonnay, but this one was to die for. Like many of the other wines, it was very Burgundian in style and had a lot of acidity and minerality. If you like French Chardonnay, you’ll love this wine!
Other Resources
Looking for more information on Willamette Valley? Check out my other blog post linked here.
I’ll also link a few other resources that might be helpful:
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