Do you notice an uptick of Willamette Valley wineries showing up at your local bottle shop? The secret is out! Today, Oregon has more than 700 wineries in total, making it one of the top 5 wine producing states in the US. Of course, everyone is familiar with the big wine business of Napa. But lately Willamette Valley is getting its time in the spotlight. Located just 50 miles south of downtown Portland, Willamette Valley is an easy day trip. The region is perhaps best known for its prized Pinot Noir, but it’s also producing plenty of cool-climate varieties such as Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc.
The rolling hills along one of the many Willamette Valley wineries.
How do you narrow down the best Willamette Valley wineries? And of course our favorite question, what are some other fun stops to include for a perfect day out? My husband and I just spent 2 weeks exploring Oregon and knew Willamette Valley would be a must-visit stop. Check out our top recommendations below.
Willamette Valley Wineries: Taking a Flight of Sparkling Wine
First stop, Argyle Winery, known for its wide range of sparkling wine.
There was no doubt that Argyle Winery would make our list of best wineries. If you love sparkling wine, this is your stop. My husband Kevin loves all things sparkling wine — Cava, Champagne and even Lambrusco, an Italian sparkling red wine (which immediately gives me a headache!). More power to him. This was the very first reservation I made on my trip. The winery is located right in the middle of the little town of Dundee, in the heart of Willamette wine country. The modern winery has a wide variety of outdoor seating as well as indoors.
Argyle was founded in 1987 by vintner Rollin Soles, with a belief that the cool-climate of Oregon’s Willamette Valley was ideal for producing sparkling wines. Their winemaking program now includes sparkling wines, Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs and Rieslings, which have earned much acclaim. No other American winery but Argyle has earned recognition in Wine Spectator’s “Top 100 Wines” in three wine categories: red, white and sparkling. We opted for their “Pop Flight” ($30 per person), which included 4 different sparkling wines.
As someone who rarely drinks sparkling, with the exception of New Year’s and celebratory occasions, I couldn’t believe just how different each sparkling wine was from the next. Our wine server did a fantastic job explaining not just the flavor profile of each but the sparkling bubble patterns (small streams of bubbles vs. forced heavy bubbles that can sometimes be pumped in vs the natural product of fermenting). It was like a chemistry class — you know, with alcohol. Maybe I would have done better in that class if alcohol was involved?
Advanced reservations are highly recommended and can be made on Tock. We were amazed at how busy the place was, even on an early afternoon on a Friday. Guess happy hour came early for more than a few people!
Stop #2 Willamette Valley Wineries: Dobbes Family Estate
You’re just a quick 5 minute walk from our next winery. Dobbs Family Estate has a fun, more casual vibe than your typical winery. On every one of our trips, particularly to wine country, I try my best to have very different experiences. Don’t get me wrong, I love the big winery experience, but there is also nothing like going to that tiny farm where you feel like you’ve just rolled up to someone’s house. It makes the experience that more fun for us.
Inside Dobbs Family Estates.
Founded in 2002, Dobbs Family Estate makes wines that are true to their varietal character and that exude the best of Oregon, including Pinot Noir and other varietals from Oregon’s Willamette and Rogue Valleys. Winemaker Andy McVay set out to make wines that support the three pillars of his love of winemaking — combining art, science and agriculture.
We weren’t particularly hungry yet, but definitely were tempted by the food pairings including cheese and charcuterie plates, olives and other snacks. Wine tastings are just $25 per person and the tasting fee is waved with a 2 bottle purchase. The spot is a slice of Oregon wine country at its best, with high quality wines recognized 90 points and above by many major wine publications. It doesn’t get much better, and hey, you don’t even have to drive from your previous stop!
Reservations can be made directly on Tock with options including their classic tasting, patio tastings or even a virtual tasting if you feel like doing it from the comfort of your couch at home.
Stop #3: Brooks Winery
There are many reasons Brooks should be on your list of Willamette Valley wineries to visit. But one of the top reasons is that Brooks is known for its outstanding Riesling and Pinot Noir wines. Wine and Spirits Magazine agrees, listing Brooks in the top 100 wineries in the world. Brooks is just an easy, 20 minute drive south of the first two wineries recommended, taking you through the Oregon farmlands.
It felt like we found a hidden oasis when we arrived at Brooks’ beautiful tasting room, overlooking the nearby hills.
Our patio seating at Brooks Winery.
Indoor seating options.
Our server proudly proclaimed Brooks as the Disneyland of wineries in Oregon. I’m not sure I’d go that far, but hey, we do love a good Disney trip. And would agree, that this is a classic Oregon winery experience. If you came hungry, this is your place. The winery has an extensive menu with your typical wine snacking foods like cheese and charcuterie to larger plates with seared tuna and Vietnamese spring rolls and sandwiches.
Chicken curry dish
We ordered their classic tasting ($40 per person) and couldn’t help but snap a photo of the beautiful setting and shared it with our friends who live in Russian River wine country, just outside San Francisco.
They loved the view, though were both curious/baffled by the unique wine order (with the reds first then the whites). Typically, you start from light whites and go to darker reds. However, Brooks does it the opposite in order to avoid the strong acidity from the white wines overpowering the reds. It makes sense. Though, our vinophile friends still are in shock, even bringing it up when we saw them later in our trip! Oh well, I’m all about trying new things and going against the grain. By tasting #5, it all tasted good! Before you leave, make sure you check out the grounds, including their chickens roaming around. Just try not to think too hard about that chicken curry you might have just devoured!
Advance reservations are highly recommended and can be booked on Tock with a $40 deposit.
Post Tasting in Willamette Valley: Head Straight to Historic Downtown McMinnville
We loved McMinnville, Oregon, located just 20 minutes northwest of Brooks Winery. This is a perfect place to end your Willamette Valley wine country experience. The downtown is super cute and walkable with plenty of shopping, mom n’ pop stores and even a bookstore. This of course got Kevin very excited!
We felt incredibly welcome in this town, with many shops proudly displaying gay flags and stickers welcoming everyone. If you’re in the mood for more wine tasting, you’ll also find no shortage of little wine tasting rooms lining Northeast Third Street, the main artery of town.
Where to Eat in McMinnville, Oregon?
With all this wine tasting, you’ll need to take in some food. We were mostly snacking throughout the day, saving our hunger for our dinner at Maison Bistro, located right in downtown McMinnville. You’d swear you arrived at a traditional Parisian Bistro with its outdoor seating and extensive wine list and menu featuring all things French. We were starving and quickly ordered their most popular dish as a starter, the black truffle tapenade made with Oregon black truffles Porcini, Black Trumpet and Morel mushrooms with garlic, olive oil and fromage blanc (cheese). It’s not something I’d typically order, but our server highly recommended it. And I’m glad I took her up on it!
Black truffle tapenade, a signature dish at Maison Bistro in McMinnville, Oregon.
From here, Kevin suggested we share the fondue cheese entrée. Our server seemed a little skeptical. More cheese? Really? Clearly, we’re having only cheese for our meals today. It came out piping hot and was the perfect meal to pair with all the wine we had today. And of course, was incredibly filling. We did just eat an entire baguette, too, so I’m sure that helped.
What an incredible day out in Oregon’s Willamette wine country… with so much eating and drinking. I think we’ll need to up our workout game once we get home. But it was fun (and delicious) while it lasted!
What a wonderful adventure in Oregon.
Looking for other ideas while visiting Portland? Be sure to check out our 1 day guide to Portland. Or looking to get a little more active? Visit our full review on a biking tour through Portland’s most interesting neighborhoods. Planning to travel further along the west coast? Be sure to check out all of our coverage on California, including our adventures on Catalina Island. And of course, if you are looking for more ideas to do during COVID, here are our top 5 fun ideas to do at home.
No Comments, Be The First!