It’s been four months since we went and we’re still raving about our long weekend in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. It’s not the first place most think of to bring a four month old baby, but it was the perfect getaway (some of the reasons it was pretty ideal are HERE). The cool weather was a welcome reprieve from the endless Texas summers, the wine was amazing, and the views, idyllic.
When planning the trip, we quickly realized just how many wineries there are in the Willamette Valley. Like, more than 500. That creates a planning problem. How do you choose?
Keep reading for a short recap of the wineries we visited, what we loved, and what we learned.
To read all of our winery reviews, follow me on TripAdvisor!
Evening Lands
Start your trip with this in-town tasting room, for two reasons. First, it opens at 10am (and is next door to the cutest little breakfast spot, Babica Hen Cafe). Second, Mike, who was working the tasting room when we stopped in, is incredibly knowledgable.
Evening Lands offers a standard tasting and a reserve tasting. Since it was early, we opted to split the reserve tasting which was worth every penny of the $55 fee. Evening Lands uses the Coravin system which enables them to pour tastings from older bottles without wasting the rest of the bottle. We were able to sample warm and cool years side-by-side to learn about the different flavors caused by the varying temperatures.
No, it’s not the most scenic place, but that’s okay for 10am. We left with two bottles, and came back later that day for two more.
Angela Estate
Just off the main hallway from Evening Lands is Angela Estate, a small winery owned by the family that also owns Graham Beck in South Africa. Angela works with esteemed winemaker Ken Wright, producing a tasty, yet very affordable pinot. While much less of an educational experience than Evening Lands, the woman staffing the tasting room was incredibly friendly and gave us great advice on where to go (and not to go) later that day. We left with a great bottle of pinot that was the perfect accompaniment for an at-home date night this winter.
Le Cadeau / Aubichon Cellars
These two brands are the same winery (one is estate only, the other is not) and are located in the same tasting room area as Evening Lands and Angela. The tasting room boasts a nice mix of styles and a number of top rated pinots, as well as a crisp rose we enjoyed enough to bring home. Our tasting was run by Brian who has worked for Le Cadeau for seven plus years and is incredibly knowledgable about all of their varietals.
www.lecadeauvineyard.com/visit/tasting-room/
The Four Graces
The Four Graces sits at the halfway mark between Newberg and Dundee, two of the main towns to hub out of for wine tours in the Willamette Valley. It was our first stop of the trip, where we were immediately drawn in to their tasting room in a historic farmhouse. Our tasting was mostly self-guided, which allowed us to stroll through their demonstration vineyard to see how the different grapes look on the vines. Unfortunately, we didn’t learn much about the wines themselves – but the location was perfection!
www.thefourgraces.com/Visit/Visit-The-Four-Graces
Beaux Frères
If I had to go back to only one winery in the Willamette Valley, it would be Beaux Frères (in fact, we made two trips here because we just had to bring home a few more bottles). Their wines are all spectacular, and the tasting room is small and private. Most days, you can catch Michael Etzel, the owner, or his son who is the winemaker, working the farm or the tasting room.
Our tasting was informative and detailed, sampling back and forth across comparable wines to choose our favorites. Tours and tastings are by appointment only, which ensures you have a private wine expert to guide you through each glass. Book early – this is a can’t miss!
Domaine Serene
Domaine Serene is one of the more commercial, Napa-esque wineries in the Willamette Valley, but don’t let that dissuade you from stopping in. Their wines are some of the most highly regarded in the region (which is saying a lot, given the quality level Oregon is known for). Make a reservation if you’d like a seated tasting or to try one of their wine and food pairings, or stop by and grab a seat at the bar or their expansive patio. We opted for the latter option, and split one of each of their two tasting options so we could sample nearly a dozen wines. We didn’t leave here with a bottle – but only because the person leading our tasting helped us research shops where we could purchase the bottles at home.
www.domaineserene.com/Estates/Tasting-Room
White Rose Estate
White Rose is down the street from Domaine Serene and wins for the most unique tasting room we visited. The grounds are perfectly manicured, and the tasting room sits in a central cottage that’s reminiscent of childhood fairytales. The interior has no windows and is lit mainly by soft candlelight, creating a warm, romantic atmosphere (our little four month old took a great nap while we did our tasting!).
White Rose specializes in artisanal, small batch pinot noirs. Don’t let the name fool you – there are no white wines made by White Rose.
www.whiteroseestate.com/tasting-room
Penner-Ash
Skip the indoor tables at Penner-Ash and head straight out back to find a seat in one of their Adirondack chairs. In my opinion, Penner-Ash has one of the best views in the Willamette Valley. Their tasting menu has a nice blend of crisp whites and robust reds. Plan your trip to Penner-Ash around lunch; all of their wines pair great with the wood-fired pizzas from Red Hills Market.
Chehalem
This downtown tasting room and wine bar in Newberg is a great spot to pop into before dinner, once you’re done with your winery estates for the day. Chehalem wines are on tap in the wine bar, or you can try a glass from one of the other area wineries. Follow their Facebook page if you want more details on live music, workshops, and info sessions hosted at the Tasting Room and Wine Bar.
www.chehalemwines.com/tasting-room/
Natalie’s Estate
The charm of Natalie’s Estate Winery is quintessential Willamette Valley. Unpretentious and family-oriented, where everything is just good. Natalie’s is one of the few places in the region where you can sample a great Cab Franc and Old Vine Zinfandel (two of my favorite styles of wine – we brought home a bottle of each) alongside a number of delicious red wine blends. Tastings are only $15 and led by the husband and wife team who run Natalie’s, or by one of the winemakers. You can’t get much better access than that!
I can’t rave enough about how nice the owners are. We went on a holiday weekend when the owner, Cassandra, was busy in the kitchen making small bites for everyone who stopped in for a tasting. She even gave our little girl a stuffed animal to play with while we were there and then take home – how sweet! It’s no wonder their tasting room is packed full of locals every weekend.
MAP YOUR TRIP
Want to use this map for your own trip? Pin this post below, then select the star by the title to save it to your Google Maps and access from your phone in the Willamette Valley (if you’re using Google Chrome and are logged into Google). Alternately, click the brackets in the upper right to open the map in a new window.
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