Home to over 600 different wineries it can be hard to figure out which combination of wineries makes the perfect Willamette Valley experience. Strides taken in their wine industry over the last decade have made them one of the top Pinot Noir producers in the world.
With every trip that I take home, it seem there are dozens more new and hip wineries to experience. Which wineries are truly worth while? What combination makes for the best Willamette Valley experience? After years of trying I have finally found the perfect combination.
Two Day Willamette Valley Experience
This two day Willamette Valley experience showcases a small cluster of wineries on day one. These wineries are all about forty-five minutes southeast of Portland. Located in several different American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) each offers a little something different when it comes to the Willamette Valley’s terroir.
Day two is all about wine and food pairing. Each winery showcases local artisan food selections that pair perfectly with their wines. Follow my layout or make your own. One thing is for sure, these seven wineries are some of the best the Willamette Valley has to offer.
Willamette Valley Experience Day 1:
Beaux Frères (Reservation Only)
A Little About Beaux Frères
Over the last two decades, Beaux Frères has become one of Oregon’s top Pinot Noir producers. Although their wines are top class they haven’t become one of those bougie off-putting wineries. Combine their down to earth vibes and dog-friendly environment with cute little pigs running around as you drive up the hill. Beaux Frères is an excellent place to start.
Established in 1988. Michael Etzel and brother-in-law, Robert Parker jr.’s wines have made it onto top shelves around the world. It’s hard to imagine that such a renowned winery came into creation due to Etzel and his wife stumbling onto a pig farm in foreclosure during their vacation in ‘86. Sometimes the greatest things in life are unplanned.
Beaux Frères rests upon an 88-acre plot at the top of the Ribbon Ridge AVA. The Winery, an old barn on the property was converted into a tasting room and is surrounded by densely forested douglas fir trees. The Property is humble. Their Wines are sophisticated and express finesse in every sip.
Beaux Frères Tasting Experience
At the door, we were greeted by a rambunctious and loving border collie and his older counterpart, a chocolate lab with lots of love to give. Rachel, Beaux Frères’ hospitality specialist immediately greeted my dog Remy offering him a complimentary water tasting.
We took our seats at a rustic barn wood tasting bar and let the tasting commence. Rachel poured us four exceptional Pinot Noirs. With each, we learned all about the land and viticultural practices used to make these exceptional wines. With every new glass of pinot poured it became apparent that their vision of producing the purest expression of a Pinot Noir has become more than that. It has become a promise.
https://www.beauxfreres.com/visit
Domaine Divio: (Call ahead for a complimentary cheese and charcuterie plate)
A Little About Domaine Divio
A relatively new vineyard, with decades of experience. Their wine is all about the winemakers. Bruno Corneaux and partner Andre Weil are no strangers to making quality wine. Bruno is a fourth-generation grape grower in Burgundy’s region of France.
After his studies, he went on to make wine around the world in South Africa, California, Oregon, and Washington. He even developed the first 10-acre vineyard and produced award-winning wines coming out of the island of Tahiti. Needless to say, they know what they are doing here.
Domaine Divio Tasting Experience
Their tasting room sits atop their estate, Clos Gallia, and is inviting and homey. The vaulted ceilings of this log cabin style building allow for ample natural light. The wood fire makes you feel at home and comfortable. Open windows showcase the landscape around you, filling you with a sense of the area’s terroir. Located down the road from Beaux Frères in the Ribbon Ridge AVA directly next to Yamhill Carlton AVA. Here You will find expressions from AVAs all around the Willamette Valley.
We worked our way through our tasting learning of their earth-friendly approach to farming. Grapes are encouraged to grow with minimal intervention. Here, they believe in letting the land speak for itself. Techniques such as irrigation are not used to make the roots dig deep and cross more soil. Their wines are balanced and sophisticated, filled with the nuances of the terrain where it was grown. This lesser-known winery is sure to make its name as a must in the Willamette Valley experience.
Soter: (Reservation Only)
A Little About Soter Vineyards
Located on a 240-acre oak savanna, known as their Mineral Spring Ranch. This ranch is home to 40 or so acres of their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. Located in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA Soter is known not only for their still wine but also for their Methode Champenoise sparkling. In the area, many people have taken to calling their irresistible sparkling wine, “soter pop”.
Spending a little bit more for a tasting and wine pairing is an experience you will not soon forget. They stand out not only in exceptional wine. Their hospitality experience goes above and beyond, being one of the best overall experiences of any winery in the valley.
Soter Tasting Experience
As we parked our car our tasting specialist was there to greet us with a crisp glass of rose. A walk inside their modern style tasting room revealed an open kitchen. Here chef, Sara Hauman’s vision came to life before your eyes. She makes weekly changing specials using ingredients straight from the Mineral Springs Ranch. Of course except for things like oysters, cause I mean come on bubbles and oysters…duh.
There are plenty of tables and couches to sit on as their open windows frame the beautiful landscape that is the Willamette Valley. You learn of winemaker Chris Flatwoods’ collaboration with the Mineral Springs Ranch team as well as owners Tony and Michelle Soter vision. Their dedication to respectful farming and craftsmanship, as well as showcasing the ancient soils the wines, are grown in. These wines are sure to impress even the pickiest of drinkers.
http://sotervineyards.com/visit
De Ponte: (Walk-in or reserve their overnight vineyard retreat)
A Little About De Ponte
De Ponte is home to one of the best winemakers the Willamette Valley has to offer. Here French winemaker, Isabelle Dutartre, stays true to her Burgundian roots. The wines reflect her commitment to both quality and tradition. Established in 1999 by the Baldwin family and named after their matriarch, Shirley. This winery pays tribute to her father who grew grapes in California’s San Joaquin Valley.
Here, they specialize not only in Pinot Noir but also in a lesser-known varietal Melon de Bourgogne. This white wine thought for years to be pinot blanc, thrives in the climate of the Willamette Valley. Being one of the more laid back environments I feel comfortable here. While chatting about my day of wine tasting the tasting attendant listens to my ques and brings me over taste after taste of wines I never knew I loved so much. De Ponte is the perfect end to a day of tasting exceptionally crafted wines.
De Ponte Tasting Experience
As we enter the tasting room we are greeted by a loving calico cat. (If you haven’t guessed this by now, I love animals!) After giving kitty some much-needed head scratches I make my way over to their wooden bar. There is a glass wall behind me revealing several fermentation tanks as their informative and witty tasting attendant begins to pour me tastes of several of their exceptional wines. Isabelle’s clear expertise it is almost breathtaking.
https://www.depontecellars.com/tasting-room
Willamette Valley Experience Day Two:
Brooks: (Walk-in/Reserve for vineyard tour)
About Brooks Winery
The Willamette Valley is filled with Pinot Noir driven wineries. While Brooks has some amazing Pinot Noirs they specialize in something different. Brooks founder, Jimi Brooks’ vision of creating exceptional Riesling in the Willamette Valley comes to life here. You will find over thirty different styles of Riesling, including sparkling! Each one highlighting the terroir of their surrounding climate.
At Brooks, they believe in making wine that is “a true expression of the land it’s grown on”. They use minimally invasive biodynamic practices which leads to their Riesling being incredibly expressive of their terroir. These wines prove that Oregon Riesling is some of the best the world has to offer.
Brooks Tasting Experience
Passion is everywhere at Brooks, this is evident the second you walk through the doors of their open-concept tasting room. As we sit at their tasting bar we are greeted by one of their welcoming tasting attendants who begins to tell us of Brooks’ rich history.
We learn of their dedication to their late owner and founder, Jimi, and the way the community came together to make his dreams continue to come true after his unexpected passing. It is evident wine after wine that these wines have a characteristic that cannot be faked, love.
As we make our way through the tasting menu each riesling showcases different aspects of what this dynamic grape has to offer. Our tasting is made better by their seasonal farm to table menu. Featuring Brussel sprouts, french onion soup, charcuterie boards, and scallops allow for a perfect food and wine pairing adventure. I settle on an out of this world french onion soup, seasoned to perfection.
https://www.brookswine.com/experiences/
Willamette Valley Vineyards: (Walk-in or Reservation)
A Little About Willamette Valley Vineyards
Established in 1983 Willamette Valley Vineyards is one of the pioneers of the Oregon winery scene, and a must-stop destination every time I visit home. Named by Wine Enthusiast as “One America’s Greatest Pinot Noir Producers”. WVV produces some of the highest quality fruit expressive of the region’s terroir. A trip to their vineyard tasting room reveals expansive tasting opportunities from laid back wine flights to monthly themed three-course tasting dinners.
Willamette Valley Vineyards Experience
As you make the drive up the hillside you are surrounded by row after row of vines. There are several settings to enjoy your tasting experience. Stand up tasting bars, quaint fireplaces, a patio, and courtyard allow you to choose your own adventure.
The views from the patio showcase the beauty of the Willamette Valley wine region. Picturesque views of rolling hillsides filled with vines in every direction. Their expansive menu features hummus, charcuterie, local salmon, and hearty burgers. Willamette Valley Vineyards has pairing options sure to make everyone in your group happy.
https://www.wvv.com/EstateTastingRoom
King Estate: (Dining Reservation suggested)
A Little About King Estate Winery
Their location on one of the largest organic vineyards in the world makes King Estate an experience like no other. They pride themselves in constantly doing their part to better the area in which their grapes are grown. These practices lead to some of the best expressions of both Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris in the region.
Treated as an organic eco-system the purity of the land seeps into the wines produced on their estate. The estate is filled with orchards as well as vegetable and fruit gardens. It is also home to some 200 different species of wildlife. Six rare and endangered species call their 40 acres of oak woodlands home. Here they have several programs dedicated to the rehabilitation and continuation of these beautiful species. From their organic farming practices to the use of solar power, it is clear that passion is in every detail that makes King Estate.
King Estate Winery Experience
As you make your way up the long driveway to King Estates winery it seems as if you are driving up to a beautiful castle on a hill. All around you are rows of vines, gardens, and flowers. Rolling hill after rolling hill of every shade of green you could begin to imagine.
A walk through their tasting room reveals a beautiful wooden tasting bar showcasing several of their current vintages. They have several dining areas both indoor and outdoor. Inside tables covered with white table clothes invite you to enjoy a formal dining setting. Their outdoor patio showcases panoramic views of the wine region.
At their full-service restaurant, you can enjoy their chef’s farm to table food along with any of their several tasting options. All of the food featured on their menu is sourced, whenever possible, directly from their farm. This is just another way King Estate is dedicated to supporting sustainable agriculture. This leads to excellently crafted wine and food pairings. Their formal dining setting is accompanied with out of this world service and a wine list featuring both current and past vintages.
https://www.kingestate.com/tasting-room
https://www.kingestate.com/tastings-restaurant/restaurant
A Few Other Wineries I Love
Left Coast Estate (White Pinot Noir = LOVE)
Dobbes
Durrant
Domaine Drouhin
Domaine Serene
Big Table Farms
Penner-Ash
Eola-Hills Wine Cellars (great for events)
David Hill
Sokol Blosser