Written by people who live here
Steal one of our days
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Everything Grows Out Here
It’s incredible to see. It’s fruits, vegetables, grains, hops, decorative plants—you name it. Drive to Carlton, McMinnville, or St. Paul and you’ll see it.…
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Why I Love Oregon Wine Country
I love the community of the Oregon wine country. You will frequently run into winemakers, chefs and boutique owners all in line for coffee…
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Luxury Guide to Oregon Wine Country
If you travel Four Seasons and Aman, the honest question about Oregon is whether the service holds up. It does — but it arrives…
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Wine Country Whiskey Trail
What strikes me most about these distilleries is that they're all small-batch makers doing genuinely unique things. This isn't corporate spirits with fancy marketing—these…
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The Small-Town Side of Oregon Wine Country
Oregon Wine Country is special because it feels both grounded and extraordinary. The scenery is stunning: vineyards, winding back roads, and mountain views. But…
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An Art Lover’s Guide to Oregon Wine Country
Where to find original Oregon art between tastings. Galleries, sculpture walks, studio tours and First Friday, in Newberg, Dundee and McMinnville — written by…
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The Pet Guide to Oregon Wine Country
Everyone is very friendly here, but just in case, make sure to check in with the businesses prior to arriving. Here are my favorite…
Planning something specific
Thirty minutes with someone who lives here
Tell me who is coming, how long you have, and what you are celebrating. I will build the day around it — which reservations are worth making, which places suit your group, and what to skip.
Usually $100 Free
First 10 sessions · 10 left
- A one-on-one call
- Includes a list of suggestions
- Honest advice, including where not to go
Book a week ahead where you can. Reschedule any time up to 24 hours before.
Book a sessionQuestions we get asked
Short answers from people who live here. If yours isn't here, try the search box up top.
How far is Oregon wine country from Portland?
About 45 minutes. Newberg is the first town you hit coming southwest on 99W, and Dundee is five minutes past that. You can be in a tasting room an hour after leaving downtown Portland, which is why so many people do this as a day trip.
When is the best time to visit?
Late spring through October is the easy answer that everyone says. September and early October are harvest, which is the most interesting time to be here and also the busiest. Summer is dry and warm. November through April is quieter and our top choice for when to visit. Everything is in hibernation and the tasting rooms and restaurants are cozy and welcoming.
How many wineries can you visit in a day?
Three is pushing it. Four is a lot. A tasting runs 45 minutes to an hour and a half, and the driving between them is part of the point — these are back roads, not a strip. If you're trying for five, you're not tasting, you're commuting.
What's the difference between the AVAs?
The Willamette Valley has nested growing regions, and the northern ones each sit on different soil. Dundee Hills is the red volcanic Jory soil people talk about. Ribbon Ridge is small and sheltered. Yamhill-Carlton runs to marine sedimentary. Chehalem Mountains spans the widest range of elevation. Further south, the Eola-Amity Hills catch afternoon wind off the Van Duzer Corridor, which gives those wines noticeably more structure. You'll taste the difference across a day if you go looking for it.
What should I wear?
Layers. Tasting rooms sit around 58 degrees year-round because that's what the wine wants, and most have gravel parking and outdoor seating. Closed shoes, something warm you can take off, and skip strong perfume — it interferes with tasting.
We tend to run casual around here, but a refined look is always welcomed in fine dining establishments and higher end tasting rooms.
If you arrive underdressed for the weather — which happens to almost everyone — downtown Newberg and McMinnville both have good independent shops within a few blocks of the tasting rooms. Minthorn is ours, on the main drag in Newberg, stocking sustainable pieces built for exactly this. There are several other worthwhile local retailers nearby, all listed under Shop.
In the news
The Luxe Conglomerate Quietly Gaining Ground in the Willamette Valley
New money famously draws skepticism when coming into the valley. What’s different about the Ground’s mini wellness empire?
Climate Shifts Could Reshape Oregon’s Pinot Noir Industry
An increasingly warm and dry climate is reshaping the signature grape and has winemakers asking: is Pinot Noir losing its cool in the Willamette Valley?
International Pinot Noir Celebration 2026
The world's premier Pinot Noir event returns to Linfield University in McMinnville, July 24-26.
Wolves & People Opens Downtown Newberg Taproom
The beloved farmhouse brewery expands with a live music venue in Newberg's oldest building on Meridian Street.
Former Dutch Bros CEO Returns to Wine, Buys Winderlea Vineyard
Joth Ricci and family acquire the historic Dundee Hills winery, home to some of Oregon's oldest vines dating back to 1974.
Clementine Opens in Downtown Newberg
The team behind Loam Kitchen debuts a new wood-fired restaurant with live music in the former First Street Pub space.
Why Oregon’s Dundee Hills AVA Is Just Right for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Unmissable Food and Wine Stops in the Willamette Valley
Lucky Duck Opens in Downtown Carlton
The Hayward team debuts a bakery-cafe with Revel meats, curated retail, and a pop-up patio in a restored 1920s bank building this July.
The Most Exciting Chefs in the Willamette Valley Right Now
The World’s Top 10 Wine Destinations for 2025
Oregon’s First 100-Point Wine
Bethel Heights' 2023 "The High Wire" Chardonnay from the Eola-Amity Hills AVA received a perfect score—a historic first for Oregon.
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