Why you can trust what's here

I grew up in the Willamette Valley on our family's apple orchard, with the Dundee Hills on the horizon. I worked the farms out on the French Prairie, left for college, and came back in 2007 to run a bed and breakfast — where I spent years hosting guests from around the world and building their days here. Where to eat, which winery would actually suit them, what they'd regret missing.

That part never wore off. I've been doing it ever since, mostly for anyone who asks.

Here's the problem with most Oregon wine country guides: they're written by people who visited once or it's centered entirely around wine rather than your entire experience. They'll give you the famous names, the flagship wineries, the restaurant that won the award. Useful — but it's the same list everyone already has. It won't tell you which winery you'll actually meet the winemaker at, which road is the best way in from the airport, which food cart is worth planning a day around, or the best place to celebrate something special.

That knowledge comes from twenty years of conversations at a shop in downtown Newberg, from hands I've shaken and harvests I've watched come and go. This site is where it lives now.

How I judge things

On food: I married a fine-dining chef, which has made me genuinely hard to please. Nothing lands on this site because it's simply fine.

On wine: I care more about the experience than chasing a particular palate. Everyone's tastes differ, and I'd rather send you somewhere you'll have a wonderful afternoon than insist you love what I love. For deeper wine guidance I lean on friends in the industry who know far more than I do — and I'll tell you when I'm doing that.

On kids: I'm a mom of two littles. I know which places work with them and which really don't.

On the region: We are more than a bottle of wine. The growers here planted the most fickle grape on the planet in a place known for difficult weather, against every reasonable piece of advice, and then did it again the next year. That devotion is everywhere in the northern Willamette Valley if you know where to look. This site exists to help you look.

How to use this guide

The question I get every week is where should I go wine tasting? My answer isn't a list — it's a question back. What kind of trip are you having?

That changes everything. Pick your experience and let me fill in the rest.

[Experiences & Local Guides →]

One more thing

Every day is a good day to visit. Harvest is golden and alive. Winter is quiet and intimate — cellar season is when Pinot was made to be poured, by a fire, without the crowds. Spring brings bud break and a green that doesn't exist anywhere else. Summer means long evenings on open terraces with light lasting until nine.

The weather here is part of the experience, not a reason to wait for a better forecast.

Let's plan your trip

Come by Minthorn in downtown Newberg and tell me what you're thinking — I'm often at the counter working on someone's itinerary or you can pick up some of my recommendations. Or reach out anytime:

Email: lauren@drinkwithus.com
Call or text: (503) 308-8823

I answer texts faster than email, and I'd rather hear what you're planning than have you guess from a website.

Come as you are. We'll take care of you.