Wine tripping Willamette

The wild west of wine making.

YOU WON’T SEE any covered wagons on this Oregon Trail. Now, it’s a 150-mile stretch of hills and valleys with perfectly placed vineyards, wild berries, mushroom farms, and hazelnut orchards. Who knew you could blitz through this lovely, lush part of our country and 1) visit multiple wineries in a day—if you have the stamina, palette, and fortitude, 2) Stroll through some of the most magnificent, pristine views the United States has to show—Cascade Mountains, Willamette River and 3) gastronome your way through world-class restaurants, farm-to-table food trucks, and delightful delis.

But with hundreds of wineries in the area, an experienced driver and careful planning are essential. It was harvest season with the hustle and bustle of picking, de-stemming, and skinning in full swing. Our ruff and rugged driver, aka Paul Bunyan, followed our meticulously plotted Wine Trail from winery to winery, stopping along the way for fresh blueberries, plums, hazelnuts, and an occasional roadside wine-tasting room. 

Here’s a huge surprise: Oregon’s Pinot Noirs show amazing quality, balance, and aging ability, each with a stunning expression of Burgundian character, at a fraction of the cost. Pinot fans will delight in the marked difference among the Californian, the Burgundian, and the Oregonian Pinot Noirs. Each growing area has certain distinctions that translate from the terroir to strike happy harmony on the palette. Nevertheless, the Willamette Valley Pinots always provide a mouthful of big fruit-- like cherries, cranberries, raspberries, or plums. Simply enjoy the nuances of each winemaker in this Valley, where the wineries are often family-owned, producing small-batch, high-quality yields.

Our carefully curated itinerary was selected with input from winemakers, wine buyers, wine sellers, wine investors, Wine Spectator, and our friends who had already taken this path less followed. No one told us Oregon is one of the “hottest” travel and wine regions in the world. They used to have tasting rooms that fit five or six people stacked along the streets. Now Willamette is chock full of beautiful wineries to visit with bona fide tasting rooms and cave experiences that rival Napa.

Staying about an hour southwest of Portland at the iconic Allison Inn is the first best step. Then get ready for the Wild, Wild West of winemaking, where the vintners push boundaries, creating new superstars of award-winning wines that deliver unique expressions of fabulous Pinot Noirs.

Start your journey with the best wineries in case you don’t have time for the rest. If you have only one day, rebook and make it two. Strike out early to experience the cult wineries and elevated tastings in and around AVAs Ribbon Ridge and Dundee Hills. You’ll taste wild cherry, black plum, and cranberry balanced with earthy mushroom terroir. Drink them young and vibrant if you like tangling with a wild child. Or spend a few dollars more for their vintage offering. Regardless, each Pinot’s distinctive appeal and character will provide wonderful expressions of terroir and elegance. Visit Beaux Frère, Sequitur, Alexana and Bergstrom.

Next day visit only three—Domaine Drouhin, Domaine Serene, and Archery Summit. The Domaine Drouhin paired their Pinots to comparable French Burgandies. Elevated tastings at the elegant Domaine Serene could include a Michelin-level lunch. Archery Summit delivers a superior vintage cave experience. If you are lucky enough to have a third day, travel south toward Eyrie Vineyards in McMinnville. Their Pinots provide an excellent roller coaster of nuanced red and black fruits. And take time while in McMinnville to enjoy the best walkabout town in Willamette Valley. Then, travel further south to Bethel Heights and Antica Terra Winery. Antica’s “Collective Tasting” includes New World gems, Old World selections, and gourmet food pairings.

There are so many high-quality dining choices from this mini foodie capital. For casual food, here is Honey Pie, serving gourmet NY-style pizza with local craft beer. Plus, there are several wonderful delis and bakeries along the way. Willamette Valley is rustic casual in vibe, however, the fine dining is anything but! Cuvée, a French Bistro in Carlton, serves some of the best French classics outside of France. Tina’s Restaurant in Dundee has an intimate setting with a seasonal menu using locally sourced ingredients. Whether or not you’re staying at the Allison Inn, their onsite Jory Restaurant is one of Oregon’s best restaurants where every part of your meal is homegrown, hand-picked, and made to perfection with perhaps the best vintage wine menu in the Valley.

While our goal was neither budget travel nor bargain wines, this trip was a wonderful adventure, minus the Napa wallet shock. Prepare your mind to be blown, your palette pleasantly amused, and your budget expanded as you select your new favorite Pinot Noirs.

Willamette winemakers agree there are no wrong answers when tasting hundreds of Oregon Pinots. However, they will certainly correct you on the proper annunciation of their valley. So, when you visit Oregon to ‘try on’ their simply stunning wines, have as many Pinot opinions as you want, but don’t mispronounce the name of their Valley. Think ‘hard A’ and remember to say: Will-AM-it!