The Top 10 Willamette Valley Wineries Oregon You Must Experience

Brick House Wines

Brick House Wines was a fabulous winery to visit not only for their high quality, delicious wines but they had some of the views of the most beautiful vineyards of my trip. I was hosted by Owner & Winemaker Doug Tunnell who’s a total character. Very charismatic, used to work in broadcasting at CBS before starting the winery so full of great stories and wonderful wine flowing as we hung out and visited. They have a most authentic, down to earth experience (which feels very Oregon) with guests hosted on their gorgeous back deck overlooking the spectacular vineyard views shown below. This winery is also farmed biodynamically which adds another interesting element to learning about Doug’s old world, lovely Winemaking style. 18200 NE Lewis Rogers Ln, Newberg, OR 97132

Owner & Winemaker Doug Tunnell all smiles during our lovely visit.

This is how I feel about finally visiting the Willamette Valley and spending a few hours with the talented Doug Tunnell at Brick House.

Chehalem Winery Tasting Room & Wine Bar

Chehalem Winery Tasting Room & Wine Bar is another great family-owned brand that I suggest you experience during your visit to the Willamette Valley. They have a tasting room in downtown Newberg which is great. I experienced during Covid-19 so my tasting was a bit different than usual but it was still very delicious, informative and most importantly, I felt extremely safe with the new precautions put into place. Read more below. 106 S Center St, Newberg, OR 97132

Views of the interior of the tasting room. Prior to it being a tasting room it was a mechanic’s shop so it has a super cool lofty vibe to it adding to the interesting character.

I was welcomed with a flight of two white wines and a Rosé Wine. I found the two whites extremely interesting, The first was a Gruner Veltliner and the second was a Riesling. The Riesling had great acidity, also pretty dry with a rich creamy taste to it which I loved. The Rose of Pinot Noir was very dedicated with strawberry aromatics and a fresh acidic burst on the finish.

After the first flight, we moved onto the Pinot Noir Wines (always my favorite). These three were also very lovely, each with different flavor profiles since they were from different vineyards. I love it when a winery makes a few of the same varietal yet each one is such a unique expression of the vineyard, terroir or clone.

You know it’s been a productive tasting when I leave with wine to go! Thanks to the Chehalem Winery Team for a delicious, informative, and fun visit.

Domaine Drouhin

Domaine Drouhin is another beautiful Willamette Valley Oregon Winery that I visited during my trip. I was able to try a bunch of different wines and each one brought something unique to the table. This is a very historic Oregon Winery and one that I suggested you experience if you make it to the Willamette Valley. See more about Domaine Drouhin below.

Domaine Drouhin is located in the Dundee Hills AVA.

Arriving with a COVID welcome of hand sanitizer and the various precautions the winery is taking to keep their guests and their team safe during COVID.

I was welcomed with a glass of Rose. It’s small touches like this that really set apart a hospitality experience.

How cute are the small little wine decanters that the wines were served in. They were pre poured, another COVID precaution to avoid excess germs touching the bottle.

Domaine Roy & Fils

Domaine Roy & fils is probably the coolest most chic tasting room on this list. They are for sure the new kids in town and after visiting I can see why. They have a gorgeous winery located in the Dundee Hills with a fabulous team including Winemaker Jared Etzel, and their Director of Hospitality Ashely Barg comes from California Fine Dining at one of my favorite’s The French Laundry (read more about TFL here). Combing a beautiful facility, a talented winemaker, lovely wines and a great team make this winery a favorite for those of you wanting it all. Cool scene. Beauty. Great wines and lovely hospitality. Read more about my visit on the blog here.

Evening Land Vineyard Tasting

One of the most anticipated Wineries on this trip was Evening Land a sister winery to Domaine de La Cote which I’ve written about in California collaboration between Sommelier & Winemaker Rajat Parr (read my interview with Raj Parr here and Winemaker Sashi Moorman. Having already fallen in love with their California Wines Sandhi & Domaine de La Cote I knew that Evening Land would have the same impact on me… Sure enough, it did. See more about this spectacular winery below and see why this MUST be on your Willamette Valley Oregon Winery must-see list.

Arriving fro our social distanced Evening Land Tasting (during June, 2020 of COVID). I love how relaxed this setting is with the blankets, picnic table and the best part the warm fire pit beside the table. This is truly such a great example of how chill Oregon Wine Country is.

This is how excited I am to be at Evening Lands and spending 4 days in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. A huge thanks to all the wineries who hosted me and showed me this incredible wine region. I am officially IN LOVE!

This was my favorite Evening Lands Pinot Noir and I learned that this La Source from Seven Springs Estate isn’t produced anymore. Go figure I fall in love with a very special vintage I can no longer enjoy… Regardless, all the Evening Lands Wines are stunning.

Gran Moraine

Gran Moraine is a brand I first tasted a few years ago at World of Pinot Noir and immediately adored their Pinot Noir Wines. Their Winemaker is Shane Moore who you can learn about in my Interview with Shane Moore here. The Gran Moraine Wines are lovely, they showcase a beautiful expression of Oregon Pinot Noir Wines.

Located in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, an “AVA which was granted in 2004 to distinguish fruit grown in the oldest marine sedimentary based soils in the greater Willamette Valley. These soils and the growing conditions create wine with a profile that is distinct from that of wine from the surrounding AVAs in several significant ways. More specifically, the Pinot Noirs lean to black fruit, minerality, and floral—rose and violet—elements. In addition, the AVA is located primarily on hillsides between 200 and 500 feet in elevation, the sweet spot for distinctive, age-worthy Pinot Noir. Although the spring can often be wet and cool, it is normal for this AVA to enjoy a more Mediterranean weather pattern from July through mid-October, as the Coast Range protects the northern parts of the Willamette Valley.”

The experience at Gran Moraine will not only showcase beautiful wines, but also exceptional guest experience and a hospitality team that’s extremely knowledgeable about their wines and winegrowing practices.

The lounge at Gran Moraine Winery. I visited during COVID 19 so all the guests experienced tastings outside but I can imagine during the cooler Fall or Winter months how cozy a tasting would be in this beautiful interior space.

Views of my spectacular wine tasting at Gran Moraine. Pretty hard to beat this line up of gorgeous Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton AVA wines with these gorgeous vineyard views.

L’Angolo Estate

L’Angolo is another winery on this list that you won’t want to miss! The winery was absolutely stunning (just look at the photos!), the wines were delightful, and the people I met were so friendly and welcoming.

The gorgeous L’Angelo Winery. This is fairly new and the beautiful modern building is absolutely stunning. With views of their winery, this was another architectural gem of the 10 Best Willamette Valley Wineries I had the pleasure of experiencing.

A lovely sparkling wine welcome to help settle me in. Such a nice gesture as guests arrive to help them relax as they begin the L’Angelo tasting.

A side by side of the 2016 and 2017 Pinot Noir Wines. I have to say these were incredible. Super rich, smooth, and just beautiful. Any Pinot Noir & Chardonnay lovers (like me) must be sure to visit L’Angolo on a visit to Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

The Estate Chardonnay. This was hands down one of my favorite Chardonnay’s enjoying on this trip. It was super light, crisp and tasted like an old world Chardonnay.

Lingua Franca Wines

Lingua Franca Wines is a Willamette Valley Oregon Winery that is truly special in its own way. You can see Lingua Franca’s philosophy in their dedication to their vineyards and the region of Willamette Valley in Oregon. They produce high quality, delicious wines that feel luxurious and special in taste and texture.

Touring the Lingua Franca Vineyard’s with Master Sommelier and Owner Larry Stone. This was truly a special experience as he shared so much about this region’s history, the grapes and the terroir of the region.

All smiles in heaven!

The line up of Lingua Franca Wines Larry and I tasted through. I think I’ve died and gone to Wine heaven!

Penner-Ash

Penner-Ash Wine Cellars is a Willamette Valley Oregon Winery that has impressed me in every way. Their wines are delicious, their dedication to the craft of winemaking is outstanding, and their hospitality is heartwarming and wonderful. And this visit was no different! My amazing experience at Penner-Ash has only made me more excited to come back next time.

I love a menu that’s personalized for each guest. It’s a small detail but makes you feel so welcome!

The Penner Ash Pinot Noirs were some of the smoothest and silkiest I had during this trip. After tasting wines for 4 days Penner-Ash was one of my last stops and it stood out as having some of the most lovely Pinot Noir wines I enjoyed during the trip.