Oregon Wine Tasting Intro Guide
Sitting on a patio overlooking hills of grapevines with a glass of wine and a mountain view is perhaps the perfect afternoon. It is, without doubt, my favorite way to drink wine. Whether you’re planning a trip to Oregon or have lived here for years, I think you’ll love visiting the vineyards of Oregon wine country. There is something special about spending time near the vines. Oregon is full of small producers that focus on quality, sustainability, and respect for the land. Wine tasting at the vineyards is all about hospitality and love of wine without pretension. You might even meet some alpacas along the way.
Where to go
Oregon has three main regions where wine grapes grow: the Willamette Valley, Columbia Valley, and Southern Oregon. They are American Viticulture Areas (AVAs), which means regions with shared growing conditions like climate and soil types. It can be helpful to notice which region a wine comes from to help you look for wines with similar characteristics in the future.
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is Oregon’s best-known and largest-producing wine region. It includes the hills on either side of the Willamette River between the Coastal and Cascade Mountains.
There are eleven smaller areas within the Willamette Valley known as nested AVAs. They share growing conditions broken down with more specificity. Look for names like Chehalem Mountains, Ribbon Ridge, Dundee Hills, Laurelwood, Eola-Amity Hills, Yamhill-Carlton, and McMinnville. If you like a particular wine, you may want to seek out wines from the same region since they often have similarities in taste.
The Willamette Valley is famous for growing Pinot Noir. The best comes from the nested AVAs. Other common grapes are Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, and Gamay.
Pinot Noir from Oregon tends to be lighter-bodied, earthier, and less fruit-forward than Pinots from California. It also doesn’t have the jamminess sometimes found in California Pinot. Expect good acidity and notes like cranberry, cherry, and vanilla. Oregon Pinot Noir is often compared to that of France, although each is unique.
Pinot Gris is the second most common variety. It’s dry with good acidity and tends to have a satisfying complexity in flavor. Pinot Gris from the Willamette Valley can taste like pear and ginger with a slight nuttiness.
Chardonnay from this region is often crisp with apple and lemon notes. It doesn’t have the buttery taste sometimes associated with this grape.
Columbia Valley
Most of the Columbia Valley is in Washington. Its southern border extends into Oregon along the Columbia River. Wines from this area of Oregon are more like Washington wine than the Willamette Valley.
The Columbia Valley includes the Columbia Gorge, which is closest to Portland, as well as the Rocks District, the part of Walla Walla that sits south of the Columbia River. The Rocks District is known for its incredible Syrah.
Unlike the Willamette Valley, the Columbia Valley doesn’t have a flagship grape. Many varieties grow here, like Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. It’s not known for Pinot Noir.
Some wineries in this region are close to great hiking trails in the Columbia Gorge. One of my favorite weekend activities is stopping in with my friends for a wine tasting after a hike.
The Fruit Loop south of Hood River is packed with orchards and wineries. Some have views of Mt Hood and Mt Adams. Fruit picking and wine tasting make for a great day trip from Portland.
Southern Oregon
The Southern Oregon region includes vines grown in the Umpqua and Rogue Valleys, south of the Willamette Valley. Its nested AVAs are Elkton, Red Hill Douglas, and Applegate Valley.
Microclimates in the area allow both warmer and cooler weather grapes to grow. Look for Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Viognier, Chardonnay, and Tempranillo, among others.
I’ve heard Southern Oregon described as the most up-and-coming region in the state. It has variety and experimentation, often with great results.
How to visit Oregon Wine Country
Do I need a reservation?
It depends. Reservations are becoming more common, but they’re not universal. Most winery websites will tell you if they require them. Some let you reserve online. Wineries in the Willamette Valley are most likely to require reservations, especially the larger producers. If you visit on a weekday, it’s much easier to drop in.
I highly recommend checking if you need a reservation before heading out to a winery, especially if you’re visiting from out of town and can’t easily come back another time.
Busy tasting rooms may have a specific amount of time you can stay (often 60-90 minutes) to accommodate other reservations. Others do not have time limits. In either case, if you have a reservation, it means that the tasting room is planning around your visit, so make sure to call them if you’re running late. Be careful not to overschedule and account for travel time to avoid missing a reservation.
When can I visit?
Tasting room hours are often from around 11 AM until 5 or 6 PM. Some are open 7 days a week, and others only a couple of days a week.
There isn’t a wrong season to visit. Summer and early fall will have the best weather, especially if you like sitting outside (my favorite). It’s also the time of year to see the vines looking their best.
Wine tasting in the winter can be a fun escape from the rain, and many wineries have beautiful indoor tasting rooms. Note, though, that some smaller tasting rooms are only open seasonally.
Getting to Oregon wine country
Since vineyards are in agricultural areas, you need a car. It’s easy to reach the Willamette Valley from Portland, which is about an hour away. Rideshare is an option to get there and would cost about $70 one way. Otherwise, there is the tried and true designated driver strategy. Local companies offer tours of wine country. Most tour companies offer door-to-door service, so you could skip renting a car if you’re staying in Portland.
The western portion of the Columbia Valley area is also very convenient to Portland, around an hour away. On the eastern side of the region, the Rocks District is almost 4 hours away from Portland.
The Southern Oregon region starts about three hours from Portland and extends almost to California. Roseburg and Medford are the towns in the area.
What is the atmosphere like?
Going to a winery can feel like anything from visiting a family farm to a formal tasting room that looks like an upscale restaurant. In either case, hospitality is the uniting theme. You don’t need to dress up. I do once in a while for fun, but I’ve gone straight from hiking plenty of times as well.
My best advice for making the most of your tasting is to take your time. Take in the views, pay attention to how the wine smells and tastes, and enjoy the moment.
How much does wine tasting cost?
In the Willamette Valley, tasting fees are around $40. In other wine regions, around $25. The cost of the tasting flight is often waived if you buy a certain amount of wine. There might also be options for different tasting flights with prices based on which wines are on the flight. In general, more expensive wines mean a more expensive tasting.
Bottle prices vary quite a bit, but real talk, Pinot Noir is an expensive grape to produce, and Oregon Pinot is not cheap. Expect to spend at least $40 to get a good-quality bottle. Other varieties tend to be less expensive.
Is it okay if I don’t buy wine bottles?
Yes, that’s fine. There’s a fee that covers the cost of the tasting.
What if someone isn’t drinking?
It is totally okay if someone in your group isn’t drinking at a wine tasting. Many people visiting Oregon wine country are designated drivers or not drinking for another reason. Wineries often have non-alcoholic drink options.
Food at wine tastings
I love having food with wine tastings. There is almost always some option for food at any winery, either through the tasting room or by allowing outside food. Checking the winery website or calling ahead can help you prepare.
Can I bring my dog?
If you sit outside, you can usually bring your dog to Oregon wineries. I’d recommend checking before you visit. Many winery websites will tell you if pets can come.
What if I don’t know about wine?
No problem! The staff at the tasting room will give you some information about their wines to orient you to what you’re drinking. People go wine tasting with all levels of familiarity with wine, and you can enjoy it just as much without knowing any specific terminology.
Questions about the wines are encouraged but certainly not required. Tasting room staff may be extremely knowledgeable about wine, or they are new and learning. Staff can also help suggest wineries nearby to visit. Don’t be afraid to ask for a recommendation for your next stop.
Winery memberships
It’s common for Oregon wineries to have a membership program where you get an allocation of their wines several times a year. Tasting fees are often waived for members, and you may get a discount on bottles. The winery may also have limited-release wines that are only available to its members. If you love the wines somewhere you visit, it may be worth it to sign up for a membership. If you’re more interested in trying a variety of places, you might not want to commit to a membership.
Enjoy the vineyards of Oregon!
With love,
Emma
