Wow, friends. It’s been a very HOT minute since I’ve blogged. No rhyme or reason, just navigating life in a pandemic (still) and with that has come waves of inspiration and moments where I feel like I’m simply, just surviving. Some things that have really helped me survive and thrive during this wild time has been escaping ‘home’ and adventuring to nearby places for a much-needed mental reset. I was fortunate enough this summer to have several trips that did just that. And one of these trips was to Oregon’s beautiful Willamette Valley aka the Pacific Northwest’s wine country.

As you know, I can’t go on any trip without some form of a plan or reservation in tow, so I’m here to break down our trip for you — where we dined, wined and relaxed. I also want to mention that we went to wine country in August of this year in the midst of a heat wave, fire season (lots of smoke) and yes, during the pandemic (and a mask mandate). So there was quite a bit to navigate there, but we still go to ‘experience’ wine country to the best of our ability!

Some things to note:

Make reservations! For almost any wine tasting it is wise to make reservations in advance. Most places in Willamette require tasting reservations especially for a larger party and to accomodate COVID restrictions.

Where we stayed: we found an Airbnb in Dayton, Oregon which is driving distance to all of the wineries we ventured off to. Dayton, Dundee, McMinnville and Newberg are all fabulous spots to stay when indulging in a weekend of wine tasting.

Types of wine: One thing to be aware of when wine tasting in this region is that you’ll be indulging in pinot noirs and chardonnays. I want to caveat and say that I have never been a chardonnay fan. But it took until this trip for me to realize that Pacific Northwest chardonnays just ‘hit different’ and don’t have the oak/butter taste that I dislike of California chardonnays. This newfound appreciation and love for chardonnay was a fun discovery on this trip, all thanks to the wine experts we were able to chat with during our tastings (my favorite part of wine tasting, by far!)

COVID protocol: Upon arrival, Oregon had a mask mandate (which we appreciated!) Each of the wineries we went to did a great job of prioritizing mask wearing, social distancing and safety measures for everyone there.

Here’s a breakdown of our trip itinerary:

Thursday:

We got to wine country later in the day for our Airbnb check-in so no tasting was on the docket for the day. Instead, we decided to venture to McMinnville for dinner at the highly recommended Red Hills Kitchen. And wow! This restaurant did not disappoint. Situated inside the Atticus Hotel, the restaurant has an industrial/modern look and feel and the menu was a 10/10. Everything we ordered was delicious. From the wine, meat/cheese board to each entrée and affogato for dessert.

One thing to note: they only take walk-ins and have more limited seating for a larger group inside, however, the wait on a Thursday evening was not bad (less than 10 minutes) for our party of 5.

Friday:

On Friday we dubbed this a ‘girls only’ wine tasting day. I mapped out in advance how close all of the wineries were to ensure the drives were not too long in between and planned our tasting times accordingly, to give us enough time to relax but also hit 3-4 spots in a day.

Eminent Domaine:

-$20 tasting fee (waived with purchase)

-Beautiful grounds on a family vineyard with a stunning overlook and outdoor area. However, since it was smoky outside, we opted to stay inside for our tasting.

Penner Ash:

-$40 tasting fee (waived with purchase)

-Female founded winery.

-We were greeted and brought to our designated table indoors (once again, due to the smoke) and enjoyed a bounty of wines in the flight. We were told the views are stunning from the winery on a clear day.

-Our server also gave us a full run down on wine growing in Oregon (even brought out various soils for us to look at!) It was fun to have a more educational experience and insight into where the wine we were drinking came from.

L’angelo Estate

-$30 tasting fee.

-100% estate winery

-The vibe: Modern design meets classic Northwest architecture in our newly built tasting room at the top of the hill.

-We lounged inside the tasting room in their living room area and indulged in a wine flight. This is where we truly learned about our newfound appreciation for Pacific Northwest chardonnays.

For dinner that evening, we went to Trellis Wine Bar & Kitchen for Northwest/American fare. We sat outside on their patio and enjoyed a wonderful meal after a day of tasting.

Saturday:

Saturday was a group tasting day. We first loaded up on breakfast burritos in Dayton at a nearby Mexican restaurant to start the day of tasting.

Alit:

-$20 tasting fee

-Located inside a smaller, industrial building. We lounged and enjoyed our tasting in their living room area. Their stance on wine? “We’re a small team of passionate winemakers, driven to spread the pleasure of exceptional wines. Through transparent winemaking and honest pricing, we’re breaking down barriers to fine wine.”

Stoller Family Estate:

-$20 tasting fee

-Located on stunning grounds with rolling vineyard hills and picturesque views. We had a designated table inside to ourselves for our tasting.

Elizabeth Chambers Cellars:

- A boutique winery specializing in handcrafted micro-regional Pinot Noir made in McMinnville, the heart of Oregon Wine Country.

-$25 tasting fee

-The tasting room is located in a historic McMinnville brick power plant building.

-We had a spot outdoor in their patio and we enjoyed our tasting flights and a charcuterie and cheese board.

For dinner that evening our reservation was canceled due to staffing shortages, but we were fortunate enough to receive the recommendation of Pizza Capo, that ended up being the perfect ending to our wine tasting day. Although they only accepted walk-ins, after a 30 minute wait we were situated inside their dining room and indulged in all things wine, pizza, salads and dessert.

SUNDAY:

Our final day in wine country had to be kicked off with a hearty brunch. I made reservations at Ruddick / Wood in Newberg, a rustic bistro serving seasonal American fare and craft cocktails. Their brunch was delicious and portions were very filling.

Our final tasting on the way out of town was at Argyle, specializing in sparkling wine flights ($30 tasting). The interior gives off California-coastal feels and their tasting room is rather large and sprawling – inside and outdoor on their spacious well-maintained patio. We sat under a covered patio and enjoyed our flight and recapped a fun weekend of tasting and quality time with friends!

We had such a wonderful time exploring Willamette Valley for the course of a long weekend and we are excited to return for more tasting in the future. The drive from Seattle (on a good day with minimal traffic) is 4 hours so it feels bearable for a long weekend away, especially if you have jam-packed days of tasting.