I love wine. In fact we have been to a ton of wineries, which is my favorite thing. I love visiting wineries, to get to know the wines they produce that you can’t find anywhere. Hearing about the winemaker, the purpose behind the labels and the production of the wine in general…There is just something about the one on one time that just gets me.
Anyway, I have covered a bunch of California wines in the past since we lived in the area. But the wine country that really stole my heart was the Willamette Valley in Oregon.
James I went on a whim a little over five years ago, and then again when Aria was about 4 months old. And it has been a place I have been dying to go back. The wines were amazing, the vibe was casual and I noticed everyone truly supported one another.
I think to make this easy to go through I’m going to break this down into a couple of sections. This way weather you’re going for a day, or a whole weekend you can figure out the best places to visit!
Top 5 Wineries in Willamette Valley
If you only have one day in the Willamette I would pick from this list. These were our absolute favorites and we ended up buying several wines during our visit. Plus we have continued to buy these at local wine stores, or ordered them online.
Ayoub– hands down our favorite place. Tasting with Mo is so much fun. When we went we were sitting in his kitchen tasting the wines. He’s so fun to chat with and the wines are THE BEST. So good, that we had to go both trips we’ve made. We have purchased many of his wines. This is appointment only so be sure to call ahead and make an appointment.
Brick House – Another appointment only tasting, but definitely worth it. We ended purchasing 3 or 4 wines during our visit because they we so good. The tasting room was small, quiet and quaint. Which I love. You can learn more about the wines and really enjoy the ones you’re tasting.
White Rose – Another one that we visited on both trips. The Pinots are just amazing. It’s in a cute little wooden tasting room, and it’s close proximity to the next winery on this list. We purchased wines here and we also have some of their wine glasses.
Domaine Serene – We have done two tips of tasting here. When James and I went the first time, we just walked in and did a tasting. Our second trip with my in-laws we had a schedule library wines tasting and tour. This place is gorgeous! You will love the peaceful vibes.
WillaKenzie – This one is a little further out, but definitely worth the drive. The wines are amazing and they have a great patio. I bought wines during our trip, and since have purchased online and shipped.
If you have a second day, or want to fit in more than 5 wineries in a day. Which is totally doable if you are with a friend and share tastings here are five more wineries that are awesome and would be our choices for Top 10 wineries in the Willamette Wine Country.
More Great Willamette Valley Wineries
Archery Summit – such a pretty place. They also are the only winery to have the caves. Although you can just pop in for a tasting, which we did our first trip. They do tours daily of the caves, which is super cool, but our second trip we did their barrel tasting.
Bergstrom – You can’t go wrong with Bergstrom. These wines are so good, and our favorite thing was sitting on the patio and enjoying the tasting.
Colene Clemons – We stopped at this place after Willakenzie, and it was a great stop. It’s such pretty place and we enjoyed chatting with the girl pouring our wines.
The Four Graces – We got lucky the first time we stopped here. It was towards the end of the night, were the only two in there. The wines are fantastic!
Owen Roe – Although there isn’t a tradition tasting room here, you can make an appointment to taste. We bought a few while we were there and have found several since to buy. Such a great experience, and we tasted right in the barrel room!
Stoller – Another great tasting room. This place is so pretty. On our first trip it was a clear day and had great views of Mt Hood. This is actually where we were chatting with another person that recommended Ayoub to us.
This is a solid list of the top wineries to visit if you have a couple days in the Willamette Valley. Since we have been to quite a few more places I’m going to just list a them in case you have a third day , or plan to make more than one trip.
We also like organize our tasting days with wineries that are close to each so we don’t spend too much time on the road between places. So these would make great filler stops if they’re close to some of the places above.
More Great Willamette Wineries
- Penner Ash
- Adelsheim
- Anne Amie
- Domaine Drouhin
- Hyland
- Ponzi
- Argyle
- Winderlea
- Erath
- Elk Cove
- Roco
- Torri Mor
The wine in Oregon are all really good. We didn’t really stop at a place we didn’t like. If you have been to the Willamette Valley and there’s a place you love, please comment below. I want to know as we are wanting to plan another trip soon!
I hope you enjoyed this list! If you make a trip or know someone planning a trip please share this post with them. And let me know in the comments below if this guide was helpful and if you loved these choices as well!
Such an adorable place! Love visiting wineries too.
Jessica | notjessfashion.com