A BLONDE VINTAGE

I love wine country and sometimes I hardly feel like I can get enough of it. So naturally, I’d been whining (super attractive, I know) for a weekend getaway to Oregon Wine Country. Finally, we had some free time a few weeks ago and the hubs finally took the hint and booked us a weekend up north. Considering I was pretty excited, I decided to plan a pinot-packed schedule of all my favorite wineries, restaurants and experiences. See below for my guide to the perfect weekend getaway to Oregon Wine country and hopefully, this will help you plan your next getaway with your significant other or girlfriends!

Stay

For this trip, we stayed at The Atticus Hotel in McMinnville particularly because we wanted to be able to walk to dinner each evening. The Atticus is a new 36-room boutique hotel and is absolutely stunning. It has a comfortable, luxurious vibe, sparing no small detail with every hallway featuring local artists and rich designs. The beds are super comfortable, and the room’s amenities spot on. Our room even had a temperature controlled wine fridge and Pendleton bathrobes! I could really ask for nothing more!

Other Upper Willamette Valley Hotels

Allison Inn & Spa – A upscale, high-end, spa resort is located on 35 acres of grounds and is within 10 miles of dozens of wineries. There is also an amazing restaurant onsite.

Atticus Hotel – A boutique hotel in the center of McMinnville. Walking distance from shops, restaurants and tasting rooms!

Inn at Red Hills – This boutique Inn is very straightforward, no frills and set along Dundee’s main strip, and within a mile of multiple wineries. You can walk to taste at several of Oregon’s premier locations during the day and then walk to dinner in the evening.

Black Walnut Inn & Vineyard – A B&B with a lovely tasting room. For a high-end, intimate Epicurean  stay, this is your best choice.

The Vintages Trailer Resort – This quirky trailer resort in the heart of the upper Willamette Valley is 2 miles from both Sokol Blosser Winery and Stoller Vineyards.

Sip

Since we were beginning our journey in Salem, we decided to head to the west of Salem and take the 221 up towards Dundee. Along this drive there are several wonderful and definitely worth mentioning wineries. If you’re coming from Eugene, or really anywhere south of Salem, it’s also a beautiful drive and detour away from I5.

Eola- Amity Hills

Brooks Known for their Rieslings, Brooks also makes some amazing Pinots. Stop in here to have a wonderful lunch, while enjoying the view and some delicious wines.

Bjornson If you’ve never been to France, but want to have the closest experience to enjoying the vision of a French Chateau set along the countryside.. then Bjornson should be on your list of stops. Not to mention they have some of the most amazing Pinot noir. Totally drool worthy.

McMinnville

I love walking through McMinnville and visiting some of the tasting rooms around the center of town. It’s a lovely experience and a great way to enjoy some wine tasting before you head to dinner. For this particular trip we checked into our hotel after visiting Brooks and Bjornson, unpacked a bit and then headed to a few tasting rooms walking distance from the hotel.

Elizabeth Chambers – An intimate, gorgeous renovated space with an English garden. Absolutely lovely wines, attentive staff and a for-sure great experience.

The Eyrie  – The winery, led by winemaker David Lett, that put Oregon on the map by producing the first Pinot Gris in the United States. A must stop, if nothing else but for an Oregon wine country history lesson.

R. Stuart & Co.  – This is a great spot if you like bubbles and everything in between. They make lovely Pinots to Rosè to Port.

Terra Vina– I love Terra Vina because they make amazing heavy reds. And, in Pinot Country, a heavy red can be a nice hiatus during a day of wine tasting. I personally love their Cab Franc.

Wineries Surrounding Dundee

On our second day, we decided to head out towards Dundee, Dayton and Newberg to do a bit of wine tasting. The following wineries are ones which I highly recommend if you’re ever in the area! Some do require advance reservations, but I’ve noted that under their description.

Antica Terra – Female winemaker, Maggie Harrison specializes in small-lot Chardonnay and Pinot noir. One of my very favorite places to visit, the wine is always a stunning reflection of the vintage.

Argyle Winery – Known for their exceptional sparkling wines, this is the best place to begin your day wine tasting, you’ll definitely want to call and reserve your spot ahead of time!

Dobbes Family Estate – Next to Arygle along the Dundee highway, Joe Dobbes makes incredible wines ranging from Pinot gris, Pinot noir, Chardonnay to heavier whites and reds including Viognier, Syrah and Malbec.

Four Graces – The Four Graces is located in a small historic farmhouse in the heart of the Willamette Valley. Their sustainably farmed, well-tended vineyards produce elegant and delicious wines.

Evening Land – Their tasting room is downtown Dundee and walking distance from Argyle and Dobbes Family. Their wines are quite exceptional and it’s worth a quick stop!

Wineries Surrounding Dayton

Domaine Drouhin – The Drouhin Family has been producing exceptional wines in Burgundy, France since 1880, and in the Dundee Hills of Oregon since 1987. This French Chateau-like tasting room is unbelievably beautiful, as is the wines.

Domaine Serene – Specializing in Pinot noir, this elegant, Mediterranean-style winery and tasting room offers scenic vineyard views and cellar tours. Make sure to call ahead and book your reservations!

Stoller Family Estate – Stoller Family Estate is one of the most highly regarded vineyards and wineries in Oregon, and for good reason! Their wines are superb and every time you visit, you feel welcome.

Wineries Surrounding Newberg

Eminent Domaine – A family run vineyard & tasting room in the Ribbon Ridge AVA. Exceptional quality pinot noir and chardonnay, with beautiful views.

Alloro – A small, but gorgeous winery with beautiful elegant in style Pinot noirs.

Eat

For our stay in McMinnville, since the Atticus is so centrally located, we walked to dinner both evenings. McMinnville has some truly delicious restaurants and I’ve rounded up our favorites below!

Nick’s Italian – Located in McMinnville, this is one of my very favorite dinner spots in wine country. It’s rustic Italian and is absolutely delicious. Just wait, you’ll try this place once and be hooked.

La Rambla – Blending the freshness of the PNW and the flavors of Spain, La Rambla is one of our favorite cozy spots for dinner in McMinnville. Order the Paella, you will not be sorry!

Thistle – If you love farm-to-table, oysters and seasonal menus, then you must go to Thistle. Just be prepared, this restaurant is tiny and it might be good to call ahead of time for reservations. We’ve been several times and my favorite experience (and meal to-date!) was the ‘Chef’s Whim’. By selecting this option, the Chef will take you on his own journey, removing all decision making. The only catch is that the entire table must participate, and be comfortable with sharing. But I promise it will be one of the best meals!

Enjoy

Oregon Olive Mill –

It’s not all about wine in wine country. Consider a stop at the Oregon Olive Mill at Red Ridge Farm. What began as an experiment by planting over 11,000 olives trees turned into some of the best (and only) produced olive oil in Oregon. The “tasting room” is actually a lovely gift shop offering lots of various olive oil inspired items including soaps and lotions.

Spa at The Allison Inn & Spa  – Take an afternoon or morning to yourself and indulge in a full body massage or a heavenly facial. Every booked service comes with full access to the spa amenities including a gym, pool, pool deck, sauna and hot tubs. The best way to unwind after a day of wine tasting or to end your weekend.

I hope you enjoyed this post about my weekend getaway to Oregon Wine Country! If you’re looking for more wineries to visit, check out my post on covering all the BEST wineries in the Willamette Valley!

Happy Tasting!

XO,

M

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