As we get ready to welcome spring to the Willamette Valley, the promise of a new growing season and another vintage of award-winning wines is on the horizon. If you’ve been longing for a chance to visit the best wineries in the Willamette Valley, now is the time to start planning. Oregon’s Willamette Valley has only grown in popularity in recent years, so if you want to stay with us at our Willamette Valley Bed and Breakfast and enjoy the top-rated experiences across the valley, it’s best to plan well in advance of your trip.
From wine tours to self-guided trips to the best wineries in the Willamette Valley, there are a number of excellent ways to taste your way through Oregon Wine Country. There are also plenty more things to do in the Willamette Valley in between tastings, making it a truly fantastic vacation destination. Though Oregon wineries have earned a solid reputation for their production of Pinot Noir wines, you can find just about anything your tastebuds desire here, including a healthy range of sparkling and white wines.
To date, there are more than 700 wineries in the Willamette Valley. Many of the best wineries in the Willamette Valley are what you’d call small-production wineries, meaning they are intently focused on the production of quality wines, and, more importantly, to taste them, you must visit the vineyard or tasting room itself. That’s where we come in!
With more than 700 wineries to choose from across the Willamette Valley’s many AVA’s, it can be overwhelming to choose a few quality places to visit. Over our years of living and working in the Willamette Valley, we’ve carefully cultivated relationships with local winemakers and love the opportunity to help curate wine-focused itineraries for our guests.
Our Willamette Valley Bed and Breakfast is located a few blocks from downtown McMinnville, and thus serves as an excellent home base for all your wine-tasting adventures across the valley. When you’re done for the day, return to our cozy home away from home, and enjoy the best hospitality in town. Book your room today, and discover why we’re one of the best places to stay in the Willamette Valley.
The Best Wineries in the Willamette Valley
If you’ve already decided 2023 is your year to visit Oregon Wine Country and you’re gearing up to start planning your wine tasting adventures, you’re in the right spot! We’ve curated a list of what we think are the best wineries in the Willamette Valley for 2023, all of which represent small producers and lesser-known gems that you may otherwise miss.
Though we don’t dedicate a lot of time talking about them, it’s also helpful if you visit at least one of the well-known best wineries in the Willamette Valley, which include well-reputed wineries like Willamette Valley Vineyards, Argyle Winery, Domaine Drouhin, and Adelsheim Vineyard, just to name a few.
From great tasting rooms right here in downtown McMinnville to the best wineries in the Willamette Valley a little further out, we’ve gone through our lists and picked out what we think are 12 of the best wineries in Willamette Valley to visit throughout your upcoming trips in 2023. These are just the start of our recommendations, though, so if you’re looking to add even more great stops to your itinerary, just let us know!
- One of our favorite biodynamic farms, and also one of the best wineries in the Willamette Valley, is Soter Vineyards. Here, you’ll find some truly exceptional wine-tasting experiences, including their over-the-top Provisions Tasting Experience. Don’t miss out on their Sparkling wines, either.
- If you’re looking for a fantastic woman-owned establishment, then one of the best wineries in the Willamette Valley to visit is Lavinea Winery, home to female winemaker Isabelle Meunier. This winery is well-known for its single-vineyard wines.
- Pair a sensational glass of sustainably-grown Oregon Pinot Noir at one of the best wineries in the Willamette Valley, Duke Family Vineyards. These wines pair incredibly well with food.
- If you find yourself in the Dundee Hills Regon of the Willamette valley, don’t miss Ayoub Wines. They have long ranked as one of the best wineries in the Willamette Valley and are much heralded for their focus on small-batch wines.
- If you’re looking for wines that have been left on their own to develop, don’t miss those found at Beaux Fere Vineyards, one of the best wineries in the Willamette Valley. This winery is located in the Ribbon Ridge area of Newberg, and their limited interference means the wines reflect the terroir perfectly.
- Patricia Green Cellars is another one of the best wineries in the Willamette Valley. This one is found in Newberg, and they produce more individual bottlings of Pinot Noir than any other winery in America.
- Another not-to-miss tasting is at the by-appointment-only Fairsing Vineyards, another one of the best wineries in Willamette Valley. The elevated food and wine pairings offered here are exceptional.
- Don’t miss a tasting experience at the ROCO winery if you’re a sparkling wine fan. Of all the wineries in Willamette Valley producing sparkling wines, they are rated the highest.
- For a delicious glass of Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, head to Shea Wine Cellars.
- If you’re looking for a great wine-tasting experience in downtown McMinnville, head to R Stuart & Co. Winery.
- Bethel Heights Vineyard, located in the Eola-Amity Hills region, is one of the first wineries in Willamette Valley to plant in this area. Their wines are bold, distinctive, and reflective of the place they are grown in.
- Open Claim Vineyards has a new tasting room opening this spring featuring wines from their 55-acre estate at the base of Mount Pisgah.
6 More Great Things to do in the Willamette Valley
As wonderful as trips to these best wineries in the Willamette Valley are, you probably want to round out your getaway to our Willamette Valley Bed and Breakfast with a few other activities as well. From shopping downtown McMinnville to visiting gorgeous nearby state parks, there are plenty of things to do in the Willamette Valley over the course of 2023. Our centralized location near the heart of downtown McMinnville serves as the perfect home base for enjoying the best of it, too!
Below, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite things to do in the Willamette Valley – some of which are right here in McMinnville, and some are an exciting day trip away.
- Shopping your way through downtown McMinnville is one of our favorite things to do in the Willamette Valley.
- While you’re enjoying trips to the best wineries in the Willamette Valley, don’t forget to savor some of the valley’s best food, too. We have a list of some of the best McMinnville restaurants, not to mention some of our favorite Newberg Restaurants as well.
- If you’re looking for a fun day trip and a nice nature break in between wine tastings, then one of our favorite things to do in the Willamette Valley is to visit Silver Falls State Park.
- If you visit during the months of July, don’t miss your chance to visit one of the gorgeous lavender fields in the Willamette Valley, such as Willamette Valley Lavender. We also recommend the Newberg Lavender Trail and the Willamette Valley Lavender Festival.
- Wineries aren’t the only great thing to drink when you’re in town, either. Oregon has a thriving beer culture, and that means there are plenty of great breweries to enjoy in McMinnville and beyond.
- Aside from wine tasting, another of the most popular things to do in the Willamette Valley is biking – and the rural, quiet, country roads are perfect for it! Here’s a few great cycling routes near McMinnville to get you started. There’s also the fantastic Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway.
These are all fantastic ways to enjoy your time in the valley, but don’t forget about one of our favorite things to do in the Willamette Valley; relaxing at our #1-rated Bed and Breakfast in Willamette Valley. It’s the perfect place to relax and unwind in 2023. Book your room today!
