Aka Pinot Noir Wine Country. Aka my happiest place on earth!
My Wine Journey
I started drinking wine in college…so to say my palate has expanded in the last 10 years is an understatement. It was tasty and pretty cheap. I remember buying the large bottle of Barefoot or Yellow Tail Pinot Noir because I preferred red vs. white and fruiter vs. heavier/oakier. I likely drank that bottle for a little bit loo long…
As I got older and acquired more of an exquisite taste for wine, and quite frankly could afford more reputable wines, I started to explore. It was rare that I would buy a duplicate bottle from the store. I always wanted to try a new one.
Napa Valley
After graduating with my Masters in October 2019, I needed a getaway to mentally recoup. Pretty last minute, my Mom jumped on board for a trip to Napa Valley. I had always wanted to visit, and sippin’ on wine post-grad life sounded like the perfect Mother/Daughter trip.
We flew into San Fransisco, spent two days in Napa, back to San Fransisco for the night, and down to Monterey for a night to see the Bixby Creek Bridge and a west coast sunset. It was a lot to pack into a few days, especially only spending a few in Napa, but it was a blast.
We visited:
- Castello di Amorosa: Did the full tour (which was fascinating) + an included tasting
- Domaine Carneros: Did a tasting
- Etude: My mom found this one as a graduation gift. It’s an exclusive Pinot Noir vineyard. We did a private tasting + history of Pinot Noir and learned SO MUCH. I thought I wanted a break from learning, but I was like a sponge. The most notable facts were:
- All grape vines originate back to the Pinot Noir grape – it is the oldest lineage of vine
- The Pinot Noir grape is the most fickle of all – it requires a very specific microclimate to flourish
- Most Pinot Noir is grown in Willamette Valley, Oregon
We knew then our next trip would be to Oregon wine country.
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is notorious for being fickle and demanding, nicknamed the “heartbreak grape.” It needs constant care and attention, a climate that’s not too hot or cold and the right combination of soils, clones and rootstocks.
Willamette Valley is the largest Pinot Noir growing region in the United States and is recognized as one of the premier Pinot Noir–producing areas in the world…because of (you guessed it) the climate. It houses two-thirds of Oregon state’s wineries and vineyards and is home to more than 700 wineries. Directly from the Willamette Valley Wine Association:
Protected from cold Pacific Ocean air and rainstorms on the west by the Coast Range mountains, the Valley follows the Willamette River for more than a hundred miles from the Columbia River near Portland to just south of Eugene. The Cascade Range to the east forms a natural boundary and protects against the opposite extreme: the dry, desert-like climate of eastern Oregon. Overall, the climate boasts a long, gentle growing season: warm summers with cool evenings, a long and lovely autumn with the first rainfalls of winter amid plenty of sunny days, and mild winters followed by long springs.
Willamette Valley Wine
Next Stop: Willamette Valley
We started to plan next year’s trip on the flight home from Napa. But much like everything else in 2020, our plans got a bit disrupted. We planned the visit in October 2020, booked flights and a bed & breakfast. Then, I unexpectedly bought my first home in early October. I capitalized on the market and the timing was right for me. We ended up cancelling the trip simply because I had a lot of unanticipated expenses. We committed to rebook the following year.
So, after two years in the making, we finally packed our bags and headed to Oregon wine country!
Getting Our Bearings
To preface, the valley is HUGE. There are so many towns and wineries, it was a little overwhelming to research at first. But, I really enjoyed where we ended up. And, when we come back in the future, we still have so much to explore!
We stayed at an Airbnb in Amity, OR, which is on the northern tip of the valley just south of McMinnville. There isn’t much in the town of Amity itself, but many of the surrounding towns we were visiting were a short 10-20 minute drive away. It was a guest house on a farm that was super homey. After a long day of sipping on wine, it felt like coming home. Sue was an outstanding host!
BE WARNED: Cell service is rather non-existent in many parts throughout the valley. I’m all for disconnecting these days, but pre-plan your daily trips and pre-load your GPS destinations. Doing so on the go was difficult at times.
Most wineries during this time require tasting reservations. Very few accept walk-ins. Many offer an online reservation system while other rely on over the phone reservations. Unfortunately, with the lack of cell service and reduced staff, not many phone calls were answered or returned. The online reservation system was our preference, especially for those not booked in advance. I would highly recommend that if you are interested in any tours, BOOK IN ADVANCE. Time slots and availability are limited. Tastings are more accessible, but tours are not.
Here are all the wineries we visited and wine I tasted in only 4 short days:
Tastings:
1. Willamette Valley Vineyard Tasting Room – McMinnville, OR
I did a reserve flight that included three Pinot Noirs and two red blends. My mom did the traditional flight that included two whites, a Pinot Rose and two Pinot Noirs. Delicious wines.
Our server was very knowledgable. We learned about the types of wine, where they came from across their various vineyard locations, and she explained the specific flavors. I like learning, so this was a plus!
We had dinner reservations at Nick’s Italian Café in McMinnville and it was the perfect pre-dinner tasting right down the street. Also, McMinnville was the cutest little, walkable town. Would highly recommend visiting!
2. Namasté Vineyards Hwy 99 Tasting Room – Independence, OR
I mean….c’mon! I had to!
We took a trip down to Corvallis, OR to explore the southern part of the valley. We went to breakfast, walked the downtown shopping area, and on the way back north saw this tasting room right off the highway.
It was 1PM, so it was time to get the tasting day started! We did a tasting which included any five wines. I picked (favorite highlighted!):
- 2018 – HARMONY Gewurztraminer – Fruity aroma, juicy and vibrant done in an off-dry style
- 2019 – PEACE – Blend of Chardonnay, Riesling and Gewurtzraminer aged in stainless steel. Semi-sweet with fruit flavors.
- 2019 – ABUNDANCE Pinot Noir – Spice, structure, dark fruit
- 2019 – RESERVE CUVEE Pinot Noir – 50/50 blend of Abundance & Prosperity, barrel aged for 2 years.
- 2018 – CAVE CLASSIC Cabernet Sauvignon – Tantalizing bouquet and extremely full bodied Cab
3. Eola Hills Legacy Estate Vineyard – Salem, OR
While tasting at Namasté, I had a few options for the next stop before we needed to freshen up before dinner. While flipping through a few that were close by, Eola Hills had online reservations available and the estate was on our way back to the Airbnb.
The landscape here was stunning. After talking with a few locals, we lucked out with the weather. It had rained for 2 weeks prior and was forecasted to again for 2 weeks after, but for the two days we had to explore, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The sun was warm, a high of 60 and low of 40.
Our servers were extremely personable. I’ll call out the elephant in the room, wine people (from the makers, to the servers, to the consumers) can be a bit snobby. These two were the complete opposite which perfectly complimented the scenery, and really set the precedent for the rest of Oregon wine country’s people. They were beyond friendly and welcoming.
Here I had (favorites are highlighted!):
- 2020 Muscat Ottonel – A bouquet of Jasmine and orange blossom with hints of honeysuckle followed by Meyer lemon and pear on the palate.
- 2020 Lucent White Pinot Noir – Candied orange, white peach, ginger and pear blossom.
- 2018 Pinot Noir Barrel Select Reserve – Cherry, vanilla, coconut.
- 2019 Wolf Hill Pinot Noir – Wolf Hill is the oldest section of the vineyard and only a select number of Pinot grapes are reserved for Noir each year. Rather heavy oak flavor.
- 2018 Pinot Noir Fossil Block Reserve – Fruit forward, earth driven, hint of oak.
4. Beaux Frères – Newberg, OR
On day two, we had a little time before a vineyard tour. Luckily for me, my boss is also a huge fan of Pinot Noir. When he found out I was taking this trip, he immediately insisted (almost yelled) I visit Beaux Frères. You got it boss!
The day before I was able to call and make a reservation for 11AM. Morning wine is not only acceptable, but encouraged in wine country.
I was first greeted by the sweetest cat, and then sheepdog. It is a working farm and the tasting room was directly inside the wine making room. We also got personalized flight descriptions! It was a unique and very appealing aesthetic.
Our server graciously took us through each: their history, flavors and answered any and all of my questions.
Here I had (favorites are highlighted!):
- 2013 Willamette Valley Chardonnay – A reserve bottle that truly blew my mind. I’m not a big fan a Chardonnay, but this was so different that what I’ve tasted in the past. It is only available for purchase directly at the winery!
- 2018 Star Mooring Pinot Noir – A small, super-premium vineyard on the toeslope of Parrett Mountain.
- 2018 The Belles Soeurs Pinot Noir – Impressions of pomegranate, pie cherry, tropical flowers and sage play stealthily amid electric acidity and spring-loaded tannins.
- 2014 Grane Moraine Pinot Noir
5. Chehalem Winery – Newberg, OR
Next we had a 1.5 personalized tasting + vineyard tour at Chehalem. Since we had such a great time doing one of these in Napa, I wanted to again in Pinot land.
Our tour guide and honestly Pinot encyclopedia was David Rice. He made this experience the best of our entire trip. If you’re interested in an in-depth tour, tasting and general conversation I HIGHLY recommend you ask for David!
The tasting experience is a bit different in this setting. Rather than explain the flavors before you taste, you taste and explain your flavors. One of the biggest things I learned over the years is that wine is so unique to each individual palate. AND our palate’s are largely dictated by our diets. Since my plant-based diet is more acidic in nature, I tend to gravitate more towards fruit forward Pinot Noirs and while on this trip I discovered my love for Pinot Blanc!
David took us through the history of the winery, the vineyards, vintages and differing micro-ecosystems of the entire valley.
What’s SUPER unique about these wines are they are direct to consumer. The winery produces roughly 20,000 cases per year and are not mass produced/sold through generic markets (aka liquor stores, grocery stores, etc.) This also means there is limited availability after each bottle is released each year. We tasted some that were sold out in just a month.
Here we had (favorites are highlighted!):
- 2020 Ribbon Ridge Grüner Veltliner – Light and sweet.
- 2020 Chehalem Estate Pinot Blanc – I couldn’t get over how good this one was! To all my Sauvignon Blanc drinkers….this is a MUST try.
- 2019 Stoller Vineyard Pinot Noir – This wine has complex and elegant aromatics, showcasing the full fruit spectrum; bright red cherry and raspberry notes initially come out of the glass, highlighted by dense blueberries and boysenberries with a hint of baking spice.
- 2013 Chehalem Reserve Pinot Noir – Bright red fruit characteristics evolve into delicate aromatics of plums and dark currants that are accentuated with a hint of spice and tea.
- 2014 Ridgecrest Vineyard Pinot Noir – Aromatics of cherry compote, red jam, and cranberry sauce, with a hint of spice, make the nose reminiscent of the holiday season.
- 2019 Chehalem Reserve Chardonnay – Aromatics of vanilla bean, fresh lemon, and mint, with a hint of fresh pine, waft out of the glass. The palate is creamy, with a lingering soft texture provided by the well-integrated presence of oak.
Other Wines:
- 2018 Broadley Estate Pinot Noir
- 2019 Sokol Blosser – Evolution – This wine is packed with bright red fruit flavors, heaps of jammyness, a dash of cherry pie, and a hint of toasty oak on the finish.
We’ll Be Back
Our first trip to Oregon wine country will surely not be our last.
Hope this guide is a helpful way to get a taste of its expansiveness!