8 Great Oregon Wineries to Visit

  • Oregon
  • by ABBY E. WILSON
  • on AUGUST 2, 2024
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Oregon

8 Great Oregon Wineries to Visit

By Abby E. Wilson August 2, 2024

With its misty coastline, cool climate, lush forests, and scenic mountain ranges, folks from all over flock to Oregon as an adventure destination—many times not realizing that they’re also in the midst of world-class Wine Country. Today, Oregon boasts 23 distinct American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) within six principal regions, more than 100 wine varieties, and north of 1,000 vineyards.

Here we’ve compiled some of Oregon’s top wineries, from the great northern Walla Walla Valley to the famed Willamette Valley, and everything in between.

Quintessential Willamette

Archery Summit
Photo courtesy of Archery Summit

Archery Summit

18599 NE Archery Summit Road, Dayton, OR 97114, (503) 714-2030

When venturing to Oregon Wine Country, Archery Summit is a must-visit. Located on a picturesque hilltop in the heart of the Willamette Valley, this iconic winery is renowned for its Dundee Hills Pinot Noir, its Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay, and its immersive Legacy Cave Tour & Tasting. Be sure to also spend some time in Archery Summit’s state-of-the-art tasting room, which opened in November 2023. With its skylights, floor-to-ceiling windows, and stunning outdoor terrace, you’ll be able to wine and unwind while taking in gorgeous vineyard views.

Insider Tip: Become a member at Archery Summit’s A-List wine club for invitations to exclusive events at their sister wineries: Seven Hills Winery in Walla Walla, WA; Pine Ridge Vineyards in Napa, CA; Seghesio Family Vineyards in Healdsburg, CA; and Chamisal Vineyards & Malene Wines in San Luis Obispo, CA.

Oregon’s Best Bubbly

Argyle
Picnic and wine tasting. Photo courtesy of Argyle
Argyle
Photo courtesy of Argyle

Argyle

691 OR-99W, Dundee, OR 97115, (503) 538-8520

Beat the Oregon downpours with a sparkling wine flight at Argyle’s bright, beautiful tasting room in downtown Dundee. With its quiet elegance, expansive windows, and upscale decor, Argyle offers a gorgeous respite for wine tasting groups of all sizes. Not into sparkling wine? Try one of their world-class Pinot Noirs, such as Nuthouse, affectionately named after the hazelnut plant that housed Argyle’s original winery. Everyone can raise a glass at this Willamette Valley gem, proudly the only American winery to earn Wine Spectator’s “Top 100 Wines of the World” in three wine categories: red, white, and sparkling.

Insider Tip: Each year Argyle selects three student artists from Oregon’s Pacific Northwest College of Art to receive scholarships and design their own wine bottle labels—look for them on Argyle’s three-bottle Art of Sparkling set.

Pinot Noir Nirvana

Domaine Serene
Photo courtesy of Domaine Serene

Domaine Serene

6555 NE Hilltop Lane, Dayton, OR 97114, (503) 864-4600

No trip to Willamette Valley is complete without a stop at Domaine Serene’s luxurious 42-acre Dundee Hills estate in Yamhill County. Founded by Burgundy lovers Grace and Ken Evenstad, this spectacular Oregon winery offers a variety of indoor and outdoor tasting experiences. Book a classic wine tasting in the elegant Clubhouse, outside in Grace’s Grove, or tour the barrel-lined caves, modeled after the caves at sister winery, Château de la Crée in Burgundy. Wherever you end up on the massive property, be sure to pair one of their award-winning Pinot Noirs with a bite from their culinary menu—local artisan bread, charcuterie, or even oysters.

Insider Tip: Ask to do a blind tasting of their Oregon estate-grown Pinot Noir and the French Collection from Château de la Crée in Santenay, Burgundy—the similarities and complexities are sure to surprise and delight.

Hip Hop and Vino

Abbey Creek Vineyard
Photo courtesy of Abbey Creek Vineyard

Abbey Creek Vineyard

31441 NW Commercial Street, North Plains, OR 97133, (503) 389-0619

The joy is palpable when you walk in the door at Abbey Creek Vineyard: hip hop music playing, cornbread cooking, and Pinot Noir pouring. Established in 2008 as Oregon’s first Black-owned and operated winery, Abbey Creek Vineyard offers an urban-yet-homey wine tasting experience at their North Plains location—nicknamed The “OG” Crick. Be sure to stop by for a super-chill Willamette Valley wine tasting experience that you’ll never forget.

Insider Tip:
Not in the mood for wine? Abbey Creek also offers bottled beers and pressed Pinot Noir juice on tap for those who’d prefer a non-alcoholic option.

Rogue Valley Rendezvous

Video courtesy of Wooldridge Creek Winery

Wooldridge Creek Winery

818 Slagle Creek Road, Grants Pass, OR 97527, (541) 846-6364

Hailing from Oregon’s southernmost wine region, the sun-drenched Rogue Valley, Wooldridge Creek Winery is a destination in and of itself. As Oregon’s first all-in-one winery and creamery, Wooldridge pairs their small-batch cheeses made from local, organic milk with charcuterie and their estate-grown wines. Stop by for a tasting on their peaceful, picturesque patio or in the nearby gardens overlooking the vineyards, mountains, and sprawling Applegate River Valley.

Insider Tip: Be sure to try Wooldridge’s 2020 Sparkling Brut, made of 100% Chardonnay grapes and aged in French oak for festive notes of fruited brioche, pie crust, and star anise.

Subterranean Splendor

Photos courtesy of Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards

Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards

7612 Oak Hill Road, Roseburg, OR 97471, (541) 459-6060

Sip and stay at Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards and Vineyard Inn—a fairytale-esque property set on 200 rolling acres in Oregon’s southern Umpqua Valley. Flanked by lush green meadows with grazing alpacas, goats, and Scottish Highland cows, Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards is a family-owned agricultural oasis, complete with gardens and beehives. Be sure to tour and taste in their underground baroque Wine Cave, where you’ll get to experience ornate carved catacombs with stone archways, airbrush paintings, crystal chandeliers, and more.

Insider Tip: If you’re looking to gamify your tasting, schedule a session with owner and winemaker, Stephen M. Reustle, for the Billionaire Challenge—a personalized blind tasting where he pits some of Reustle’s best wines against other highly rated wines from across the globe.

Boho-Chic Wine Style

Mongata Estate Winery
Photo courtesy of Mongata Estate Winery

Mongata Estate Winery

81768 South Fork Walla Walla River Road, Milton-Freewater, OR 97862, (541) 861-9485

Nestled at the foot of the Blue Mountains, Mongata Estate Winery is a must-visit when in or around Oregon’s side of the Walla Walla Valley. Be sure to book a unique tasting experience in advance, such as the “Syrah Heaven” with Estate Reserve Syrah or “The River Speaks” with Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Mongata also offers private picnics in the vineyard, near the Walla Walla River, and Estate tastings in their remodeled century-old Winery Barn.

Insider Tip: Mongata’s grapes grow in the rocky Resurgent Vineyard, which Wine Spectator has called “the most distinctive terroir in America.” This ancient rock and basalt cobblestone from the Walla Walla River make the vineyard an ideal site for varietals like Syrah and Cabernet Franc.

On a Lighter Note

Hip Chicks Do Wine
Photo courtesy of Hip Chicks Do Wine

Hip Chicks Do Wine

4510 SE 23rd Avenue, Portland, OR 97202, (503) 234-3790

Established in 1999 as Portland’s first urban winery, Hip Chicks Do Wine embodies the city’s vibrant, diverse wine culture. Owners and winemakers Laurie Lewis and Renee Neely started their winery with the mission of making wine less stuffy and more approachable. With a delightful tasting room in Southeast Portland and fun wine names, like the “Out and Proud” Pinot Gris, the “Drop Dead Red” Cabernet Sauvignon–Merlot blend, and the “Riot Girl” Rosé, we’d say they’ve pretty much nailed it.

Insider Tip: Staying in the Portland Metro area? The Hip Chicks Do Wine offers free local wine delivery within the city limits when you purchase six or 12 bottles.

Honorable Mentions

Dancin Vineyards
Dancin Vineyards

With its sprawling piazza, stucco façade, and award-winning Barbera, a visit to Dancin Vineyards will make you feel as though you’ve stepped into a Sicilian retreat in the middle of Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley. Sip under string lights, venture into their gorgeous gardens, or stop by for Sunday brunch.

Hiyu Wine Farm
Hiyu Wine Farm

Travel just 60 minutes east of Portland to experience Hiyu Wine Farm, a gem among Oregon’s Columbia Gorge wine region. This biodynamic food- and wine-lover’s paradise in the Hood River Valley offers fresh-from-the-garden cuisine and unique tastings, including the Wine Tavern Lunch—a five-course, dining experience that pulls inspiration from the European countryside.

Sokol Blosser Vineyards
Sokol Blosser Vineyards

You won’t want to miss Sokol Blosser’s magnificent Willamette Valley tasting room—a masterpiece in contemporary architecture. As a Certified B Corporation, Sokol Blosser’s unparalleled commitment to sustainability shines through their certified organic status and their LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.

Stoller Family Estate
Stoller Family Estate

Stop by Stoller’s 11,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art salvaged timber tasting room for lessons in sustainability and hospitality. This former Willamette Valley turkey farm boasts nearly 400 rolling acres in Oregon’s Dundee Hills, three quaint vacation rental homes, and stellar varietals made solely from estate-grown grapes.

White Rose Estate
White Rose Estate

At the top of a hill in Oregon’s famed Wine Country you’ll find the storied vineyards and elegant wooden A-frame that is White Rose Estate. This Willamette Valley anomaly crafts artisanal, small-batch Pinot Noir and serves it in a dimly lit, intimate setting with views that, some say, are the most spectacular in the entire valley.