The best wine tastings and wineries in the Willamette Valley

After several years of pandemic-related disruptions, the Willamette Valley finally seems to have returned to some semblance of normalcy. Tasting rooms are packed with casual drinkers and serious wine lovers; wineries are refilling their calendars with guest winemakers, live music, and food pop-ups; and a spate of new, high-profile openings, including several James Beard Award-nominated restaurants (hello, ōkta and Hayward), have contributed to an atmosphere of revival. The time is ripe, literally, for some tastings in the valley.

With hundreds of wineries stretching from the Chehalem Mountains to the Van Duzer Corridor, it’s still possible to stroll into one of the numerous tasting rooms, sample some top-notch Pinot Noir, and be back in Portland for dinner. But with wine tourism back in full swing, it’s still a good idea to plan ahead to get into your tasting rooms of choice. Some wineries require reservations for certain flight experiences or food pairing menus, while in other cases, booking online in advance or calling ahead can help secure a prime spot on the patio with gorgeous vineyard views. As a rule of thumb, weekdays are generally best for impromptu tastings to avoid the crowds. Weekends tend to be when wineries are more crowded, and some times of year, like summer, are busier, so chances of stopping by for a spontaneous tasting are slim.

From hip new tasting rooms to venerable, historic valley institutions, these are some of the best wineries to visit around Willamette today, with or without reservations. As always, this map is not ranked, but organized by geography.

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