The Willamette Valley Wineries You Should Absolutely Know if You Care About Oregon Wine

The Willamette Valley : the heart of Oregon wine , stretch more than 100 mile north to south and , at its widest , 60 international nautical mile east to west . Its claim to fame is pinot noir , the varietal that made our state one of the most famous wine area in the earth . There are other grapeshot to be had , of course , but pinot is inexorably link up to Oregon , and hit up 73 % of all wine grapes develop in the Willamette Valley .

With over 500 wineries from over 700 vineyards and almost 20,000 acres planted , it ’s nearly unacceptable to pick “ the in force , ” but here are 13 of the most exemplary , exciting , historical , and alluring winery from the Willamette Valley .

The Eyrie Vineyards

Let ’s get it out of the way of life : no Oregon wine list is pure without The Eyrie Vineyards . It ’s no overstatement to exact that Eyrie change the face of the wine diligence in Oregon – even the reality . In 1965 , viticulturist David Lett plant the country ’s first pinot gris , and the Willamette Valley ’s first pinot noir and chardonnay grape . A year later , he and his wife , Diana , set up Eyrie Vineyards . In 1979 and again in 1980 they competed in France , proving to the wine world that Oregon pinot could go up against Burgundy , lose first place toDrouhin’spinot noir by just two tenth of a point .

None of this would weigh , of course , if the wine maker were not still one of the good , but it is . David ’s Word Jason has contract over and keep the “ lighter signature ” method acting of winemaking , which mean allowing for a clear construction of terroir in the pinot noir and finespun pinot gris , along with others . Most of the wine are available at a unco reasonable price , with the flagship wines hovering around $ 18 to $ 20 .

Domaine Drouhin

Another wine maker whose meaning to Oregon can not be understated is Domaine Drouhin . Robert Drouhin , the heir to the century - and - a - one-half previous Drouhin in Burgundy , was so impressed by Eyrie ’s showing in 1979 and 1980 that he realized that it was Oregon , not California , that was the unexampled - world spot for Burgundian wine-coloured such as pinot noir and chardonnay . In 1988 , he buy land in Dundee , and Domaine Drouhin was give birth .

“ Gallic psyche , Oregon stain ” is the motto at Domaine Drouhin , which means a darker , earthier style of pinot noir than the characteristically bright ace you ’ll typically recover in Oregon . It ’s the closest you may get to French wine in the state , and comes with a matching Leontyne Price point . This is wine for impressing , not for a casual dinner at home .

Evesham Wood

A light - touch sensation , hired man - off approach is the dominant style of winemaking in the Willamette Valley , and Evesham woodwind , launch by Russ and Mary Raney in 1986 , is a leave proponent of this ethos . The winery helped launch a motion of non - irrigation and natural fermenting . It , like others , focalize on drier , cooler mood wine style , in peculiar the common Oregon Pinot grape noir , as well as Pinot grape blanc , chardonnay grape , and Pinot grape Jaun Gris . Today , Evesham Wood is still considered one of the good Willamette Valley wineries by many .

Brooks Wine

The best wineries have story , and Brooks has an especially move one . Jimi Brooks , who had travel through Beaujolais studying winemaking before return to Oregon , founded Brooks in 1998 . lamentably , he passed away by chance , and his winery was passed on to his 8 - year - old Logos , Pascal . For years , Jimi ’s sister Janie has superintend the winery and has overseen its impressive growth . Jimi ’s friend and winemaking accomplice , Chris Williams , has made wine at Brooks since Jimi ’s passing . Pascal , now 20 , goes to college in California , but spends his summers at Brooks .

The master varietals at Brooks are pinot noir and riesling , though there ’s also an salmagundi of white portmanteau . Brooks produce numerous Riesling of motley levels of fragrance , all perfectly balanced with sourness . likewise , you may find a variety of Pinot grape noirs at unlike price point . The Janus , its flagship pinot noir , is just a authoritative , exemplary Oregon Pinot grape .

Grochau Cellars

There ’s a reason wheel are used so often on the label of Grochau wines : John Grochau was introduced to wine while pelt along for a French cycling team through the vino land , spending years pedaling through Loire , Champagne , and Burgundy . Afterwards , he return to Portland and sold wine at restaurants , including 14 age at the famousHiggins eatery . Grochau eventually moved to the winemaking side , and finally opened his own winery in 2002 .

give Grochau ’s history with vino at restaurants , it ’s no wonder his are so food friendly . His melon de bourgogne is delightful . His gamay a rare treat in Oregon , inspire by the Loire but bright and blank like a Beaujolais . And his Commuter Cuvée Pinot grape noir is meant to be sip during midweek dinners , a perfect table wine at only $ 18 – it ’s tough to find a dependable Oregon Pinot grape noir at that price point .

Sokol Blosser

Yet another pioneer of Oregon vino , the Sokol Blosser vine were embed in 1971 by Susan Sokol and Bill Blosser . And , like the others , their finish was to make some of the good Pinot grape noir in the world , vie in 1979 in London , winning several gold medals . Over the years , the couple ’s son , Alex Sokol Blosser , film over as head winemaker , while their girl Alison Sokol Blosser claim on the office of CEO .

Along with spend a penny great wine-coloured , Sokol Blosser has been an environmental advocator ; the winery was the first to be classified as " pinkish-orange condom " – an important calibre in a state that values sustainability and its Salmon River .

Teutonic Wines

It ’s difficult to describe Teutonic without using “ spunk stone ” or “ metal . ” Barnaby and Olga Tuttle started their Germanic wine maker in the backyard of their home before find land in Alsea and expanding from there , finally buying a winery in SE Portland . Since then , Teutonic has made a name for itself with its radical style . presently , it ’s producing aSpinal Tap - theme serial , with names such as Foiled Cucumber and Jazz Odyssey , the latter of which is a lovely expression of riesling at a killer terms of $ 17 . With a feeling of sugar and plenty of acid , it ’ll convert even your most staunch anti - riesling friends . Other exciting varietals , such as the bright and vivid pinot meunier , typically used in Champagne , put up out from the traditional Oregon grapes , but the winemakers still asseverate the pioneer flavour of the state and realization of Old - World ideals and Germanic aesthetic . Teutonic is , after all , the chronic .

Division Wine Co.

Like Teutonic , Division Wines is a fresh , more urban winery , working out of theSE Wine Collectiveon Division St. The squad here is inspired by the wines of the Rhone , Burgundy , Loire , and Beaujolais , and produces a sizable collection of always excellent vino . Appreciably , Division produces a variety of telephone line , including the cutely name Division - Villages which serves as a sorting of introduction to the vineyard at lower prices with more “ approachable ” wines . Division Wine is community orient , often working with other winemakers ( such as Barnaby Tuttle from Teutonic ) , and holding tasting at the Wine Collective in busy residential Portland .

Argyle Winery

If Eyrie , Evesham , and Drouhin brought Burgundy to Oregon , Argyle convey Champagne . Sure , it produce still Chardonnay and Pinot grape noirs , and even Riesling , but when wine-colored juicer think of Argyle , they reckon bubble . The style isméthodechampenoise , which mean it ’s fundamentally as airless to Champagne as you’re able to get without run to the region itself . The flagship sparkling wine is $ 28 , and is an admirable ice , but if you really have something to fete you ’ll want the effervescent pinot meunier rosé ( $ 50 ) . A sip of that and you ’ll swear you ’ve been enrapture to France .

Penner~Ash

The winemaking business sector has long been a male predominate one ( though in Oregon , it seems to be led solely by matrimonial couples ) , but that ’s slow , assuredly changing . Penner ~ Ash is a model for this , as Lynn Penner - Ash was the first female winemaker hired in the state of Oregon almost 30 years ago .

Penner ~ Ash , unsurprisingly , makes a lot of pinot noir – nine single - vinery options , the most of any wine maker in the State Department . While many winemakers draw from a variety of vineyards and coalesce the grapes , Penner ~ Ash pore on single vinery bottles , as Lynn finds each vinery unique and worth of its own expression . You might find a particular vineyard to your liking , and stick with that one over the years , of recover a dissimilar one each vintage that best matches your taste .

Beyond Pinot grape noir , Penner ~ Ash produces others , including a wonderful viognier , a rarer varietal in Oregon ; promising acidity and pass yield abound in this bottle , and it ’s deserving the $ 33 Mary Leontyne Price tag .

Nicolas-Jay

Nicolas-Jay

Hazelfern Cellars

Hazelfern , like Teutonic , start in a base in residential Portland by a married couple passionate about Oregon wine-colored . Bryan and Laura Laing named the vineyard for the former farm where their home now resist . grow only five Imperial gallon at a meter , their goal is to make a portfolio of toothsome wine-coloured that mold together to create a cohesive journeying – like a multi - course meal – but that also have the complexity and balance to stand on their own . As of 2014 , the couple has demesne out on Chehalem Mountain , a beautiful space primitively designate for a horse stable .

Hazelfern currently produces two pinot noirs – one a lovely and scant rosé ( $ 24 ) , it ’s a wonderful locution of how Oregon pinot noir rosé is starting to really shine . The wine maker is a baby compare to historical ikon like Eyrie or Evesham , but speak optimistically , honoring the past and the terroir of Oregon , while look to a bright future . Though nascent , it shows great promise .

Union Wine Company

We ’re not extend to order you that Union Wine is the best in the state . They make some lovely wine-coloured , to be sure , but the upright part about Union Wine is the Underwood label , a series of four different vino : pinot noir , Pinot grape gris , rosé , and sparkling . What make it unique and fun is that they ’re all attend to in cans , at only $ 6 for 375ml , half the size of a wine feeding bottle . you could find them at about every Portland industry party , and they ’re arrant for camping , rafting , parties , or if you just desire to drink some wine by yourself and do n’t feel like open up a whole feeding bottle . presently , the “ golden can ” ( sparkling ) is sell out , and we ’re eagerly awaiting the next batch .

Nicolas-Jay

Pinot noir is a middling popular grape here in Oregon . One might even say very democratic . That ’s what Nicolas - Jay does : Pinot noir , as monitory as you’re able to find . The vino is the product of a decade long friendship : Jean - Nicolas Méo , a legendary French winemaker who worked with vinery such as Richebourg and Clos de Vougeot ; and Jay Boberg , a medicine producer who launched or foster musical acts such as R.E.M. , Mary J. Blige , Blink-182 , B.B. King , and more , before rick to wine making . Together with associate winemaker Tracy Kendall , they bring forth a wine that encapsulates Oregon pinot . They launch with the 2014 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir , with only 1,691 pillowcase made . The bottle make out in at $ 65 , which is a good deal , considering the employment and quality .

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Eyrie Vineyards