This May Be the Most Underrated Wine Region on the West Coast—and It's Not in California

Travel + Leisure

20-07-2025

Take part in the valley's most popular pastime, wine tasting, in strikingly beautiful tasting rooms.
Have a bed-and-breakfast stay in the middle of a vineyard next to a working winery at Sosta House.
Feast on seasonal fare at farm-to-table restaurants like Hayward.
Hang out in quaint wine country towns like McMinnville and Newberg to get a taste of the local lifestyle.
Plan your visit for the summer or fall; summer serves up foodie festivals and long daylight hours, while fall lets you see the wine harvest in action.
Travelers often come to Oregon for one of two things: to taste Portland's (now) legendary culinary scene and experience this Pacific Northwestern state's rugged beauty. But just a short drive from Portland, you'll find that cuisine and countryside blend seamlessly together in the Willamette Valley: Oregon's de facto larder and wine cellar.
Bookended by the Cascade Mountains and the Coast Range, the Willamette Valley is vast, stretching roughly 150 miles long from Portland to Eugene, Oregon, and 60 miles wide. Nourished by lengthy summer days, wet winters, and fertile soils left behind by Ice Age floods, it's an agricultural cornucopia. But it's the miles and miles of patchwork vineyards that draw the eye; interpersed by evergreen woodlands and presided over by Mount Hood, it's a picture-perfect wine country tableau.
'It's a beautiful place,' says Tony Soter, founder of Soter Vineyards.
This is pinot noir country: nearly three-quarters of the valley's vineyard acreage is devoted to its marquee varietal. But across the over 700 wineries in the Willamette Valley American Viticultural Area, oenophiles can also find chardonnay, riesling, syrah, and pinot gris. The wine world is sometimes thought of as stuffy, but not the Willamette. Refined experiences like sophisticated tasting menus abound—including resorts beloved by Travel+Leisure readers—but are balanced out with a grounded, down-to-earth atmosphere.
'Anyone has the opportunity to feel like a local here,' says Kari Shaughnessy, head chef and owner of Hayward.
The Willamette Valley invites you to come for the wine. But once you're on the ground, you'll find much more to pique your interest besides vino, from an on-the-rise food scene to trails for post-tasting jaunts. And, in case you're unsure of the pronunciation, just remember: it's Willamette, d*mn it.
Here's what you need to know about Oregon's Willamette Valley before you visit. Exterior of Inn the Ground.
If Hobbiton had a hotel, it would be Inn the Ground, where stays come with farm-to-table breakfasts and idyllic nature trails. Built into the side of a hill, this bed and breakfast bolthole takes in sweeping landscape views from its modern rooms with private patios.
Set just steps from McMinnville's bustling Third Street, Atticus Hotel welcomes design lovers with its Wes Anderson-worthy interiors. Room styles range from cozy micro-studios to charming bunk rooms for group getaways, with something for all travelers. Take advantage of the property's fleet of Dutch bikes to explore around town.
Part of the Relais & Chateaux portfolio, the all-suite Tributary Hotel occupies a revitalized 100-year-old building along McMinnville's main drag. Along with its spacious, well-appointed rooms, one of the best perks of staying here is having one of the valley's finest tasting menus, ​ōkta farm and kitchen, right downstairs.
Some of the valley's oldest vines are your sleeping companions at Sosta House, a dreamy bed and breakfast located in the middle of a historic vineyard. Sip wines made right on-site, sweat out nights of excess in the barrel sauna and cold plunge, and savor in-room breakfasts and alfresco wine dinners.
From a 15,000-square-foot spa to vineyard-view rooms, it's easy to see why The Allison Inn & Spa was voted one of the top resorts in the Western U.S. by T+L readers in the World's Best Awards 2025. Perched on 35 lush acres outside Newberg, this luxury retreat invites guests to unwind with indulgent treatments, elevated dining at Jory, and exceptional service. Waterfall in Silver Falls State Park.Go back to the valley's roots at pioneering wineries like The Eyrie Vineyards, Adelsheim Vineyard, and Ponzi Vineyards, or try experimental bottlings at newer outfits like Cho Wines. Fancy some bubbly? Head to Corollary, Argyle, and Domaine Willamette to dive into the Willamette's sparkling wine scene. Love a design-driven tasting room? Check out Ambar Estate and Sequitur. Need a break from wine? Go to Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery, TopWire Hop Project, or Xicha Brewing for craft beer, and Raw Cider Company and La Familia Cider for cider.
No matter when you visit, the Willamette Valley nearly always has a festival on the calendar. Go on fungi-finding forays with truffle-sniffing dogs at the Oregon Truffle Festival, or attend epicurean bashes like Alt Wine Fest, Queer Wine Fest, AAPI Food & Wine Festival, and the International Pinot Noir Celebration. Spring's Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival is another highlight, with hot air balloon rides over fields of Technicolor tulips, as is McMinnville's McMenamins UFO Festival, which commemorates the alleged 1950s sighting of a flying saucer.
Learn about the area's Indigenous history at the Chachalu Museum & Cultural Center, or step inside the Airplane Home, a one-of-a-kind dwelling fashioned out of a Boeing 727-200. Salem's Enchanted Forest theme park makes for a fun family day trip, and, between May and October, catch a movie at Newberg's historic 99W Drive-in Theatre.
You've gotten a taste of the valley's food and wine. Now, it's time to discover the land itself. Embark on hikes along vineyard trails (Johan Vineyards has some lovely routes) or through the serene forests at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey. Visit a glacial erratic (aka a glacially deposited rock) that traveled some 500 miles during the Missoula Floods at Erratic Rock State Natural Site. Or, take a page from Shaughnessy and Soter's book, and go for a float on the Willamette River. A side dish served at Hayward.
Come hungry and expecting the unexpected, as the valley's cook-with-the-seasons ethos means most dishes aren't on the menu for long. Along with the farm-to-table and foraging fare, save room for delectable Mexican eats from spots like Tacos El Gordo, and popping over to the Willamette Valley Pie Co. for slices of marionberry goodness.
Helmed by chef Shaughnessy, Hayward in Carlton is one of the restaurants that has put the Willamette Valley on the fine dining map. Its New Northwest cuisine has garnered multiple James Beard Award nods, marries the valley's seasonal finest with global influences.
Truly putting the 'farm' in farm-to-table, Grounded Table's elevated homestyle classics come direct from its own regenerative farm. Tuck into roasted chicken and fresh-from-the-earth salads, before popping into its sister restaurant for its Oreos-inspired dessert.
Many of the valley's best meals aren't found at traditional restaurants, but rather at wineries. Antica Terra is one such example. Sit down to an aptly-named 'Very Nice Lunch' from James Beard-winning chef Timothy Wastell at this cult-favorite Amity winery, which is as renowned for its culinary program as it is for its ethereal libations.
Give your palate a breather from wine with craft cocktails or expertly executed classics at this intimate, witchy McMinnville eatery. Check the chalkboard upon walking in for what's on offer that day; oysters, rockfish, and lamb often make appearances.
The best time to visit is between May and August, with summertime festivals, 15-hour days, and gorgeous weather. Autumn, with the harvest hustle and changing vineyards, is another stand-out. 'It's hard to find a more beautiful month than September,' says Shaughnessy.
Winter—or cellar season—also has its charms, like sipping wine next to roaring fires or getting more one-on-one tasting time with winemakers after the hecticness of harvest.
If you fly into Portland International Airport (PDX), it's a roughly one-hour drive to McMinnville, Oregon. Salem also has a small regional airport, the Salem-Willamette Valley Airport (SLE), but it takes about the same amount to get to McMinnville—plus, PDX generally has better flight availability and rates. A tree with a tire swing next to a vineyard in Dayton, Oregon.
Home to some of the valley's top restaurants and hotels, and with tens of wineries on its doorstep, McMinnville makes for a fantastic Willamette base camp. Start the day with a cup of from Flag & Wire Coffee Co., stroll along the tree-lined Third Street, view the legendary Spruce Goose at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, and try local favorites like La Rambla and Pura Vida Cocina. For shopping, hit up Alchemist's Jam & Bakery and the Mac Market food hall and marketplace.
Newberg may be known as the gateway to the Willamette, but don't just pass through. Fuel wine tasting adventures in the nearby Chehalem Mountains with Caravan Coffee, dine inside a grand Victorian home at The Painted Lady, and get a bird's-eye view from Bald Peak, the valley's tallest point at 1,633 feet.
What was once a timber town is now one of the Willamette's gastronomic epicenters, home to heavy hitters like Hayward, Big Table Farms, Carlton Winemaker Studios, and Flâneur Wines. Just outside of town, you'll find Soter Vineyards, set on a 250-acre biodynamic farm with expansive panoramas.
These neighboring towns go hand-in-hand for a day of wining and dining. Dundee highlights include Day Wines, Furioso, and Artist Block, as well as the multicourse Anthology tasting menu at The Four Graces. Grab lunch at Red Hills Market or Merenda Italian Deli (both make a mean sandwich) before popping into Sokol Blosser or Durant Vineyards, ending in Dayton with dinner at Loam and overnighting in a retro Airstream at The Vintages campground.
While some hotels can help arrange transfers, renting a car is the best and most convenient way to reach the spread-out small towns and remote wineries. If you're planning on doing a lot of tastings, book a chauffeur car service like Black Tie Tours or a bespoke winery itinerary through Scissortail Wine Tours, so you can imbibe to your heart's content and keep the roads safe.