Category Archives: Oregon

Willamette Valley Vineyards

8800 Enchanted Way SE, Turner, OR 97392

Willamette Valley Vineyards was the first vineyard I visited in Oregon. I was very excited and ready for some good Pinot Noir. It is located in the Southern Willamette Valley about 20 minutes outside of Salem where we were staying. To get to the winery, my friend and I drove through a big archway up a hill by rows and rows of vines. The winery is a large yellow stucco building with a tower. It made me think of a mini fortress. The surrounding views from atop the winery are gorgeous. The history of this winery is an interesting story. The founder is Jim Bernau who purchased the Estate in 1983 and cleared away the old plum orchard to plant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris. Jim built his winemaking knowledge and skills by taking classes at UC Davis and participating in seminars between the U.S. and France. He started the winery in 1989 through shared ownership by offering shares that are traded on the NASDAQ. As a result, there are over 7,000 owners in the winery today. In addition, Willamette Valley Vineyards has grown its estate through partnerships with other vineyard owners. Today, the winery sources all of its barrel-aged Pinot Noir from the estate and farms nearly 500 acres in the valley.

Tasting bar at Willamette Valley Vineyards

The tasting room at the Estate is huge. It has a little bit of a lodge feel because of the fire pit in center surrounded by leather couches and the wood floors made from repurposed pallets from the Port of Portland. It’s a circular space with windows from ceiling to flow on 2 sides of room making it look very bright and open. The ceiling is wood paneled as well with sky light. There are two bars in the tasting room. The main tasting bar is a horseshoe shaped, wood-paneled bar to right of the entrance. Behind the main tasting bar is a lit wine display that covers the entire wall. The second bar is to the left of the room with some seating. There was a grand piano in the corner behind the bar, and tables and chairs in the center of the room.

Fire pit inside Willamette Valley Vineyards tasting room

Near the entrance was a gift and snack area to purchase items. As if all of this wasn’t enough, there is an upper floor used as a private event space that overlooks the tasting room. After our tasting, my friend Denise and I walked up in the tower to see the views from the top of the winery. Outside of the tasting room there is a large patio with tables, chairs, and umbrellas looking out on the surrounding vineyards. I can see this place being used quite often for large events.

The staff here was friendly. Denise and I tried the Estate tasting flight. We sampled quite a few of the wines between the two of us for a modest tasting fee. Although I found all of the wines to be pleasing, my personal favorites were the 2012 Bernau Block Pinot Noir and 2009 Merlot. Another cool feature of this tasting room is that it provides a daily food menu served by the Winery Chef. You can truly come in for full lunch with wine and food. On Friday and Saturday evenings, the Winery Chef hosts a four-course wine and dinner menu. If you are interested in learning more details about the winery, you can swing by at 2 p.m. each day for a complimentary tour or sign up for a private tour at a very reasonable price that includes a wine tasting and cheese pairing.

This winery has a lot to offer. It’s a nice place to hang out for a leisurely tasting either inside by the fireplace our outdoors on the patio.

View from the patio at Willamette Valley Vineyards

Winderlea Vineyard and Winery

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Winderlea Vineyards and Winery

8905 NE Worden Hill Road, Dundee, OR

Website: http://winderlea.com/

I was not familiar with Winderlea Vineyards before I visited. My friend Denise and I heard about it when we asked for a recommendation from some locals. Winderlea Estate tasting room is located in Dundee, right up the street from Erath Winery. They also have a second tasting room in McMinnville. This winery is a second career for owners Bill Sweat and Donna Morris who left their careers in Boston in 2006 to follow their passion for Oregon Pinot Noir. The name Winderlea comes from a property that Bill and Donna purchased in Vermont in 2001 and was made up from the words “Wind” and “Lea”, which translates loosely to “wind in the meadow”. The owners feel this name characterizes their wines and also the special feelings they have for both the place in Vermont and the winery.

Winderlea’s tasting room in Dundee

The tasting room in Dundee is very modern. It was also quite popular. Getting and in out of the parking lot was a little bit of a challenge because of the small space and cars coming in and out constantly. The exterior of the tasting room reminded me almost of an industrial office building with lots of windows. The industrial theme continues on the interior of the tasting room with a wide open space, stark white walls, and windows from ceiling to floor. Right inside of the entrance was a small, modest tasting bar. The real appeal of this tasting room is that the back side opens up completely to a deck overlooking the vineyards. There is a fabulous view from the back deck. Between the tasting bar and the back deck are several tables and chairs.

This place was so popular when we visited that it was difficult to find a space for a tasting. We managed to grab a little space at the tasting bar after waiting for some people to leave. All of the tables were full, and there was a crowd standing on the back deck. It was literally like being at an afternoon party with a group of 30-40 year olds. Without a doubt, this is the type of winery you would take your best friends to hang out. The Dundee tasting room is open to the public Monday through Friday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (check their website to confirm before you go). Reservations are required on Saturdays and Sundays. This doesn’t surprise me considering how busy it was when we were there. A tasting flight includes 5 wines, typically 1 Chardonnay and 4 Pinot Noirs. A large portion of the tasting fee goes to a good cause called iSalud! which provides healthcare services to Oregon vineyard workers and their families. There were a couple of Pinot Noirs that I really enjoyed, the Dundee Hills Vineyard and Meredith Mitchell Pinot Noir for their dark berry and mocha/chocolate notes. I can understand the appeal of this tasting room, but if you are planning a visit be prepared for the crowds.

View from the deck at Winderlea

Domaine Drouhin

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Domaine Drouhin

6750 NE Breyman Orchards Road Dayton, OR 97114

Website: http://www.domainedrouhin.com/en/

Domaine Drouhin is located in the Dundee Hills next door to Domaine Serene. It was crush time in September when I visited. As my friend and I approached the tasting room there were hundreds of yellow crates stacked up in front of the winery full of recently picked grapes. Fork lift drivers were busy at work moving the crates to the crush facility. From the outside in, the winery is very well-manicured and refined.

Crates filled with freshly picked grapes at Domaine Drouhin

This winery is owned by the French family who owns Maison Joseph Drouhin in Burgundy, France. The Drouhin’s have been making wine in France since 1880. Third generation Robert Drouhin started Domaine Drouhin in Willamette Valley in the late 1980s. He recognized the potential of the Oregon soil to produce elegant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Robert’s daughter Véronique is the winemaker and his son Philippe is the viticulturist. They have both been involved in the family’s winemaking in both Burgundy and Oregon since 1988.

Domain Drouhin Tasting Room

The motto on their website is “French soul, Oregon soil”. That is what makes this winery unique. There is a sense of elegance. The tasting room is simple and wide open. There is an L-shaped, wood-paneled tasting bar that can accommodate several small groups at a time. The walls are cream colored and there are high ceilings, making the tasting room feel very spacious. The wine tasting experience is unique because guests get to sample their Oregon wines along-side of their French wines. I found the wines to stand up to their motto. The Drouhins’ Oregon wines reflected the French-style of wine making rather than the fruitier, earthy style wines I’ve tried from Oregon. Behind the tasting bar was another area that was set up with tables and chairs. It looked like it was set up for a small event. There were stairs that led down to the fermentation room with large stainless steel tanks.

Domaine Drouhin Terrace

Outside of the tasting room is a lovely terrace with high top tables and spectacular views of the vineyards and Dundee area. It was a very relaxing setting.

I would recommend this winery to others. The terrace and views alone sold me. I also think it’s a great deal to get to try both Oregon and French wines in one tasting. Out of all the wineries I visited in California and Oregon, this is the first time I got to sample U.S. and European wines side-by-side. It was a fascinating experience.

View from Domain Drouhin’s terrace

Wine Tourist

My journeys in wine country.

Category Archives: Oregon

Willamette Valley Vineyards

Winderlea Vineyard and Winery

Domaine Drouhin