Celebrating the Hispanic Winemakers of the Willamette Valley

The story behind Alumbra Cellars—Spanish for "shining light"—begins long before the winery opened just outside Dayton in the early 2000s. Baudelio Rodriguez, Sr., arrived in the United States from Durango, Mexico, in the 1970s—seeking a better life and eventually landing in Yamhill County. Rodriguez purchased a farm in 1996 and transformed his land into a prolific vineyard in 2005.

In 2014, daughter Elena Rodriguez took over managing the vineyard and transformed Alumbra into a regional leader in sustainable farming. Today, she leads private tastings of estate-grown pinot noir, pinot gris, and other varietals in a tent that sits surrounded by Alumbra's vineyard.

The family-owned, sustainably harvested Beacon Hill Winery & Vineyard is led by the husband-and-wife team of George Hillberry and Carla Rodríguez. The duo has owned the winery since 2011 and has since earned acclaim for its lineup of pinot noir, chardonnay, riesling, and albariño—the latter a wine that traces its roots to Spain and is grown only in a few places around the world.

Rodriguez, whose journey into the world of wine has spanned vineyards in Mexico, Romania, and the United States, oversees day-to-day operations in the tasting room today. A tasting on the wide-open patio at Beacon Hill's tasting room includes a lineup of estate-grown wines. 

When Mexico City-born Sofia Torres McKay and Oregon native Ryan McKay began their search for a Willamette Valley vineyard where they could grow pinot noir, they stumbled upon a former cherry and hazelnut orchard almost by accident. Nevertheless, the husband-and-wife team was enchanted by the property and planted their first vines in 2012. 

Today, the boutique Cramoisi Vineyard—French for "crimson"—is beloved for employing sustainable, biodynamic farming practices that eschew the use of pesticides and herbicides. Try their estate-grown pinot noir, chardonnay, and other varietals in a quiet setting—only available by reservation—that's offered in both English and Spanish.

Sam Parra grew up in St. Helena, California—in the heart of the state's world-famous wine scene. That upbringing inspired Parra to forge a career in wine, eventually bringing him to the Willamette Valley and inspiring him to launch Parra Wine Co.

Today, Parra produces wines whose grapes are sourced from vineyards around Salem, Dallas, the Chehalem Mountains, and elsewhere throughout the Willamette Valley. Try his line-up of gewurztraminer, syrah, tempranillo, chardonnay, and more at one-off pop-up events around the region.

In a sense, winemaking is in Juan Pablo Valot's blood. With a family tree that includes French and Italian heritage, Valot grew up in Argentina and embraced quality wines from an early age. Excited to join Oregon's vaunted wine scene, he moved to Corvallis in 2005 and later founded Valcan Cellars with his wife Doris Cancel. (The name Valcan is a mashup of their last names.)

In the years since launching, the duo has worked Valot's Argentinian heritage and Cancel's Puerto Rican background into Valcan's labels, artwork, and wines—all while embracing the Willamette Valley's reputation for excellent pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, and rosé. Find the Valcan Cellars tasting room in the Old World Deli building in downtown Corvallis.

Just south of Salem, where Oregon's capital city gives way to forests and farmland, sits Cória Estates—a Mexican-American family-owned vineyard, winery, and tasting room that's produced wine grapes for more than 25 years.

Luis and Janice Cória purchased their first piece of Willamette Valley farmland in 1988 and planted their first grapes in the winter of 1999. Today, the family's estate measures more than 100 acres and includes pinot noir, pinot gris, chardonnay, and riesling grapes. Sample your way through the Cória Estates offerings on the winery's expansive patio, which offers wide-open sunset views beyond the Oregon Coast Range foothills. Learn more about wine tasting near Salem and Albany.

Ximena Orrego and Guy Insley fell in love with the Willamette Valley when they first visited in 2004 and immediately knew it was the place for them. They planted the first vineyards for what would become Atticus Wine just north of Yamhill in 2005—and have been producing renowned pinot noir ever since.

Sample Atticus wines with a private tasting led by owner and winemaker Ximena Orrego. The tasting includes a variety of wines alongside a handful of cheeses and, weather permitting, a walk through the vineyards. The experience is available in English or Spanish.