Across Oregon Wine Country, nearly 700 wineries craft some of the world’s best wines. Pinot noir, pinot gris, and chardonnay are some of the many grapes that our hard-working winemakers grow in the Willamette Valley—and they share the literal fruits of their labor at tasting rooms and wine bars across the region.
In many cases, these vintners also offer luxurious tastings and seasonal food-and-wine pairings that take the experience to a whole new level. That might mean sampling estate-grown varietals in a candlelit wine cave—or digging into a meal whose ingredients were sourced on-site. And if you’d rather someone else do the driving, you’ll find plenty of tour guides who can craft an itinerary suited to your tastes, head between wineries, and offer a look behind the scenes.
So plan your next getaway to the Willamette Valley for these unforgettable tours, tastes and accommodations.
Several wineries offer elevated experiences that include exclusive pours and private tours amid dramatic backdrops. Here’s a look at some of the luxury wine tastings in Oregon Wine Country.
If you'd like to learn about your favorite wines from the vintner who crafted them, a few wineries offer personalized tastings in their owner's homes. Bergström Wines offers private tastings at John and Karen Bergström's home in the heart of the Dundee Hills—which provides sweeping views of the surrounding Willamette Valley. Similarly, winemaker Mo Ayoub (of Ayoub Wines) offers an in-home tasting; Ayoub planted his vineyard in 2001 and today produces small, sought-after batches of pinot noir and chardonnay.
Ready for a cozy, candlelit experience with up to seven of your closest friends? Between December and April, Adelsheim Vineyard offers a Cave Experience that takes small groups into the winery's chardonnay barrel cave for a guided tasting near Newberg. The two-hour experience includes an overview from a knowledgeable guide, a cheese and charcuterie board, and samples of the winery's small-batch pours.
Few wineries set the mood quite like Abbott Claim. The winery offers a 90-minute experience that includes a private tour and a personalized tasting in Abbott Claim's underground barrel cellar. There, in a candlelit-room and over an ornate oak table, you'll try a variety of wines and appetizing small bites
For many, food is as essential to the tasting experience as wine. That’s never truer than in the Willamette Valley, where local farmers and foragers provide the appetizing menus for memorable wine pairings—an experience you’ll enjoy all year long. Check out these tastings, which blend award-winning wines with fresh, seasonal food dishes.
Foodies find plenty to love about thoughtful pairings at Willamette Valley wineries. One popular experience is A Very Nice Lunch with Antica Terra; the Dundee winery pairs a seasonal, multi-course food menu with a curated selection of six wines from its cellar and library.
Sokol Blosser Winery has long been lauded for its innovative practices and award-winning wine—and keeps that creative spirit alive with its Farm and Forage experience. The winery, working with nearby purveyors and sourcing ingredients from its own property, brings together a six-course tasting menu designed to complement your flavorful wines.
Similarly, Left Coast Estate offers what it calls the 45 North Experience—named for the 45th parallel north, which runs through the Salem area and is roughly halfway between the equator and the North Pole. The wine-and-food experience pairs four of Left Coast's estate-grown wines with small plates whose ingredients are sourced from the winery's garden and greenhouse, as well as from local growers and foragers.
Roughly halfway between Salem and McMinnville, Bryn Mawr Vineyards offers a six-course Peak Harvest experience that showcases the bountiful flavors of the Willamette Valley. Visitors enjoy a seasonally curated wine flight alongside small bites crafted with ingredients picked at the peak of freshness—which means no two tastings are ever quite alike.
Not far from Carlton and Newberg, Anacréon Winery offers what it calls an Epicure Experience. The outing begins with a glass of wine and includes a tour of the winery's vineyards, a flight of estate wines, and a menu of light bites that change with the season.
Wherever your wine-tasting travels take you across the Willamette Valley, several luxury-minded tour companies can provide transportation, build itineraries, and offer recommendations for making the most of your experience.
Black Tie Tours, led by Stefan Czarnecki, offers a variety of private, wine-oriented outings—from transportation to your favorite stops to customized tours that take your wine preferences and specific requests into account. In winter, Black Tie also offers truffle tours that invite visitors to forage for the locally grown delicacy.
Another popular outfitter is First Nature Tours, which provides transportation from downtown Portland or from hotels in the north Willamette Valley in a comfortable, well-appointed transit van. Tours include an Insiders Private Tasting Experience—featuring a trip to premium wineries that can be customized to your tastes and interests—and the Hidden Gems Winery Tour, which includes a look at under-the-radar stops across Oregon Wine Country.
Crush Wine Tours offers private tours in a variety of upscale vehicles—from sleek stretch limos that seat groups of eight to a 25-passenger limo coach that includes flat-screen televisions, a powerful stereo, and storage space for luggage, coolers, and cases of wine.
With so much to see, you may want to consider a weekend getaway. If so, pair your luxurious wine experiences with opulent overnight stays—where options include B&Bs on working vineyards, cozy inns on regenerative farms, and chic urban stays. Check out our guide to luxurious overnight stays in Oregon Wine Country, and start planning your perfect getaway today.
