Where the signature Oregon Pinot Noir runs plentiful
Below is a list of our favorite wineries we visited; for additional pictures, visit us on our Facebook album.
Ratings Legend:
Experience:
🍷 Unremarkable
🍷🍷Pleasant
🍷🍷🍷 Got Our Attention
🍷🍷🍷🍷 Can't Wait to Return
(Of course, our ratings are totally subjective; but we hope to give you an idea of what to expect if you choose to visit the winery's tasting room.)
Alexana is blessed with 80 acres of very diverse (18) soil types and exposures which produce equally diverse wines of elegant character. The winery is 3 stories of gravity flow engineering housed in a Gold LEED-certified building. The tasting bar is unique as it displays a replica of the layered soil on the property. The staff is highly trained and provides quite an education on the vineyard, wine making process and the wines themselves. Our tasting included one wine from a sister operation in Argentina that was fantastic.
Ayoub is perhaps the most intimate winery experience you will ever have. The tasting room is in Mo Ayoub’s kitchen, the winery is his converted garage, the dialogue drips with biting sarcasm and the wines are divine. Even Wine Enthusiast magazine recognizes the effort, skill and thoughtfulness Mo imparts to Willamette’s quintessential grape, the pinot noir. You will enter Mo’s home by appointment only and leave knowing you just engaged a very intelligent and dedicated individual…just ask him if that’s correct! The experience would rate “4🍷s”, but the level of interaction may be off-putting for some folks. Nonetheless, the wines are superb.
Domaine Serene can be described as growing from humble beginnings to a lasting presence. The dream of a couple from Minnesota has transformed into one of the most breathtaking estates in the Willamette Valley. And the wines are equally impressive. The tasting room displays grandeur and is sufficiently popular as to warrant a semi-private seated tasting which may compare French and American wine counterparts. A beautiful venue but a bit busy.
Formed by two highly successful professionals, it is no surprise to find their joint efforts at Dusky Goose to produce world class pinot noir in Willamette Valley were equally successful. This little gem is our favorite Willamette winery. The intimacy, the vista, the venue, the folks, and of course, the wines are all superb. Not a detail has been overlooked to bring the lucky visitor an unforgettable experience. You will also not forget how to find Dusky Goose as it does not have signage guiding you to the winery! (Turn into the Rambouillet Vineyard off NE Warren Rd in Dundee). But find it, and you will have the Willamette Valley experience of a lifetime.
Sokol Blosser has a beautifully modern tasting room that utilizes plenty of natural light and warm wood to create a very attractive venue. The back of the building has floor to ceiling glass that allows a view of the vineyard. That said, we found the tasting quite sterile and our hostess somewhat disengaged. We enjoyed the rose, both still and bubbly, but not much else.
