Oregon's Premier Wine Region Is Just As Scenic As Napa Valley Without The Crowds

Picture Napa Valley in the springtime, when the rolling, vine-covered hills are briefly lush and green instead of their signature golden ochre. That's Oregon's verdant, scenic Willamette Valley year-round, a wine region that Time named one of the 50 World's Greatest Places in 2023, dubbing it "the next Napa." 

More than 700 wineries occupy 31,000 planted acres in the state's oldest growing region (compared to Napa's more consolidated 400 wineries over 45,000 acres), many of them small, independent start-ups, making it tremendous fun to drive around the region's windy back roads in search of undiscovered gems. Reservations? It's not Napa yet, so it's not essential to call ahead — and tastings cost less than half of what they do in Napa. Only 45 minutes from Portland, this can make a great day trip after picking up a cup of the best coffee in America, although it truly deserves at least an overnight in McMinnville, a walkable, historic town with 20 wine, beer and cider tasting rooms, or charming Carlton, with a couple dozen more.

Just as California's Temecula Valley reminds Travel Expert Samantha Brown of Tuscany, the Willamette Valley will remind you of France's Burgundy. On the same latitude as Burgundy, the Willamette Valley is known as the best region outside France for pinot noir, much the way Napa is known for cabernet sauvignon. Chardonnay ranks a close second, and sparkling wines are making a name for themselves here, too.

Much as in California's underrated Santa Ynez Valley wine region, the cooler, wetter weather here favors Pinot grapes, and they grow well in its rocky, sandy, yet nutrient-rich volcanic soil. Pinots dominate wine experiences in the Willamette Valley, often built around tasting menus. You might recognize Willamette Valley Vineyards, just south of the state capital of Salem, as the location of the season 18 Top Chef finale. It's known for its Chef's Counter, where just eight patrons per day get to sit and sample regional food and wine pairings. Meanwhile, Sokol Blosser winery's Farm and Forage tasting menu includes ingredients grown and gathered on the property, while the menu at Antica Terra's cellar has achieved legendary cult status and includes pairings that compare and contrast Willamette Valley wines with their counterparts from France.

This young region is also innovative. Ponzi, founded in 1968, has a sustainable, gravity-flow winemaking facility, and a sprawling lawn for picnicking — and their Tavola pinot is a bargain in the under-$30 range. Then there's the Carlton Winemaker's Studio, a winery start-up incubator with 16 creative young vintners featured in a one-stop tasting room. Meanwhile, Corollary Wines in Dayton creates only sparkling vintages, which you can taste in a stunning, bright red building that was profiled in Architectural Record. Domaine Drouhin will take you back to old-world France in both vibe and viticulture, with extraordinary pinots and chardonnays crafted by pioneering female vintner Veronique Boss Drouhin, a native of Burgundy.

Napa Valley may have Thomas Keller's French Laundry, but it's a lot easier to get a table at Cuvée, a French bistro in Carlton (pictured), where you'll be warmly received by award-winning chef Gilbert Henry, who turns out classics like boeuf Bourguignon and Bouchée a La Reine. And there is already Michelin star buzz surrounding Okta, the restaurant in the swanky new Tributary Hotel in McMinnville. Okta made The New York Times' list of America's 50 best restaurants in its first year, and it has its own regenerative farm and fermentation lab.

If your wine trip includes #squadgoals, Willamette Valley has shown up big time for the luxury bunkhouse trend with several hotels offering rooms that sleep three couples or six BFFs, perfect for sharing tipsy, giggling "good nights" on a winey girls' trip. The clubby Atticus in McMinnville has two double bunks and one king and gives each guest a cubby, while squad suites at The Dundee and The Independence offer chic Twin berths.

But for a stay with classic Portlandia vibes, the eclectically decorated McMenamin's Oregon Hotel in McMinnville is the kind of funked-up fun place where the eyes in the portraits on the wall seem to follow you around the room. If a luxe farm stay is more your style, then The Ground has airy, modern accommodations, where your breakfast is as locally grown as it gets — as is the bubbly in the mimosa you'll crave after all that pinot.