Willamette Valley--Great wines with great friends!
- Tim McDonald
- Jul 30
- 7 min read
We've been part of a "wine club" since 2008 (we think) which basically is 5 couples who love exploring wines and as it turns out entertaining and cooking! We meet at each other's homes once each year (we finally went alphabetical to make it easy). The host couple chooses the theme of the night and the wine each couple brings. Of course the host has plenty of other wine or scotch when the designated wines are finished. This has been a fabulous bond all of these years. We've done trips to Madrid, Santa Fe and this time 3 couples went to Willamette Valley to explore the great Oregon Pinot Noirs!
Each couple was in charge of one day's winery visits which turned out to work out well. Our good friends the Bentons chose a couple of higher end wineries, our good friends the Phillips actually knew someone in the area that had been part of the harvest crew for Ken Wright (godfather of Willamette) for years so was able to get us a more intimate tasting there, and we chose a couple of laid-back larger wineries where you can just do tastings out in the yard. We stayed in McMinnville which is a great little town with a bustling downtown around 3rd street--lots of cafes--and is central to the 3 main areas of Willamette.
DAY ONE: (Phillips)
After breakfast we headed to Carlton to visit Ken Wright Cellars. This was a special find to start out our weekend. Ken Wright is the "godfather" of the Oregon wine scene. He was instrumental in creating the 6 AVA's (American Viticultural Area) in the Northern Willamette Valley region. In our blogs in Napa these areas describe what you will be tasting in a given area. Each area because of its soil and climate will produce a different result and therefore a different taste to a grape. By knowing the AVA a wine is from you can better know what you will be getting in the glass. A Pinot Noir from Sonoma County CA is way different from a Pinot Noir in Willamette Valley and depending on our preference you will better know which to buy or order in a restaurant. Within Willamette Valley there is even a difference in the profile of the wine.
The tasting room for Ken Wright Cellars is a converted train station in the middle of Carlton. There are also many restaurants nearby and AirBnB's if you're inclined to stay in Carlton.
The day we visited was quite chilly so after doing a tour via the van to a few of the vineyards we stayed inside the tasting room for our tasting. They also have an option for just a tasting room experience if you are short on time and just want to explore the wines.
Of course we all joined the wine club because we were so impressed with the history and the wines themselves.
Ken Wright Cellars is comprised of 6 different vineyards:
And as mentioned above, each wine is different from the other.
Click here to book a tour:
You can learn more about Ken's history here:
After leaving the winery we headed to EIEIO--another winery with a winemaker who is larger than life. This winery is located to the west of Carlton out N Meadow Lake Rd. Jay McDonald is the owner/winemaker. He started making wine in college just for personal consumption and to share with friends. In 1994, he purchased a historic building in downtown Carlton and thus the journey began.
Jay didn't want to take himself too seriously so he thought up this winery name (note his last name) for the fun of it. His focus is on the fruit in the vineyard and as such he doesn't play with the grapes much when bottling.
Visits are by appointment only and are conducted by Jay himself which is a treat. He is knowledgeable about Willamette history and viniculture. It is $500 for up to 6 people BUT this is applied toward any wine purchases that day. So just make sure you have 6 people there who all want to purchase 1 or 2 bottles of wine. Most of his wines are in the $75 price range.
To book a visit click here: https://onhisfarm.com/tasting-reservations-form
Well now it's time for dinner. We were told by Jamie about a great restaurant in Carlton called "Park and Main" so we headed back into town only to find out that Ken Wright himself is a frequent guest and there's a martini named after him--the Kentini! Jamie was there as well and introduced us to him and we all proceeded to head out the back to a large table for pizza and wine (and Kentinis).
To this day we still create captions for this photo taken while eating. What do you think?
One thing led to another and next thing we all knew we were invited back to Ken's "Mancave" (location not disclosed) where we played cribbage, smoked cigars, met a bunch of locals and were offered quite the selection of liquor and wine. This was a memorable experience!
DAY TWO: (McDonalds)
Our day was one of visiting a lesser known and 2 major wineries. The latter is a cheaper way to do Willamette and easier because there aren't any scheduled tours--just drive up to a winery and settle in!
Our first stop was at J.L. Kiff Vineyard in McMinnville owned by Joel (J) and Laurie (L) Kiff. Joel grew up in northern California wine country and Laurie was from the Willamette Valley. They met at UC Davis and raised a family but really wanted to get back to a more rural life. In 2003 they purchased this vineyard and moved there in 2005. At first they were just selling grapes to other wineries but in 2010 they made their first wine. Their production is about 1,000 cases per year.
J.L. Kiff Vineyard is located in the southwest corner of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA and the vineyard is planted in volcanic soil, part of the coast range basalt formation. The tour of the vineyard was fabulous and the wines were enjoyable. Just a nice quaint experience.
The barn was converted to the tasting room in 2017 and after walking through the vineyard and learning about Joel's methods (and of course tasting wine) you are treated to a tasting in the "barn" and if lucky Joel will play a song for you!
The tasting fee is $20 per person which is waived with a $40 wine purchase per person. Wines are $28 to $65 typically.
To schedule a visit click here: https://www.jlkiffvineyard.com/visit/
After leaving J.L. Kiff we were ready for lunch at another winery: Stoller. This is a large winery with massive distribution and a great place for wine tasting. There is an indoor more formal area with a restaurant attached, an indoor less formal area and with good weather an entire backyard with tents, picnic tables, food, and entertainment.
We settled into a picnic table and purchased sandwiches and chips from the tent. The food out at the tent was actually very inventive and good and the weather was amazing! The wines weren't on par with the wineries we'd been to thus far but the experience was extremely enjoyable (we did NOT join the club).
To view various tasting options click here: https://www.stollerfamilyestate.com/visit/
Well now it's 4pm and we weren't quite ready to head home so of course we needed to find another winery! It was a gorgeous day and we wanted to have views of the valley and just sit and talk.
We googled and found a winery near Stoller called Brooks Wine. This was just the perfect place to finish off a day of wine touring and tasting. There is a fabulous back yard with a porch and views of the mountains. We pulled the adirondack chairs in a semi-circle and savored a glass of wine with Popcorn with Herb-Oil. They have an extensive charcuterie, snack and entree menu so you could easily spend lunchtime there. As with most wineries they close at 5pm.
Most of their wines are easy-sipping and cost between $30-$50 per bottle. You can do flights of 6 wines (easier to do this if you're indoors) for $30. Reservations aren't required (obviously since we literally popped in) but it wouldn't be a bad idea if you want to have someone focus on your visit with them.
To view the menu and tasting options click here: https://www.brookswine.com/monthly-menu/
Now that wine tasting is done it's time to head back to McMinnville for dinner! We stopped at the AirBnB to "dust off" and headed to a cute area called "Mac Market" which is a multi-purpose shed with a couple of restaurants, a bar and a couple of shops with candles, flowers and jams.
We ate in the restaurant called "Hayward" which had very inventive, unique dishes such as Braised Hen Dumplings and Duck Confit salad. Everyone in our group enjoyed what was ordered so give it a try!
After dinner we walked back home and passed this really cute "hotel" area along the way. The entire street looked like tiny homes that had been built. We made note to check it out when we come back to the area.
DAY THREE (BENTONS):
Now it's time for the Bentons to take us around Willamette. They did not disappoint! Our first tasting was at the Dusky Goose Winery. We were seated on the veranda overlooking the winery and had THE most enjoyable wine host! Very knowledgeable about wine and the area.
Reservations are recommended but walk-ins are welcome. The tasting room is open from 10am-5pm Thursday through Saturday and 11am-5pm Sunday through Wednesday. There are several ways to experience Dusky Goose from a $40 flight in the tasting room to a $65 vineyard walk and tasting or even a $125 private tasting in the Pendleton Room. Tasting fees for the tasting room are waived with a 2 bottle purchase. The wines range from $75 and up to $125.
To find out more click here: https://www.duskygoose.com/visit/
After having thoroughly enjoyed this winery visit we were off to our last winery of the trip: Bergstrom Winery. We didn't think it could get any better but we were in for a surprise! We had been setup for a lunch and wine pairing. Crafted by Chef Amy Griffith, this curated, two-hour experience includes our most elevated wine tasting flight meticulously paired with four seasonally inspired courses. This was the best yet!
Tastings are only by appointment unless you are a wine club member where there is a private club member lounge. The cost is $85 per person and is complimentary with a 3 bottle purchase. The wines range from $55 to $125 per bottle.
To learn more click here: https://bergstromwines.com/visit/private-wine-tasting/
Well, the weekend was over and it's time to head back home. But we won't be missing it for too long because OF COURSE we joined wine clubs and purchased wine that was heading our way!
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