I’ve been unknowingly curating a list of the best Oregon wines. Every time I visit a new Oregon winery, I jot down notes so I’ll remember which ones I enjoyed. Soon enough, I had a pretty long list…a lot from small producers most people haven’t heard of.
Rather than keep it to myself, I thought I’d share my list with you. Get ready to experience the best Oregon wines!
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The Best Oregon Wines
Before diving into my list of the best Oregon wines, let’s talk about the region in general. If you want, you can jump ahead:
About Oregon Wine Country
Oregon is the third largest producer of wine in the US behind California and Washington. There are more than 1,000 wineries, 1,400 vineyards, and 23 recognized American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), according to the Oregon Wine Board. The AVAs include:
- Laurelwood District
- Tulatin Hills
- Columbia Valley
- Willamette Valley
- Yamhill-Carlton
- Umpqua Valley
- Walla Walla Valley (see my guide to the best Walla Walla wineries)
- Snake River Valley
- Southern Oregon
- The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater
- Rogue Valley
- Red Hill Douglas County
- Ribbon Ridge
- Eola-Amity Hills
- McMinnville
- Dundee Hills
- Elkton Oregon
- Applegate Valley
- Chehalem Mountains
- Columbia Gorge
- Van Duzer Corridor
- Mount Pisgah
- Lower Long Tom
A lot of these AVAs are clustered around each other in western Oregon between Portland and Eugene. To most folks, they consider all the AVAs just the “Willamette Valley” when referring to Oregon Wine Country. But now you know there are a ton of AVAs and Willamette Valley is just one.
More than 70 grape varietals are grown in Oregon, but pinot noir, pinot gris, and chardonnay are what the wine region is best known for. In fact, it was Oregon that helped me learn I actually like chardonnay. I was used to the big, buttery versions common in California, but a lot of Oregon producers don’t age their chardonnays in oak. So you’re left with a crisp, dry white wine unlike those big, oaky ones.
Best Oregon white wines
Don’t underestimate Oregon’s white wines just because they’re best known for pinot noir. While not as prevalent, they make equally as good pinot gris, chardonnay, and other white varietals.
Iris Vineyards Pinot Gris
website | location: Springfield | 322 Main St | size: ~12,000 cases/year
The winery: Iris Vineyards used to have a tasting room on top of a gentle hill surrounded by their estate vineyards, but they have since moved and have an urban tasting room in Springfield instead. It’s perfectly located to stay at one of these boutique hotels in Eugene, Oregon.
Owners Richard and Pamela grew up in Eugene and met in high school. Richard grew up on a farm helping his dad tend hazelnuts and his grandmother make wine, so you can see winemaking goes way back for this couple!
The wine: Make sure to take your time to savor the pinot gris. I had the 2016 pinot gris and loved how crisp yet hefty it was. There was some real complexity in the glass and I loved that.
Belle Pente Vineyard & Winery Pinot Gris
website | location: Carlton | 12470 NE Rowland Rd | size: ~4,500 cases/year
The winery: Pronounced “bell-pont”, this winery’s name means “beautiful slope”, which is a perfect name given their 70-acre hillside location. They only offer tastings by appointment, and chances are owner Brian will be pouring his impeccable French-style wines.
The wine: Definitely try their pinot gris. I had the 2013 vintage and love how it smelled like blue cheese, but tasted thick and sweet (but not too sweet!). It changed flavors in my mouth over time, which is amazing for a wine variety that can often be more delicate! If you’re interested in trying more from Belle Pente, here are a few you may be interested in:
Eyrie Vineyards Estate Pinot Gris
website | location: McMinnville 935 NE 10th Ave | size: ~11,000 cases/year
The winery: The Eyrie Vineyards is a family-owned winery run by mother and son, Diana and Jason. However, it was founded by Diana and her husband, David Lett, in 1965. They were the first to plant pinot in the region and as a result are considered some of the OG founders of Oregon’s Willamette Valley alongside wine giants like Honeywood, Hillcrest, Ponzi, Erath, Adelshem, and Sokol Blosser.
Nowadays winemaker Jason carries on his dad’s legacy highlighting the terroir of their vineyard grapes, which means they’re turned into wine with minimal intervention. However don’t let that humble style fool you. They are very, very serious about making wine. Just one read of their winemaking process on the website will tell you what I mean!
The wine: Definitely try the Eyrie Estate Pinot Gris. I had the 2018 vintage and fell in love. It’s buttercup yellow and smells floral, but it drinks buttery with melon notes. This wine has heft and tingles like a champagne, making it one of the more interesting whites I’ve had. If you want to try more from them, don’t miss the Eyrie Estate Pinot Noir.
Best Oregon rosé wines
In general, rosé wines are best drunk the same year you buy them. Most aren’t meant to age, so many winemakers only produce enough bottles of rosé to last the year. There are some exceptions, so ask the winemaker if you aren’t sure!
Élevée Winegrowers Three Martin’s Rosé
website | location: Dundee | 9653 NE Keyes Ln | size: ~1,000 cases/year
The winery: I first discovered this tasting room inside Carleton Winemakers Studio, a custom crush facility that houses multiple small winemakers under one roof. Custom crushes help new winemakers keep costs down by not having to invest in the expensive machinery and equipment needed to run a winery. However, Élevée has since moved on to open their own winery.
Élevée’s winemaker Tom Fitzpatrick owns 3 vineyards throughout the Willamette Valley. He makes super small production wines, blending his experience making wine for other wineries in Napa Valley, New Zealand, and Washington State.
The wine: The Three Martin’s rose of pinot noir isn’t available year round, but when it’s available you should definitely try it. I had the 2016 vintage and loved how it’s slightly sweet to start, but has a full-bodied, dry finish.
Best Oregon red wines
Considering that pinot noir is the most popular grape varietal in Oregon, my list of the best red wines is the largest.
Penner-Ash Wine Cellars Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
website | location: Newberg | 15771 NE Ribbon Ridge Rd | size: ~15,000 cases/year
The winery: Lynn of Penner-Ash is one of the first female winemakers in Oregon. She describes her wine style as focusing on small-lot indigenous yeast fermentation with extended cold soaks to extract rich, fruit-focused, wines with a textured mouth feel. I’d have to say I definitely understand what she means by “textured mouth feel”. Her wines have a silkiness to it that rolls over your tastebuds a bit differently than other wines.
The wine: Penner-Ash makes one hell of a pinot noir. I tried their 2018 single vineyard pinot noir and it smelled smoky but unfolded to reveal vanilla and dried fruit. The wine is savory and medium bodied, with a finish that lasted for quite some time on the palate. But really you can’t go wrong with any of Penner-Ash’s pinots. Here are some others to try:
Roco Winery Grand Road Pinot Noir
website | location: Newberg | 13260 NE Red Hills Rd | size: ~15,000 cases/year
The winery: Roco Winery is owned by husband and wife, Rollin and Corby. Rollin got his start working at Archery Summit, but broke off to start his own small production winery. Him and assistant winemaker Jarrod Sleet, one of the few Black winemakers in the Pacific Northwest, focus on making beautiful, sustainable wines with a focus on structure and a meticulous attention to detail.
In 2022, Italian wine group Santa Margherita bought a majority stake in Roco. Rollin and Jarrod are still the winemakers, so there is continuity despite the change in ownership.
The wine: Roco Gravel Road Pinot Noir is their best seller. I had the 2018 vintage and can honestly say it was one of the best Oregon wines in the pinot noir category I’ve had. It’s super bright and acidic, with a fizzy quality on the palate that makes you pucker. It has notes of strawberry and rose petal and a super light viscosity to it, which would make it a fun summer patio wine. If you want to try some of their other big hits, try:
J.L. Kiff Vineyard Pinot Noir
website | location: McMinnville | 13546 NW Wills Rd | size: ~1,200 cases/year
The winery: J.L. Kiff is owned by arguably the cutest husband and wife pair, Joel and Laurie Kiff. They produce impeccable small-lot pinot noirs out of their 9-acre vineyard, the closest estate tasting room to downtown McMinnville.
The wine: They make mostly pinot noirs, so that’s what to get here. I had the 2012, which was a warm year, producing a deep, complex pinot noir that contrasts with J.L. Kiff’s lighter, smokier, and mineralier 2011 version I also tried (that’s a word, right?). On the off chance they’re available, try them all to compare yourself!
Winderlea Vineyard Meredith Mitchell Pinot Noir
website | location: Dundee | 8905 NE Worden Hill Rd | size: ~6,000 cases/year
The winery: I love Winderlea so much that I’m actually a wine club member. Owners Bill and Donna make dry, more subtle pinot noirs that have a ton of subtle complexity. They aren’t like the other pinot noirs on this list that are bolder and zippier, but rather focus on the terroir of cooler climate grapes from their estate vineyards.
The wine: All of Winderlea’s pinot noirs are great, but I especially love the Meredith Mitchell Pinot Noir. The 2017 vintage I had was earthy, with a black tea-like quality.
Maison Noir Other People’s Pinot Noir
website | location: McMinnville | 1271 OR-99W (no tasting room) | size: ~30,000 cases/year
The winery: Sommelier André Hueston Mack created Maison Noir Wines after becoming obsessed with wine working in the restaurant industry. He started in San Antonio but then got the coveted lead sommelier position at Thomas Keller’s famous French Laundry restaurant in Napa Valley. He wanted to show sommeliers there’s life after working in restaurants, so he turned to winemaking with a focus on affordable wines and graphic labels (since he also has a passion for art). He used to be of the few Black-owned winemakers in Oregon (he’s since moved to Brooklyn, though still makes wine with Oregon grapes).
The wine: I love his OPP, or Other People’s Pinot Noir. It’s dark and smells earthy, spicy, and floral on the nose, but then offers a velvety mouthfeel with a dark cherry finish. To give you an idea of how this ended up on my best Oregon wines list, I kept saying, “Mmm,” every time I took a sip. If you’d like to try some of his other wines, here are a few suggestions:
Brittan Vineyards Cygnus Block
website | location: McMinnville | NE 5th St | size: ~1,500 cases/year
The winery: Robert Brittan of Brittan Vineyards makes beautiful Oregon pinot noirs. He focuses on sourcing grapes from cool climate AVAs to produce more subtle and sophisticated pinots than others you might try. His gift in the cellar is so coveted that he is also the winemaker for a few other small production wine labels!
The wine: Brittan Vineyards pinot noirs are labeled by which block in the vineyard they came from. I really enjoy the Cygnus Block Pinot Noir. The 2014 vintage I had was dry and mineraly but with a deep complexity you might find in a fuller, jammier wine. But don’t worry, this one isn’t sweet! If you’re worried about it, here are some of their other wines to try:
Lemelson Vineyards Thea’s Selection Pinot Noir
website | location: Carlton | 12020 NE Stag Hollow Rd | size: ~12,000 cases/year
The winery: Lemelson Vineyards has a beautiful property, with a tasting room nestled on top of a hill overlooking their vineyards…outdoor patio and all! But the most interesting part of this hill is that there is a gravity-flowing wine facility built inside. This ancient, organic technique lets wine flow down via gravity to help preserve the flavors of the grapes.
The wine: I love the Thea’s Selection Pinot Noir. It’s their best-rated wine and is a blend of grapes from all 7 of their vineyards. This allows them to be really consistent in the flavor profile each year because they can change the ratio of the grapes from the different vineyards as needed. I had the 2014 version and loved how fruity and zippy it was. If you want to try other wines, here are some ideas:
Idiot’s Grace Cabernet Franc
website | location: Mosier | 8450 US 30 | size: ~2,000 cases/year
The winery: Idiot’s Grace is an organic farm making some of the best Oregon wines from the eastern part of the state. Their vineyards are nestled in the Columbia River Gorge AVA and feature huge cherry and other fruit trees alongside grapes. Their tiny tasting room is modern, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the farm. If you’re lucky, they’ll be serving homemade jams and nibbles and their winery dog will be napping in the sun.
The wine: They’re famous for their Columbia Gorge Cabernet Franc. This inky red wine is fragrant but elegant in true French style. Plus since it’s in the Gorge’s warmer climate, it’s heavier than the pinot noirs common in the Willamette Valley area.
Antiquum Farm Juel Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
website | location: Junction City | 25075 Jaeg Rd | size: ~5,000 cases/year
The winery: Winemaker Stephen Hagen of Antiquum Farm is obsessed with old-world, farming practices. A Willamette Valley native, he makes wine a bit differently than others. He uses horse-drawn carriages and tends the land with the help of his grazing farm animals. The result are beautiful, organic wines that give you a true sense of the terroir.
The wine: I am obsessed with Antiquum’s Juel Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, so much in fact I became a wine club member. The 2017 vintage was a dark hue, but not as inky as you might think. Instead this wine was more see-through, casting light like a ruby when you swirl the glass. I smelled raspberries on the nose, but flavors of caramel, tobacco, and plum washed over my mouth like a wave as I tasted it. This is by no means a bubbly wine, but it had a light texture and zippy, acidic finish reminiscent of sparkling wines.
Eyrie Vineyards 2017 Trousseau
website | location: McMinnville | 935 NE 10th Ave | size: ~11,000 cases/year
The winery: Eyrie Vineyards also made it onto my list of best Oregon wines in the red category with their Trousseau. This ancient grape variety originated in France’s Jura region. Eyrie’s Jason Lett and crew planted the Willamette Valley’s first Trousseau noir in 2012, so they’re the place to get this rare grape in Oregon.
The wine: Their version of Trousseau is a light ruby color and smells of strawberry jam mixed with earthy herbs. At first you’re met with zippy and bright rhubarb notes that make you pucker, but then it mellows out into a long, dry, blackberry finish. Includes a mouthfeel that feels like bubbly for a moment.
Hiyu Wine Farm
website | location: Hood River | 3890 Acree Dr | size: ~5,000 cases/year
The winery: I’m so obsessed with Hiyu. It’s an organic winery and farm tucked in the Columbia River Gorge. They make pricey, yet unfathomly good wines using no intervention. They’re cerebral and a bit quirky, but there’s no denying the talent behind their winemaking team.
If you plan to visit the area, they offer an exquisite farm lunch that I highly recommend reserving on your Columbia River Gorge itinerary.
The wine: You can’t really go wrong with any of their wines, but the bottle that got them added to this list is The May. It smells like strawberries on the nose, but has an intense, concentrated fruitiness on the palate that is somehow both sweet and dry at the same time.
Oregon Wine LAB William Rose Primitivo
website | location: Eugene | 488 Lincoln St | size: ~3,000 cases/year
The winery: Oregon Wine LAB is part wine bar, part winery. The wine bar side of it sells wines from small local producers inside an art-filled tasting room, oftentimes served alongside a live musician. But owner Mark Nicholl also makes his own wine label called William Rose. He focuses on making big red wines made from grapes produced by some of the best Oregon vineyards.
You’ll find his tasting room right in downtown Eugene. Head here, then go explore the other tasting rooms to enjoy wine and spirits in nearby 5th Street Public Market.
The winery: The William Rose primitivo is a must. I tried the 2015 vintage and found it to be a meaty, full-bodied red that had me scratching my head trying to pick out the flavors. It’s quite different than the lighter pinot noirs often found in Oregon.
Where to buy Oregon wines
You can buy Oregon wine from Wine.com or purchase directly from the winery or independent wine shops. Here are more guides to help.
How I determine the best Oregon wines
People…I drink a lot of wine. It takes a lot for me to not like a wine, but it takes even more for me to remember it. So the first way I determine if I consider a wine the best Oregon wine is I determine if it leaves an impression, and if it does I jot it down.
Wines are likely to leave an impression in a few ways.
First, it’s more likely to leave an impression if it’s not too sweet, too sour/funky, or too much like a port. Unfortunately those characteristics aren’t usually my favorite. Second, I tend to find wines that smell one way, but then taste absolutely different memorable. Or if it significantly changes flavors on your palate from start to finish.
In general, I’m more of a red person, but I love all colors of wines. For whites, I find them memorable when they are more complex and have some heft or high acid, as opposed to subdued and “like water” as I say. For reds, I love a good jammy or dark fruit finish, but I also appreciate wines with smoke or mineral flavors. And if it coats your taste buds and lingers, I’m likely going to remember it!
In addition to tasting and tasting again, I started doing blind taste tests at least once a year. Basically I buy a bunch of bottles from wineries I’ve heard about or already love. Then I host a blind tasting of similar varieties side by side, rate them, and compare them. It’s a fun way to try a bunch at once when visiting tasting rooms isn’t in the cards.
Alright, onto the wine. Here’s my running list of best Oregon wines. Note that wines change year to year as the terroir changes between each grape harvest. Most of my favorite wineries honor these changes in the seasons, so one vintage might taste different every year it’s released. Some may try to keep similar characteristics through their aging or blending process, so if you can’t find a specific year I recommend trying a newer vintage and see what you think!
Find more of the best wines
Once you make your way through this list of the best Oregon wines, here are more of my wine guides:
- Best Eugene, Oregon wineries
- Best Washington State Wines
- Best Wineries in the Pacific Northwest
- Seattle Urban Wineries Worth Knowing About
- Lake Chelan Wineries I’m Obsessed With
- Woodinville Wineries Near Seattle
- Whidbey Island’s Best Wineries
- Bainbridge Island Wineries You Should Visit
- Fun Seattle Wine Tasting Tours
