The Willamette Valley is known for its world class Pinot Noir. A day trip to Dundee is easy and so fun. In less than an hour from downtown Portland you can be in gorgeous wine country with a large selection of tasting rooms to choose from. You can stay in the area in a hotel like The Dundee, (formerly Inn at Red Hills) a local B&B or do it as an easy day trip from the city.
Another option I just read about in Dundee is the Black Walnut Inn & Vineyard, a nine-room villa set above 100 acres of pinot noir and chardonnay vines. It looks lovely!
Oregon is known for its award winning pinot noirs. The views and architecture of the tasting rooms themselves are in my opinion better than what you will find in Napa and Sonoma in California. We chose three great wineries to visit:
Domaine Drouhin: With spectacular views of the valley and Mt. Hood from the outside deck, this is a great place to sample their smooth and full-bodied pinots. 6750 NE Breyman Orchard Rd.
Stoller Family Estate: At 16161 NE McDougall Rd a short distance off of Highway 99, Stoller’s new tasting room, the first LEED Gold Certified winery in the US, is truly stunning. The views up the hill are outstanding and the wines really excellent. They had a very good dry and fruity tempernillo rose plus the 2009 SV Reserve Pinot Noir was the best wine of the day! You can grab a picnic and enjoy their wines on the back lawn.
Winderlea Vineyard & Winery: At 8905 NE Worden Hill Rd in Dundee this beautiful, contemporary tasting room had amazing views of the vineyards below. Their pinots were very good.
Locals also recommend the wines of The Four Graces at 9605 NE Fox Farm Rd, Erath at 9409 NE Worden Hill Rd. and Archery Summit at 18599 Archery Summit Rd., all in Dundee.
To eat, I highly recommend the Red Hills Market at 155 SW 7th in Dundee. The perfect spot for a wood fired pizza, sandwich or salad before heading out to the vineyards. The ingredients were so fresh and the décor casual and contemporary. Eat in or take out for a picnic.