Last weekend, I took what has become a semiannual trip to the Pacific Northwest to visit my husband, Matt’s, family. Each time we go, we love to book an Airbnb in a town that’s convenient for everyone traveling from the Portland and Seattle areas. This time, we chose McMinnville, Oregon—right in the heart of the Willamette Valley.
I was especially excited because I hadn’t been out to the Willamette in over a decade, and over the past year, we’ve hosted multiple winemakers from the region—St. Innocent, Antiquum Farm, Kelley Fox, Patricia Green, and many others—whose wines inspired me to plan a return trip. Visiting in May was a real treat, as strawberry season was in full swing.
Since I’d be touring some wineries, I thought it would be fun to share my itinerary with you—as I always love swapping travel tips with our customers.
First, I was reminded just how easy it is to reach the Willamette from Portland—a less than 60-minute drive to Newberg—and how expansive the valley is (over 100 miles long!).
My husband and I kicked things off at Antica Terra’s stunning new barrel tasting room, which felt like Nordic chic meets rustic elegance. I’ve tried Antica Terra wines before, and winemaker Maggie Harrison developed quite the buzz after she left Sine Qua Non to start making wine in the Willamette. We did a Collective Tasting of about eight wines, including AT’s pair of Chardonnays, Pinots and the Lillian Syrah alongside comparative selections such as Chassagne-Montrachet, Barolo, and Corsican Carcajolu-Neru. The food pairings, curated by James Beard-nominated chef Tim Watsell, were fresh and delicious—overall, a fantastic and unique hospitality experience that we would definitely return to.
Next, we dashed over to meet Kelley Fox at her cellar in Gaston, a charming one-horse town (don’t miss the One Horse Tavern!). Sitting down with Kelley was a treat—she shared her winemaking philosophy, let us taste through her single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, and more obscure Willamette varietals including Grüner Veltliner and Albariño. We ended in Kelley style with a top off of grower Champagne from Nowack. What stood out was the contrast between Antica Terra’s focus on barrel selection and work in the cellar versus Kelley’s dedication to working with some of the oldest vineyard sites in the valley. Both approaches yield incredible wines, but with very different points of view.
The next day, we visited Shea Wine Cellars (pictured above)—a longtime favorite of mine for its robust signature style and classic floral undertones. Touring the vineyard was eye-opening; it’s beautiful, with plenty of space left for nature to thrive around the vines and lined with rich marine sedimentary soils. Before Dick and Deirdre Shea bought the property in the late nineties, it was actually a cattle farm. We tasted some of their best block and barrel selections, including Homer, Revel, and Neli.
We also made time to visit Alexana in the Dundee Hills, which felt like a homecoming for me—I stayed there with my family over a decade ago. Dr. Madaiah Revana, a cardiologist based in Texas, owns Alexana (as well as Revana in Napa and Corazón del Sol in Mendoza). I was incredibly impressed by Alexana’s recent expansions: a beautiful tasting room and winery with welcoming porches and plenty of space for guests to roam. Alexana has recently shifted to organic farming and even brought in Kunekune pigs to graze and fertilize the vineyards—local celebrities of the winery!
Our last stop was St. Innocent—a true Willamette Valley legend known for pioneering some of the best single-vineyard Pinot sites in the region. Mark and his team hosted a fantastic Memorial Day weekend BBQ with everything from ribs to roasted lamb, cornbread muffins, cowboy beans, potato salads, and more. I revisited Mark’s Freedom Hill Pinot Blanc, his daughter’s Momtazi Grauburgunder (called “Not So Innocent”), his Oeil de Perdrix rosé, and even his Crémant Rosé.
All in all, it was an amazing experience, and I can’t wait to go back. McMinnville makes a perfect home base, with plenty of hotels and Airbnbs to suit any traveler, plus great restaurants, coffee shops, and quirky attractions (they’d just wrapped up their annual UFO Festival—the largest in the world!).
I’ve included some winery, dining, and excursion recommendations below, and I’d be happy to discuss more if you’d like to connect with me. Just a heads-up: most wineries in the Willamette are by appointment only. And here’s a fun tip: if you fly Alaska Airlines, they let you check a case of wine!
