Willamette recs for April vacation?

March 24, 2016 10:07 PM

For our long overdue vacation, we're planning to stay in Newberg Oregon, and want to experience the most wonderful things Willamette Valley has to offer. What should we eat/drink/do? And, how long should we stay?

We obviously both LOVE wine & wine tasting (& cocktails & whiskey). We also love yummy food -- fancy & unfancy. We don't like hiking, but do let us know if there are some nice gardens/parks/town centers that we can amble around in.

Are there certain ways to plan our itinerary? Should we look for a tour guide or just book a car? Any can't miss wineries, or tasting rooms? Is there a nice book store nearby? Where's the best latte, and who has the yummiest breakfasts/brunches?

We'll have access to a full kitchen, so also feel free to send us to great grocers / butchers.

And, how long should we plan to stay in the area? We have up to a full week, but not sure if that is too much time.

posted by ellerhodes to Travel & Transportation around Willamette Valley, OR (7 answers total)

Best answer: I live in McMinnville, about 20 minutes from Newburg. I'm not that into the wine scene, so hopefully others can give you recommendations on that aspect. As far as food and cocktails, I'll say that Thistle and Pura Vida in McMinnville are both fantastic for dinner. Thistle was ranked the best restaurant in the state in 2013 and is still great. Their bartender makes incredible cocktails as well. For breakfast, you can't go wrong with Valley Commisary, Crescent Cafe, or Community Plate. I would suggest taking a day to wander down 3rd St (the main drag) in McMinnville and hit up some if the many winery tasting rooms and cute little shops, including a great bookstore (3rd St books).

Personally, I would suggest renting a car. The area is fairly rural overall. It's a good 15-20 minutes between a lot of the towns and wineries, and we don't have much in the way of taxi services. I've been on wine tours with one of the tour companies, and it's fun, but they'll only take you to a handful of wineries. Much more fun to plan your own route and plan pit stops for food and shopping in between. Carlton is very cute and charming and would be another good way to spend few hours tasting and wandering.

I'm not sure if there's enough to do to spend an entire week in the area, but if you added in day trips to Portland, Hood River, or the coast, you could easily stretch it out.
posted by evilbeck at 10:54 PM on March 24, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: For wine tasting, I really love Lady Hill, which is really close to Newberg. They're still setting up their permanent tasting room, but the temporary one has a lot of character and all their wines are fantastic. They're also in the same complex as Sinnean, who have a pretty fun tasting as well.

Erath, Sokol Blosser, Four Graces and others are also great wineries in Dundee that do tastings. And I hear Argyle is nice for the sparkling stuff.
posted by Muttoneer at 12:44 AM on March 25, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: The Oregon Garden in Silverton
The Willamette Queen is a paddlewheel boat based in Salem
Any of the many McMenamin's restaurants (McMinnville, Sherwood and Wilsonville among them)
posted by megatherium at 4:46 AM on March 25, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Wineries we liked include Alexana, De Ponte, and Black Walnut Hills. McMinnville is nice and has good restaurants.
posted by matildaben at 7:12 AM on March 25, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Others can speak to the food aspect, but here's a few of my favorite wineries close to Dundee, which is the next town over from Newberg:

- Carlton Winemakers Studio: actually several winemakers, in a collaborative space. Try anything by Andrew Rich in particular.
- Winderlea Vineyard
- Winter's Hill Estate: Not much of a "tasting room", it's in the corner of their warehouse, but very good wines
- Vista Hills Vineyard: right by Winter's Hill, also really nice wines
- Argyle: End your day here with a glass of any of their sparkling wines. Their still wines are hit and miss, but they make some great bubbles.
posted by pdb at 8:23 AM on March 25, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Several years ago I stayed in McMenamins Hotel Oregon as a base for wine tasting and enjoyed it. I like their habit of renovating old buildings and not making them too cookie cutter modern. For wine, I always try to make it to Eyrie.
posted by sapere aude at 9:45 AM on March 25, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum.
posted by mwhybark at 9:55 AM on March 25, 2016 [1 favorite]