Went for the Pinot Noir; Came Home Talking about Chardonnay

California may get more attention when the conversation turns to American wine country, but after spending several days tasting our way through Oregon’s Willamette Valley, I came away convinced that this is a destination wine lovers should have on their list.

First, it is simply a beautiful part of the country. Rolling vineyards stretch across green hills, forests frame the landscape, and small towns are scattered among the vineyards. Driving from one winery to another is part of the experience.

And there is a lot to explore. The Willamette Valley is home to more than 700 wineries, so this is not a destination you’re going to “do” in a single trip. Pinot Noir put the valley on the international wine map, but there is much more to taste, including excellent Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and other varietals.

That Chardonnay was one of the biggest surprises of the trip for me.

I have long jokingly described my wine preferences as “ABC + ABC” — Anything But Chardonnay and Anything But Cabernet, (with the exception of a good French Chablis). Too many Chardonnays, for my taste, have seemed overly oaked, heavy or cloying.

The Chardonnays of the Willamette Valley changed my mind.

Again and again, we found Chardonnays that were crisp, dry, fresh and extraordinarily drinkable, without the heavy oak character I tend to avoid. For someone who arrived thinking he wasn’t a Chardonnay drinker, that was quite a revelation—and one of the most enjoyable discoveries of the trip.

We based ourselves in McMinnville, which I think is an excellent choice for a wine-country visit. The historic downtown is attractive and walkable, with restaurants, shops and more than 20 craft-beverage tasting rooms. There are also roughly 250 wineries and vineyards within 20 miles of town.

Our home was the Atticus Hotel, a wonderful 36-room boutique property that looks and feels as though it has been part of downtown McMinnville for generations, even though it opened in 2018. Each room is individually designed, and the hotel is filled with original artwork and handcrafted furnishings.

One of our favorite touches was wonderfully simple: the front desk also functions as a 24-hour Welcome Bar with complimentary espresso drinks. Cappuccino in the morning before heading into wine country? Espresso when you come back from dinner? No problem.

The hotel’s Cypress Restaurant & Bar is another plus, offering Mediterranean-influenced food built around Pacific Northwest ingredients. It makes for an easy and very good dinner when you don’t feel like heading back out after a full day of tasting.

For another dinner in town, I highly recommend Bistro Maison, a charming French bistro on Third Street. It is exactly the sort of cozy restaurant that seems right at home in wine country.

You can certainly rent a car in the Willamette Valley. We didn’t—and never missed having one.

We arranged car service between Portland and McMinnville and used a professional wine-tour company with a driver for our days visiting vineyards. Downtown McMinnville itself is compact enough that we could walk to restaurants and tasting rooms.

For us, this was absolutely the right way to do the trip.

There are hundreds of wineries to choose from, and the best experience isn’t necessarily about checking off the biggest names. A knowledgeable local guide can match the stops to your wine preferences, put together a sensible route, make the necessary tasting reservations and, most importantly, handle the driving.

That also means everyone gets to enjoy the tastings.

Tasting fees are common, and winery experiences range from casual flights to seated tastings, vineyard visits and more elaborate food-and-wine experiences. Some wineries welcome walk-ins, while others recommend or require reservations.

This is one area where working with a travel advisor can make the trip considerably easier. I can arrange the wine tours, professional drivers and private transportation between Portland and the Willamette Valley, as well as the hotel and other components of the trip. You arrive and enjoy wine country rather than worrying about who is driving or how to fit the wineries together.

One of the biggest surprises of our visit had nothing to do with Pinot Noir—or Chardonnay.

McMinnville is also home to the North American Aerospace Museum, an outstanding aviation and space museum with more than 150 aircraft, spacecraft and exhibits.

The unquestioned star is Howard Hughes’ enormous Spruce Goose, the largest wooden airplane ever built. It flew only once, on November 2, 1947.  For me, seeing it was one thing. Actually being able to step inside the Spruce Goose was a highlight of the entire visit. Its scale is hard to appreciate until you are standing underneath—and then inside—it.

And this is far from a one-airplane museum. The collection includes aircraft from throughout aviation history as well as the SR-71 Blackbird, F-117 Nighthawk, rockets, spacecraft and a Titan II space launch vehicle.

Even someone who isn’t an aviation fanatic could easily spend several hours here. For wine travelers, it also makes a perfect change of pace between tasting days.

What distinguished the Willamette Valley for me was the combination of serious wine, beautiful scenery and a remarkably relaxed atmosphere.

You can spend one day visiting vineyards in the countryside, another walking to tasting rooms and restaurants in McMinnville, and take some time away from wine to stand underneath one of the most extraordinary airplanes ever built.

And you really can do the entire trip without renting a car.

For travelers interested in experiencing Oregon wine country, I can put together the hotel, private Portland transfers, winery tours and drivers, tasting arrangements and the other pieces needed to make the trip work smoothly.

Sometimes the best wine-country itinerary is the one where nobody in the group has to hold the car keys.