McMinnville: 38 miles SW of Portland, 26 miles NW of Salem
Were it not for Prohibition, wine connoisseurs might be comparing California wines to those of Oregon rather than vice versa. Oregon wines had already gained a national reputation back in the days when Oregon became one of the earliest states to vote in Prohibition. It would be a few years before more liberal California would outlaw alcohol, and, in the interim, the Golden State got the upper hand. When Prohibition was rescinded, California quickly went back to wine production, but no one bothered to revive Oregon's wine-producing potential until the 1970s. However, by then, Napa Valley had popped the cork on its wine dominance. Perhaps some day Willamette Valley wineries will be as well known as those in California, and for fans of pinot noir, those days have already arrived. Oregon's pinot noirs have gained such international attention that even some French wineries have planted vineyards here and begun producing their own Oregon wines. Forget what you learned in the movie Sideways; America's best pinot noirs are made in Oregon, not California.
The north Willamette Valley wine country begins in the town of Newberg and extends south to the Salem area. The majority of the region's wineries flank Ore. 99W, and a drive down this rural highway will turn up dozens of blue signs pointing to wineries within a few miles of the road. To the south of Salem, there are more wineries in the Corvallis and Eugene areas. To the north of Ore. 99W, there are still more wineries in Washington County, which is actually in the drainage of the Tualatin River, which flows into the Willamette. These latter wineries are included in this section.
The most important wine-growing areas within this region, and the areas that produce the best wines, are the Red Hills above the town of Dundee, the slopes outside the town of Carlton, and the Eola Hills northwest of Salem. In Dundee, you'll find the greatest concentration of good restaurants, while in McMinnville, the largest town in the area, you'll find plenty of hotel rooms and more good restaurants.
