Both Dundee Hills and McMinnville have deeply rooted histories in the heart of Willamette Valley; the pioneers of Willamette Valley all made their first plantings around this area, proving that great wine could be grown in Oregon.
Dundee Hills is roughly 40 minutes by car southwest of Portland. The region is known for its rich, red volcanic Jory, consisting of silt, clay and loam. Further southwest by about 15 minutes is McMinnville which in contrast has uplifted marine sedimentary loam and silt soils.
Both Dundee and McMinnville benefit from being in the rain shadow casted by the coastal range. This translates to much less rainfall than neighboring AVA’s like Eola-Amity Hills.
Curious about the differences between French Pinot Noir and Oregon’s? Check out our comparison here.
Best wineries in Dundee Hills and McMinnville
Eyrie Vineyards
Founder David Lett is often referred to as the “prince of pinot”, as he is the first person to plant the heartbreak grape in Willamette. 50 years later, you can still visit the same winery, see barrels that were used back then (and are still used in production today) and sip current release wine from the now old vines.
What’s fascinating is that despite being the first, Eyrie never got too big. The winery still maintains a 10k case/yr production and still takes chances with odd-ball varietals like Melon de Bourgogne and Muscat. Oh yeah, and their juice is incredible.
David’s son Jason now runs the show and we are obsessed with their Estate Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Trosseau. We encourage you to book an appointment and in addition to sampling some classics, take a few steps outside of your comfort zone and taste different varietals like Chasselas and Pinot Meunier.
Antica Terra
Extremely elegant and sophisticated wines with a unique private tasting experience right inside their cellar. As with most places in Willamette, you’ll find Chardonnay and Pinot Noir here; but we found the experience to be quite unique.
Led by a Somm-trained employee of the team, you’ll taste side-by-side new world vs. old world; Antica Terra’s production matched with their counterpart. For example, Chardonnay here vs. Chablis. Then Antica’s Pinot matched with a gem from Burgundy. These taste-off’s plus bites starts around $100pp but this fee is well worth it given the attention, amount and quality of pours received.
An hour east in the Columbia Gorge, Nate Reddy is making incredible natural wines at Hiyu Wine Farm. Any guesses where he worked as an assistant winemaker before Hiyu? Yep, here at Antica Terra.
Evening Lands
The famous Raj Parr, who won acclaim from his work with Domaine de la Cote in Lompoc, brings us a beautiful project in Willamette. The mainly Pinot / Chard fruit is sourced nearby in Eola-Amity Hills, in the same vineyard of Lingua Franca.
This 6000-case production stands out amongst a lot of the pinot and chard houses in Willamette–more of a nod to Burgundy with the lower alcohol, high acid pinots and crisp, non-oaked chardonnays. The 2016 (our favorite current vintage in Willamette) La Source is has an elegant, refined, velvety texture and layered with different red fruit and floral aromas.
You can taste the lineup at the Dundee shop, just around the corner from Red Hills Market (see below under restaurant recommendations); the proximity here makes this a perfect before or after lunch stop.
Maysara Winery
Fully Biodynamic vineyards are not very common. Fully Biodynamic vineyards of 300 acres are even less common. Fully Biodynamic vineyards of 300 acres where the owner works full time with his crew in the vineyard is down right rare.
In addition to the size of acreage, there’s a vast range of altitude ranging nearly 700 feet of elevation. We like their bright, zippy Pinot Blanc, but the highlight is the 2014 Cyrus Pinot Noir–vibrant nose full of mushroom and forest floor, complimented by notes of tangy raspberry and strawberry.
Kelley Fox
Kelley Fox makes small production (3k cases annually), beautifully crafted wines. While this tasting experience is technically in the Chehalem Mountains AVA near Yamhill-Carlton, most of her fruit from a famous biodynamic vineyard named “Maresh” in Dundee Hills.
All wines undergoes native yeast, with reds receiving an extended maceration and fermentation in neutral French oak for 10-11 months. In the flight of Pinot Noirs, the two standouts were the 2018 Maresh Pinot Noir–a tribute to volnay with soft, elegant notes and the 2018 Royal Ann Maresh Pinot Noir, bringing forward some incredible musty mushroom and forest floor aromas with bright cherry and candied strawberry on the palette.
The tasting finishes with whites and rose’s — a nod to Burgundy, where this order is common. Highlights here are a Muscat and Grüner Veltliner skin contact wine that underwent malolactic fermentation. Wild nose and crazy intense mouthfeel.
We are wild about Kelley Fox’s wines and think she is a must visit while in Willamette Valley.
Notable mentions
Purple Hands – Son of the local icon Ken Wright, Cody Wright is making some tasty unfined / unfiltered Pinot Noirs.
Furioso – Small 3,000 case production with a polished edge. The 2015 La Linea is tasting beautifully; elegant with a very long finish.
Remy Wines – Sick of Pinot Noir? Remy Drabkin is growing and producing fun italian varietals like Lagrein and Nebbiolo. Both offer a delightful sensation for the nose and mouth and should be experienced if time permits.
Bonuses in McMinnville and Dundee Hills
Vinum Docet – Spend a day touring vineyards near McMinnville with Professor of Wine Jeff Peterson at Linfield College. We learned a ton about viticulture science and the various AVA’s that make up Willamette Valley. Dr. Peterson leads multi-day and single-day trips around the Valley that include tastings — we highly recommend this for anyone seeking some mental stimulation while wine tasting.
Best restaurants in McMinnville and Dundee
Red Hills Market – Excellent sandwich and salad spot in downtown Dundee Hills. Order ahead online as this place gets jam packed and pick up a bite for the road.
Red Hills Kitchen – Same owners as the market gem, but for dinner. Located in the swanky Atticus hotel in downtown McMinville.
Juanita’s Cafe y Neveria – Tasty mexican food in a little historic town in between Dundee and McMinnville. Juanita is super sweet and makes the tortillas from scratch.
Pizza Capo – Solid pizza in downtown McMinnville – a local’s choice.
FAQ
It’s a battle of the “Pretty” vs. the “Power.” In the Dundee Hills, you’re tasting the famous Jory soil—that bright red, volcanic dirt that produces elegant, silky Pinot Noir packed with red cherry and raspberry notes. It’s the “classic” Oregon style. McMinnville, on the other hand, is the rebel neighbor. Its wines are darker, more structured, and savory, thanks to older marine soils and a lot of wind. If Dundee is a silk scarf, McMinnville is a leather jacket.
If by “gimmick” you mean 15-million-year-old decomposed basalt that makes world-class wine, then sure. But in the cellar, Jory is the real deal. It’s deep, well-drained, and iron-rich, which gives Dundee Pinots that high-toned “perfumed” aroma and refined tannins. It’s why the pioneers like David Lett and the Sokol Blossers planted there first. It’s not just red dirt for the sake of photos; it’s the DNA of the region’s best bottles.
Because without that “Corridor,” McMinnville wines wouldn’t have their backbone. The Van Duzer is a gap in the Coast Range that sucks cool Pacific air into the valley every afternoon. It literally thickens the skins of the grapes to protect them from the wind, which is why McMinnville Pinots have such intense color and “chewy” tannins. Pro tip: If you’re tasting in McMinnville in the late afternoon, bring a jacket—the wind doesn’t care about your summer outfit.
Why choose? Start your morning in the Dundee Hills for the epic vineyard views and that “estate” feel—it’s where you go to see the vines and feel the history. Then, head to Third Street in Downtown McMinnville for the after-party. Mac has one of the best “urban” wine scenes in the country, where you can hit five different tasting rooms on one block and then walk to a world-class dinner. It’s the perfect one-two punch for a day in wine country.
