Every year, visitors from around the world arrive in Oregon for weekend trips full of world-class wine tasting amidst stately vineyards and in elegant tasting rooms. On the west side of the Cascades, the Willamette Valley—also known as Oregon Wine Country—is a hub of great wine and is best known for Pinot noir, Chardonnay, sparkling wines, and other French-inspired pours. But you’ll also find a handful of wineries in Central Oregon, each of which take full advantage of the region’s high-desert terroir and sun-kissed climate to craft well-balanced blends and Italian varietals.
In other words, you have the best of both worlds between the Willamette Valley and Central Oregon—and all the hallmarks of a great road trip for wine fans of all stripes. So we’ve put together a road-trip itinerary that showcases some of the top wineries in the Willamette Valley, as well as wine bars around Central Oregon and wineries in Bend, OR and beyond.
Here’s how to get started:
Keep reading for more about planning a weekend trip between wineries in the Willamette Valley and Central Oregon.
Mapping the Journey Through Oregon Wine Country
Whether you’re starting or ending your trip in Oregon Wine Country, hundreds of wineries in the Willamette Valley host chic tasting rooms and scenic patios. To help narrow down your choices, we’ve compiled a handful of wineries that sit along Highway 22; combined with Highway 20, the road runs between Salem, Oregon’s state capital in the heart of the Willamette Valley, and Sisters and Bend in Central Oregon. That makes Salem an easy home base for weekend trips before or after crossing the Cascades.
Silverback Estate Winery
At the eastern edge of Oregon Wine Country, Silverback Estate Winery specializes in well-balanced, estate-grown wines while raising money via bottle sales for the protection and conservation of silverback gorillas. The winery’s airy tasting room sits surrounded by 50 acres of vineyard and affords excellent sunset views.
Pudding River Wine Cellars
In the forested foothills of Mount Hood, the boutique Pudding River Wine Cellars has been crafting popular wines with sustainable methods for roughly 20 years. Today, step into the barn-turned-tasting-room for pours of estate-grown Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Syrah, and more. On sunny days, stretch out on a verdant patio at this Willamette Valley vineyard.
St. Innocent Winery
Since 1988, St. Innocent Winery has produced a variety of wines closely linked to the Willamette Valley—and was an early champion of sparkling wines produced in the traditional method. Today, you can taste St. Innocent’s eclectic lineup just south of Salem with food pairings, monthly brunch buffets and wine tastings.
Honeywood Winery
Founded in 1933, Honeywood Winery occupies a special place in Oregon Wine Country: Residing just south of downtown Salem, Honeywood is Oregon’s oldest continuously operating winery. Try Honeywood’s fruity pours, dessert wines, and specialty offerings—all using fruit grown in the Willamette Valley—with a flight inside the winery’s tasting room or on its cozy patio.
Willamette Valley Vineyards
With an estate tasting room on the southern edge of Salem, Willamette Valley Vineyards is a behemoth in Oregon Wine Country—and one of the region’s most celebrated producers. The Willamette Valley vineyard planted its first grapes in 1983 and today celebrates that long-standing connection to the land with food pairings, cellar tours, a cozy tasting room with a crackling fireplace, blending experiences, and a patio that overlooks the estate. You’ll even find a Willamette Valley Vineyards tasting room in Bend.
High Desert Sips: Wineries in Central Oregon
Soon after leaving Oregon Wine Country and the many wineries in the Willamette Valley, you’ll cross the Cascade Range and arrive in Central Oregon’s growing wine scene. You won’t find as many wineries in Central Oregon as you will west of the Cascades—but what we lack in sheer volume, we make up for with passionate vintners taking full advantage of a dry climate and warm growing season. Here’s an overview of the Central Oregon wine scene.
Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards
Roughly between Sisters and Terrebonne, Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards offers a lovely introduction to Central Oregon wineries. Choose among nearly two-dozen wines—with whites, reds, rosés, and more—to enjoy on the winery’s bustling patio all year long. Under sunny skies, pair your wines with wood-fired pizzas, and listen to live music while the Three Sisters tower over the vines to the west.
Lazy Z Ranch
Just east of Sisters, Lazy Z Ranch doesn’t specialize in Pinot noir or Chardonnay—but rather mead, which is made by fermenting honey and water with yeast. The resulting drink, sometimes called “honey wine”, delivers sweet notes with occasionally fruity flavor profiles. Try pours from one of Oregon’s only mead producers, as well as a few housemade traditional wines, while enjoying some of the area’s best sunset views of the Three Sisters.
Maragas Winery
Roughly halfway between the communities of Culver and Redmond along Highway 97, Maragas Winery has produced French- and Italian-inspired wines, many on its own Central Oregon estate, since 1999. For scenic wine tastings, head out onto the Maragas patio with your flight and charcuterie tray in hand, and savor views of the Three Sisters, Mount Washington, and other Cascade peaks.
Wine Bars of Central Oregon
A big part of wine tasting in Central Oregon is perusing the region’s wine bars, lounges, and tasting rooms. There, you can enjoy pours from throughout the Pacific Northwest and around the world. Here are a few fun wine bars to savor on your next adventure.
Evoke Winery
The playful Evoke Winery has been a Pacific Northwest stalwart for roughly a decade, sourcing grapes from vineyards up and down the West Coast. Evoke uses that range to craft a wide variety of wines—including some that aren’t common in Pacific Northwest tasting rooms. Try a mix of full-bodied reds, dry whites, sweet wines, and more at Evoke’s family-friendly tasting room in Bend’s Old Mill District.
Viaggio Wine Merchant
With high ceilings and plenty of natural light pouring in from outside, Viaggio Wine Merchant has established itself as an upscale, yet unpretentious tasting room on Bend’s westside. Viaggio offers pours and bottle sales of a variety of wines from around the world—all hand-selected by an Advanced Sommelier. Keep an eye on the wine bar’s events calendar for special events like holiday dinners and themed tastings.
Olvidemos
Oysters, champagne, and accoutrements; that’s what you’ll find at the new wine and oyster bar, Olvidemos. Situated along Galveston Avenue’s growing foodie hub, Olvidemos treats patrons to bubbles and hors d’oeuvres, along with their private label(ish) wine. Visit Olvidemos before dinner or enjoy oysters on the half-shell and French bubbly for a light dinner.
The Open Door Wine Bar
The Open Door is a family-owned venue in downtown Sisters that refreshes its wine and food menus often to keep things feeling fresh. You’ll find plenty of curated wines and cocktails to pair with the day’s soup special and other food menu items that change often to reflect what’s in-season. Enjoy it on the wine bar’s forested patio, which occasionally hosts live music and feels like a friendly backyard.
Friends & Vine
A few blocks away, also in downtown Sisters, Friends & Vine is a laid-back wine bar and bottle shop that showcases a wide range of flavors and styles. If you’re not sure where to start, knowledgeable employees are happy to help choose your next favorite wine.
Plan Your Visit Today!
Ready to visit some of the top wineries in the Willamette Valley and to dive into Central Oregon’s burgeoning wine scene? A little planning can go a long way; some tasting rooms are only open seasonally, and most accept reservations—so check the official websites of your preferred stops before heading out for the best possible experience. And if you’re crossing the Cascades in winter, visit TripCheck.com for traffic alerts, closure information, live webcams, and other helpful resources.
You’ll also find chic boutiques near all the wine hotspots in Central Oregon. Book a luxurious lodge room or cabin at FivePine Lodge at the eastern edge of Sisters, a stay at the socially conscious SCP Redmond Hotel in downtown Redmond, or The Westman, which occupies a historic Post Office building in downtown Bend. If you’re staying in Oregon Wine Country, you’ll be surrounded by countless wineries in the Willamette Valley at The Allison Inn & Spa—and can soak up urban flair with stays at The Grand Hotel in Salem, Home2Suites by Hilton in Salem, and Holman Riverfront Park Hotel, Tapestry Collection by Hilton.
