Note on outdoor photos… we were having a particulary heavy smoke day, due to wildfires… so yes, that is the way the sky looked.
I am enjoying the ongoing journey of becoming an avid oenophile.
It is fun to explore regional wines around the world while we are traveling but sometimes you can find a favorite treasure in your own backyard. Such is my enchantment with Willamette Valley Vineyards.
While we were on a cruise, we did a Pinot Noir tasting just for fun. I quickly discovered that I prefer this type of wine much more than others. Logically, when we got back home to the Pacific Northwest, I started searching for Pinot Noir in my local stores and discovered a tasty, very reasonable one at my local Costco that was made by Willamette Valley Vineyards. I was still open to trying other wines but usually made sure I had a couple of bottles of this Pinot on hand at all times as my go-to.
One day about seven years ago, we got an invitation to become owners of Willamette Valley Vineyards which was open to residents of Washington and Oregon.
We decided to run down to Turner, OR to visit the winery and check the company out and we were totally blown away. Needless to say, I was already impressed with the flavor and quality of their wine so it was an easy decision to make this investment. I will add that this is my disclosure that I have a vested interest in this winery as we are currently owners.
Ownership has too many benefits to list here but in addition to those, Jim and Jan Bernau have been quite visionary and have been busily growing the brand. In recent years, a few fabulous tasting rooms have opened up much closer to us than Turner, OR (I will review the Vancouver Waterfront location soon). We were also delighted to learn that WVV was opening a gorgeous new winery named Domain Willamette dedicated to the production of méthode traditionnelle sparkling wines in Dayton, OR.
We received our invitation to attend the “Owners Sneak Peak” for this facility and very eagerly saved the date for this adventure.
When the day arrived we happily set out for about an hour’s drive with high expectations as we had been seeing photos of this brand-new location trickling out on social media.
Even though there is still some construction going on, the first impression of Domain Willamette is quite stunning. It is a beautiful facility architecturally and it is impressively decorated artistically in a most tasteful way. The grounds are thoughtfully landscaped with a superb view of the Dundee hills. Just outside of the building there are multiple water features and paths that are a treat to peruse.
We were given a “Tasting Passport” and proceeded to six stations where we sampled the wines and enjoyed delicious small food pairings. Not only did this process allow us to discover these six wines but, we toured the facility in the process.
Here is the passport and the map we followed:
Every station and wine was a unique treat and my words can’t do it justice; you really should go there to see for yourself.
The great thing about this “Passport” approach is that we got a multi-sensorial experience with each sampling. You got to see unique surroundings along with unique wine and food. My favorite rooms were the Starry Sky Room and the Cellar room. The first is because we have a lot of cloud cover here in the Northwest and this room gives you a clear sky feel no matter what is going on above. I liked the Cellar room because it is where the actual wine-making is happening. It is a dark, cool, magical place where the process that gives the final product all takes place. I will add all the other stations were great as well but they are more the social areas where you will be sharing your tasting experience with a room full of people.
All in all, every wine we tasted was excellent and very drinkable but the first three were my favorites, so we simply had to bring some of those home.
There was a huge amount of attention to detail placed on both the winemaking process (sparkling wines take years of careful management in the cellar) and the new facility itself and I felt enormous gratitude to be able to experience such an event. I have always considered myself a dedicated Pinot Noir guy but after trying these delicious wines I am expanding my favorite wine list.
I am happy to tell you that as of this writing, Domain Willamette is open to the public Monday through Sunday and now everyone can enjoy an amazing experience at a superb winery.
They are offering two distinctive experiences, the “Domaine Willamette Experience” and the “Domaine Willamette Wine Journey”. Reservations are recommended but you can also drop in.
If you are interested in more information you can visit them online at domainewillamette.com
If you love sparkling wine, you will have the best time at Domaine Willamette. Salud!