Oregon: Beautiful, Green, Overcast… You Get It.

Most people in and around the world of wine would agree that Oregon’s Willamette Valley makes some of the most beautiful, compelling Pinot Noir on the planet. In May we had the privilege to visit some incredible producers, spend time with the winemakers behind the wines, and attend the most significant auction the valley puts on all year. Here’s everything you need to know, starting with where to stay.

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If you have the opportunity to stay at the Michelin-starred Hotel Atticus in McMinnville (and you should, it’s not crazy expensive) opt for the 3rd Street Flats. They are outrageously nice, and worth the splurge.

Going to blast through our visits:

Penner-Ash — Kate Ayres is a rockstar, full stop. She is a wisp of a woman, and the deference heaped upon her by her peers is palpable. RESPECT.

Gran Moraine — Shane Moore is easily the most interesting winemaker I have ever met… I will not share his stories here, as I could not even get close to Shane’s charisma and charm, and most were PG-13+, lol. He also makes the acclaimed Zena Crown wines.

Erik Kramer is one of the most respected names in Willamette for a reason. He has turned Willakenzie into the jewel of the Jackson Family Oregon estates. The coolest thing we saw in Oregon was the stampede of the estate’s longhorn cattle through the property!

We were privileged to be one of 4 retailers to attend the release party of what will become the definitive sparkling wine made in Oregon — Banke sparkling. Arguably the best domestic sparkling I have tasted in 20 years, and easily better than many Champagnes. Release later in 2026. We will offer them selectively when they are released.

The event was held in the newly renovated Domaine Serene ballroom, a stunning facility.

We were greeted by an amazing lunch, and then were right into the most important auction of this region. We had our hearts set on a pair of back vintage lots that we were sadly outbid on (but we bid up the lots so much that we were later thanked by the winemakers). That was a bummer… but it was a tremendous amount of fun. And we were actually able to win a number of other lots that we thought were excellent.

These lots are completely one-off. They were created for the auction, and they will never be available again. I would suggest giving each at least 2-3 years to mature, 5 if you have the patience.