In this part of the world, Pinot Noir is synonymous with the Willamette Valley. In particular, with the city of McMinnville, Oregon, where an annual bacchanal brings thousands of oenophiles to town for the International Pinot Noir Celebration. With so much enthusiasm for the grapes, it’s hard to believe that wines from the region have only been grown since around the 1970s.
Oregon has settlers of the mid-1800s to thank for kicking off its now-famed grape growing tradition. But the most significant moment along the way for what is now known as the Willamette Valley wine appellation was Eyrie Vineyards placing in the top 10 of the Gault-Millau French Wine Olympiades in 1979. It was then that their 1975 South Block Pinot Noir knocked off many of the French and other European wines in the competition to place Oregon squarely at the top of the game in the eyes of the world.
GRANARY DISTRICT
These days, the victories are consistent for area Pinot Noir wines, and McMinnville wineries, tasting rooms and restaurants are overflowing with great opportunities to taste — including Eyrie. Founded in 1966 and consisting of 60 acres across five different vineyards in the Dundee Hills AVA of the Willamette Valley, a stop in their McMinnville tasting room is a must.
Upon heading to Eyrie, you’ll end up in the Granary District of McMinnville, a gateway to some of the best experiences you’ll have in town. Brittan Vineyards and Winderlea Vineyard and Winery share a tasting room in this hood, with their wonderful tasting room staff offering a helpful walk-through of the dozen Pinots from Winderlea’s estate and discussing soil differences between vineyard sites. (Pro tip: Don’t turn up your nose at the Chardonnay if you’re lucky to be offered it.)
Just across the way is Matello Wines, which produces balanced, age-worthy wines beloved by sommeliers near and far. Old vines and stewardship combine for winemaker Marcus Goodfellow’s cellarable wines from both Matello and Goodfellow Family Cellars.
But before you really get down to drinking in the Granary District, perhaps you’ll start your day off at one of the finest restaurants in town, Valley Commissary, to enjoy some of Chef Jesse Kincheloe’s delightful cooking. Take a breakfast pastry or other portable bites to go, or sit down for brunch or lunch to get a full picture of the grown-up comfort food the restaurant is known for.
After brunch, walk around the corner to grab coffee at Flag & Wire Coffee Co., where single origin coffee is roasted and sold by the bag or by the cup. Next door, in the same building, is Grain Station Brew Works, a family friendly brewpub with food for the whole family and solid beer.
Two more quality breweries are within a stone’s throw, each with their own styles of beer to offer. Head to Heater Allen Brewing for crisp Czech- and German-inspired lagers. Head brewer Rick Allen and his daughter Lisa brew over a dozen beers, including Lisa’s Sticke Alt, a happy accident she first brewed with the Pink Boots Society of women brewers.
Down the way is the oldest brewery in town, Golden Valley Brewery, which opened back in 1993, one of the first handful of Oregon breweries. Brewmaster Jesse Shue has been in the game for years, bringing his experience from Rogue Ales, Hair of the Dog, Silver City and more PNW breweries to town. And don’t miss their dry-aged steaks, from cattle they raise themselves.
3RD STREET
The main drag of McMinnville, 3rd Street is home to plenty of tasting rooms, restaurants and nighttime entertainment. Though 90 minutes from Portland, McMinnville has its own culinary scene worth writing home about.
Highest on the list is Thistle, which is small but mighty, with a tiny bar and adjoining restaurant featuring 22 seats. The menu changes frequently, and house-made pates and terrines (get the rabbit liver parfait if it’s available) are interspersed with simple, beautiful salads and entrees. Rockfish might appear alongside celeriac and sunchokes in the winter, while handmade gnocchi is accompanied with the best seasonal produce. And at the bar, Patrick Bruce has been whipping up inspired cocktails for six years. When a regular, local winemaker brings in just-pressed Beaujolais, don’t be surprised if it shows up in a cocktail.
Another favorite is the long-standing Nick’s Italian Cafe, which opened its doors in the mid-1970s and was recently remodeled. Handmade pastas, a killer wine list and warm service have made it a favorite of residents and visitors for over 40 years.
For French food done right, Bistro Maison is a little taste of Paris in Downtown Mac. Husband-and-wife duo Chef Jean-Jacques and Deborah Chatelard offer real charm and love in all they do, with warm service and comfort classics like coq au vin and cassoulet alongside a deep wine list. Similarly beloved, The Barberry started as an old gas station and was remodeled into a modern restaurant featuring Northwest foods and local wines, along with a popular bar.
A true gathering space for the town, Community Plate makes delicious sandwiches, like the BLB (bacon, lettuce, beets), fantastic pastries and popular breakfasts. Long wooden tables invite communal dining for regulars and visitors who may just head back to the counter to try another salad and a second cup of coffee.
Local couple Ricardo Antunez and Carmen Borrase come together for great food and art at Pura Vida Cocina y Arte, a family-friendly restaurant featuring food from all over Latin America. Extremely popular, extremely delicious and offering possibly the friendliest service in town, word on the street is they’re so in demand, they’re opening a brewery and another restaurant in Salem, Oregon.
At Ransom Wines & Spirits, guests are invited to try plenty of wine, spirits and cocktails in flight form, and take-home bottles. Founded in 1997, everything is made from scratch, including their Old Tom gins, rye whiskey, vermouths and Old World-inspired wines, like their Albariño.
The tasting room and bottle shop at Vinum FeRus is a relaxed spot for wine lovers to taste winemaker Natalie Bowman Lee’s own wines and some of her favorite bottles. You may even meet her partner Mark Lee when he comes out from running his iron fabrication shop in the back half of the building.
This article originally ran in the spring 2017 print issue of Sip Northwest magazine. For the full story and more like it, click here.
