We decided to go to Ponzi after realizing they are Willamette Valley pioneers who had come from Los…read moreGatos. What an incredible place! The winery is an architectural work of art. The wines are very good to excellent. We both chose their home flight, which paired a chardonnay and a Pinot noir served side by side. Interesting concept. We also ordered the charcuterie board which was amazing (pricey, too!). At the end, we decided to join their club because it just makes sense. If you go, you may decide that, too. It was a special experience and memorable. I recommend.

We were there for the kids weekend movie and it was a hit, spendy but a hit!…read more My little one loved the Mac and cheese and they had a popcorn bowl she fill a bowl from; always winning. I had the farmers cheese and it was good and a large enough serving i could have shred it. People around us ordered the full board and it was massive enough for 2 very hungry people or 3/4 people sharing. The staff was amazing! Very friendly and so willing to help you pick a wine and provided table service. The sparkling Blanc de Blanc was so amazing I broke my wine budget just to take a bottle home to my very picky man. He gave it the thumbs up, huge win!!, and it will become a splurge wine for us; we love dry sparkling wine.

Great wine and atmosphere. Come hungry since they have a full menu of delicious food offerings…read more(This is not very common for most wineries in the valley). This is sill a family run operation and it shows with the attention given. The founder Jimmy is looking down and I know he is smiling at what his winery has become.

I was really excited about visiting Brooks when on vacation in the area. The views look great, it…read morelooks so much less corporate than other wineries in the area, and there's a more fulsome food menu, not just snacks. It rests atop a hill looking out and you're looking out from an elevated, fully covered patio. It was just too chilly for us so we grabbed a table when they opened next to the window and enjoyed the views while eating and drinking. The food menu is good - more fulsome than most options in the area. I loved the butternut squash ravioli even if it was a bit buttery as it came with a ton of other unique additions to the dish. I had the white wine flight and it was delicious. None of the wines were overly sweet or overly buttery. I liked that they were balanced, had good flavors. Would definitely return!

Stellar experience. Tom and Marion are great hosts and clearly have a passion for wine. We went…read morefor their open house this Memorial Day weekend. They produce both pinot gris and pinot noir, as well as a rose from their pinot noir. From the perspective of the wine, what made this tasting so unique compared to other vineyards and tasting rooms we visited was that it was a vertical tasting. They poured samples of their 2011-2015 vintages of pinot noir alongside a few reserve vintages of pinot noir, their rose, and two vintages of their pinot gris. The wine was great and with so many vintages, it was fun to taste the differences and pick a favorite or two. They are only open to the public three times a year due to their small size and local regulations. That's unfortunate because this is some of the best wine we had on the trip. Other than their three open houses (Memorial Day weekend, Labor Day weekend, and the weekend before Thanksgiving), they offer private tours/tastings. I believe the current cost is $80 for up to ten people, which is well worth it in my opinion. They also sell their wine through their website.

Huge thanks to Jackie, Pat, Jane and Jill for the wonderful experience and service! They hosted…read moreare larger group with ease, the wines were superb and we all enjoyed the property. The facility was warm, inviting, and perfect for a small family gathering.

When we arrived at Dukes yesterday, the server asked if we had reservations. We did not. "Well,"…read moreshe huffed, "we're pretty full right now." I counted five (5) empty tables. We thought Dukes was pet-friendly, and we saw two (2) large dogs lying on the concrete beside a table. One of them got up and lumbered toward ours (a 17-pound rescue). Intimidated, our little dog barked exactly once, prompting an employee to storm outside. Scowling, he said pets were absolutely not allowed. "We had a dog bite last year," he said grimly, oblivious to the other canines already present. Proverbial tales between our legs, we left, feeling pretty crappy--especially since we drove almost forty minutes out of our way to visit this winery. PS: Here is the initial response by Dukes Family Vineyards which they posted and quickly removed: "Your dog barked and snipped in a very aggressive manner twice upon arrival. You were asked to leave by the owner after he heard your dog being aggressive. Sorry about the disappointment, however; we had several patrons that witness your arrival and they thanked us for not letting you stay." PPS: To Dukes Family Vineyards: Your response, and your suggestion my chihuahua was "very aggressive" is completely absurd. My wife was carrying him. The instant she set him down, a much-larger dog came straight over and got in his face. Ours barked once. (He was frightened.) Please answer this question: Why are other dogs allowed to be there if your establishment isn't pet-friendly? Also: we were not "asked to leave." Your server told us you were "full," despite the number of empty tables. Your claim that several patrons witnessed our arrival and then thanked you for not letting us stay makes you (and them) sound like creeps. Further, your withdrawn statement illustrates for potential customers the way you will judge and treat them.

The tasting room is really cozy, with a wood fire and comfy chairs for chillaxing, in addition to…read morethe bar area. Tastings are $30 but they'll waive that if you make a $150 purchase. The staff are extremely knowledgeable about the local wines in the Willamette Valley area. I concentrated on the locally grown grapes (they do use California grapes too). Very light. No hard sell. Dog friendly too!

Luke was super friendly and very welcoming to our party of four. He's very knowledgeable about the…read moregrapes and the wine-making process, yet didn't influence our wine tasting experience and let us form our own opinion on the wines offered. He also suggested where we could get lunch, so we went and bought sandwiches at The Common Cup and brought them back to the winery to enjoy with a bottle of wine. It was an experience that will have us coming back again. Thanks Luke!!

The wines are recognized as among the best in the world. It has a superb location for the estate…read morevineyard and an inspired team of professionals who are committed to what they do. The sales team is knowledgeable about every aspect of production from the vineyard to the finished wine.

We had a wonderful experience at Lingua Franca. Daniel was very knowledgeable about the wines and…read morevineyards. The vertical tasting was very interesting. Getting to see the barrels and production added a unique experience. Highly recommend!

Today we took advantage of the beautiful weather and drove to Methven Family Vineyards. It was…read moreworth the drive. We saw that their Reserve had been selected the best Pinot Noir in Oregon. It was very good, but we considered the Estate Cuvee to be the best of the five pours we received. You get four pours for $15 - and the pours are not skimpy. You are allowed to bring your own food. They have the tables spread out for social distancing. There is ample area to sit out of the sun. It was worth the drive, but the tasting room in Dundee may be our repeat visit to enjoy these exceptional wines.

Oh My God!!!... this is the biggest GEM of Dayton. Great staff and amazing wine... not only…read moreunderpriced for the quality, but the wines were also super complex. Our favorite was the Gamay Noir. Please ask for Amanda! She was so knowledgeable and accommodating! We loved her. We'll be asking for her next time!