We enjoyed our time at MonksGate Vineyard in Yamhill County, outside of Carlton. This was one of our stops on a custom wine tour in Willamette Valley, a.k.a. Oregon Wine Country. What stood out to me about MonksGate, compared to the other wineries and vineyards we visited, was the wonderful view we had during our wine tasting. We were outside, perched atop a mound, underneath trees, with a picnic table, umbrella, Adirondack chairs, and a side/end table, looking out onto seemingly endless vineyards. The weather was perfect and the atmosphere was calm and serene. We also pretty much had the whole place to ourselves except for one couple with a dog. Speaking of which, MonksGate is dog-friendly. As soon as we parked and got out of the car, we were greeted by the MonksGate owner's dog, Fizzy. Fizzy is a well-behaved and well-groomed Airedale Terrier. Fizzy and the other customers' small dog, Jimmy, hung out with us during our tasting. It added to our experience. This is a family-owned-and-operated vineyard. Along with Fizzy, we were greeted by Rebecca Moore, second-generation vineyard owner. In 1998, Rebecca's parents, Ron and Linda Moore, founded the 50-acre farmland where MonksGate sits today. The vineyard itself is 20 acres. It was named "MonksGate" because monks from the nearby Trappist Abbey (Our Lady of Guadalupe) walked across the land as a form of meditation. The Moores installed an access gate to allow the monks to continue their walks. Rebecca conducted the tasting. She had an assistant with her. They were both very friendly and welcoming. Below is a list of what we had with prices per bottle at the time of our visit. * 2023 North Block Dry Rose ($28) * 2019 Classic Pinot Noir ($42) * 2021 Classic Pinot Noir ($42) * 2023 Dry Riesling ($29) * 2023 "Fizzy" Sparkling Dry Riesling ($39) There was a tasting menu with helpful tasting notes. Also, Rebecca did a great job explaining each wine as she served them. I'm not a wine connoisseur so all I can tell you is I thought all five wines tasted fantastic. I'd be happy with any one of them at dinner or a social gathering, etc. My favorite was the 2019 pinot noir. How the notes described that one: "2019 was a cooler, more 'traditional' vintage, with rain during harvest keeping flavor phenolics bright and notes on the nose floral and spicy. The palate of this wine is rife with ripe raspberries, the finish long and balanced." By the time you read this, they'll probably be sold out. We had a Saturday 3pm reservation for a group of eight. The total cost of the tasting was $252.20, which worked out to $31.53 per person. We left the vineyard shortly before 4:30pm, so we stayed just under 1.5 hours. When we left, Rebecca and her assistant started to close up shop -- we were the last customers for the day. I will say, for as nice a property as this is, I thought it was a little weird how the restroom - at least the one we used - was an outdoor porta-potty. I've done a lot of wine tastings over the years and this was the first vineyard/winery to have a porta-potty as the restroom. Not a big deal for us, but just thought I'd point it out. read more

See all

What a nice place to go for wine! We came and opened their rose and sat inside to enjoy it. They have both indoor and outdoor seating areas with so many choices to choose from. We were able to hear about the winery and have a wonderful conversation with the owner, Rebecca and also talked to the other tasting room staff which was so fun! Great place to go and a winery not to be missed! Thanks for making our visit so wonderful. read more

See all

The best wines around and produced by an amazing woman- Rebecca! She is a gracious host along with her fur babies! Have been a club member at MonksGate for many years and hope to be for many more! read more

Rebecca and crew are great hosts & great people. We had a blast at the wine pickup/Tasting. The food pairing was outstanding & the wine, as usual, was fantastic. Looking forward to the next trip out to wine country and Monks Gate. read more

We love Rebecca and the pups. The wines are amazing and the team is so welcoming. It's old school Oregon and we love it!

The owner, Rebecca maintain great jobs and produce beautiful wines here. Dry Pinot Rose is dry but floral and clean finish, we tasted from 2016 down to 2014, each vintage of Pino Nor has own character. Her hospitality and passion of making wine made our experience special. Added to the list of my favorite wineries. read more

See all

Beautiful rustic barn and wine dog on property. Definitely one of the more relaxing vineyards we have been to. Bring a jacket, blanket, and warm clothes as it can get windy in the spring. Very bold pinot noirs. Dog friendly and peaceful. Would recommend! read more

Monks Gate - a dog holding a glass of wine - Wineries Near Me - Carlton, Oregon

We had a private tasting with the owner Rebecca. It was a chilly morning, but Rebeccas's welcome was warm and inviting. The story of the vineyard starting with her parents and Rebecas leaving her legal career in the Bay Area just added to the experience. Rebecca started the heaters and got us started with wine and all were great. Wish we lived closer than 3,000 miles away to be able to visit. read more

Did a tasting there this last weekend. The service was outstanding and every wine we tasted was delicious. Lauren was a great host and would definitely recommend visiting Monks Gate if you enjoy Pinots and the dry Riesling and Rose are so yummy read more

Monks Gate - Was a cloudy day but the view from monks gate is so nice from her outdoor seating - Wineries Near Me - Carlton, Oregon

Beautiful setting, amazing Riesling, and friendly staff. Very charming and authentic. Highly recommend!

Went to this winery on a whim because of the promise of a dog greeting us (big dog lovers). Fizzy the Airedale Terrier did not disappoint! On top of that...the wines were STELLAR! Beautiful atmosphere and Rebecca was amazing. Honestly my favorite tasting of the day. read more

Monks Gate - Point noir and Fizzy! - Wineries Near Me - Carlton, Oregon

Monks Gate reminds me of many of the tasting rooms I've encountered in the less traveled wine regions. Nothing fancy like you'd expect at a wedding destination, but a casual tasting room, set in an old renovated barn, serving a functional purpose. We opened the door and were greeted by their Airedale. You know you are in a comfortable place when you are escorted in by the winery dog. We weren't the first customers as several people were already in the tasting room enjoying the day. We pulled out a couple of stools from underneath the countertop supported by the wine barrels and started our tasting. We enjoyed talking with Rebecca who is part of the second generation running the winery as well as some of the other people in the tasting room. It was a fun enjoyable tasting. We liked the estate classic pinot noir to buy and bring some home to share with friends. read more

Monks Gate Winery is one of those places you'd never find if there weren't signs pointing the way or someone like me taking you there. The winery is almost hidden but certainly worth seeking out. This small estate winery produces very small lots of Pinot Noir I believe less than 2000 cases per year. I'm sure this is one reason why they're only open by appointment or select days during the year. However I made this Memorial Day my goal to seek out wineries like Monks Gate and explore what they had to offer. The couple who own the winery are very down to earth and personable, the wife Linda was such a good host she could probably charm the pants right off you! They are an example of what passionate people can achieve when given the right opportunities. Located behind the old family barn, sits their tasting room in a converted garage. They have three vintages of Pinot Noir and a Rose. I actually really liked their Rose which is rare for me, especially from PN. It was incredibly aromatic with nice sharp cherry notes and a very balanced finish without leaving you a mouth full of acid. Their estate Pinots are from years 2006 - 08 and all offer something different but I preferred the more grown up 06 wine. The wines demonstrated fair price points given their quality in such a competitive Oregon Pinot market. Now I'm not sure if this is normal but for Memorial Day they had an ample spread to savor with the tasting. Offering us Olympic Provisions salami, specialty local mustards, local gourmet cheeses, fresh bread, jam from Republic of Jam and even freshly smoked turkey! Yup getting to a man through his stomach is true because I was very happy and so was my belly when we departed; In fact they inspired me to check out ROJ that very day after the sampling. It may be off the beaten path but Monks Gate winery is certain to have you coming back. read more

See all

What a special place! We loved the wines and the views were spectacular! Nestled on a hill with a refreshing breeze on a warm day, Monks Gate was a treasure. We love how much the owner interacts with her guests. We would definitely come back! read more

Off the beaten path, I enjoyed my visit to Monks Gate for both what it is and what it isn't. As the Willamette Valley - and wine tourism in general - become more popular and thus more polished and upscale, it's refreshing to visit a mom-and-pop, family-owned winery that is decidedly casual. So basically, you're driving out to the middle of nowhere to sit in an old farm building and drink wine directly with the person who made it. There's not a crowd, so you don't feel rushed, and you're able to really take the time to learn about not only the wines they produce, but also the winery and the people behind it. Go in expecting no frills, and you won't be disappointed. It's really a pleasant experience. read more

I'm a local, from McMinnville, so have been around to a number of wineries. I have found tasting rooms with atmospheres of very pretentious to very commercial, and if that is what you are looking for, this is not a place that will interest you. This has a very friendly, rustic, country atmosphere. If you expect some pretentious pretty city boy to come greet your limo, you should go somewhere else. These are genuine folks who have farmed the land and created this wine with their own hands. The wine has been crafted as a labor of love for the land; using the soil, the water and the vines to create a bit of magical elixir that is served with the knowledge and ability that only someone who has put genuine effort into the craft can do. The wine itself is fabulous-- some of the best Pinot noir that I have had. It is just really seriously good. The Reisling is also awesome, and I am not usually a Reisling fan. This was the first time I have had a good Reisling, and it was very good. It may be a bit hard to find this place if you are not looking for it, but it is not far off the beaten path, just a short drive off the main road and very much worth the drive. They have picnic tables if you would like to bring a picnic in the summertime and enjoy the country atmosphere. They have a super friendly dog, who is extremely polite and well-behaved, no jumping or barking. read more

What a refreshing little stop. We saw the sign saying Monk's gate was 1.3 miles up the road and decided to give it a shot due to a couple good yelp reviews. Pulled up and we were greeted by the winery dog while the owners opened the door to let us in. This is a mom and pop operation where they have actually done the work and understand how everything works. Really nice people and they served us some of our favorite wines of the day (along with some snacks). We felt right at home. Funny story. We were in town during the International Pinot Noir Celebration and happened to get lucky and get into the Salmon Bake celebration on Saturday night which we were told was a huge deal where people break out lots of amazing wines. We purchased a good amount of wine that day and decided to break out a bottle of Monk's gate Pinot for the party, We offered it to several folks at our table and they politely declined, looking at the label as if they had no idea why we would have brought that. No big deal, we loved it. :) I guess we aren't up to the Salmon Bake level of wine drinking just yet? Which is just fine by me. I will say though... If you get a chance to go to the IPNC Salmon bake definitely go. People break some of the best wines you'll ever have out of the 'Vault'. Maybe Monk's gate will make their way to the Vault one day, you heard it here first. read more

Monk's Gate was recommended by Denise and Jack at the Joseph Mattey B&B in McMinnville. We called the winery in the morning and scheduled a 2 pm appointment for tasting. We got to the winery 20 minutes early and the gate was closed. I had drunk a little too much wine by this point, so we decided to park at the gate and let our heads clear before calling. 15 minutes later, Linda called our cell phone and asked if we were waiting at the gate. She apologized and sent her husband down to open the gate for us. We waited. A couple of minutes later, we saw an older gentleman on a small tractor come down to open the gate for us. We waved, drove past him, and headed up to the tasting room. The old man is Ron and Linda is his wife. We got the warmest welcome and undivided attention from this duo and the friendly winery dog. This winery is a true gem of a stop. Oh yeah, the Pinots are pretty darn good and on par with their bigger neighbors. I would return in a heartbeat. read more

I appreciated the kindness and courtesy immensely, it will not be forgotten. The winery closed at 5 p.m., but we pressed our Mini-Van through the open gates before they had time to close at 5:02 p.m. We got up, told they were closed but would help us out for a tasting. Sure, I made an imposing move even showing up. But the lady was more than gracious to get us through a series of Pinot Noirs, all of them splendorous. I enjoyed my time so much that I fell in love with the pet dog, a scratchy-lovin' little fella. #payitforward read more

There are many nice wineries to visit in the Willamette Valley. Monks Gate is among the best. It might not be listed in wineries to visit, as it is off the main road and open only summer weekends and on special events. The wine is pinot noir. They grow grapes for high end wines and keep some back to make their own, which is at least as good as the best of Oregon. That good. They make only 300 cases a year, so you probably won't find it in your local store. The tasting room is down a dirt road and in a building behind a depreciated barn. Inside, you will find the nicest people you've ever met who will pour and discuss, and offer just plain hospitality. Unlike many wine stops, at this one, they are genuinely happy to have you visit. If you want to sample the best of Oregon pinot noir, and bring home some wines that can't otherwise be found, make a visit here. The prices are moderate, which makes it so much the better, as Oregon pinots are getting pretty stratospheric in price. read more

This is a fantastic little winery I had the chance to sample from while visiting Oregon for a half marathon this year. They are worth a stop, and do make just about the best Pinot out there. Thanks to them for also pouring at the Oregon wine country half marathon! Num Num. read more

I came here for my good friend's bday in a limo with her friends, husband, and parents ages ranging from 30's to 50's. This was our second stop of the day and the owner came out and said she would not serve our group. I honestly think that because we were laughing and having fun she thought we had drank more than we had. This person made a generalization over our entire group. She was worried about the OLCC but yet she had children in the tasting room? I have never been more insulted and to a group she was willing to lose the service and business. The tasting room didn't even have a proper ceiling only insulation exposed. The barn next door looks like it is about to fall down. They obliviously don't care about customer service or appearance so I think they should just give up and quit. We happily taking our money and business somewhere where they are nice to customers. read more