Friendly staff, which are students from the local college. Love to support them! Space is a little…read moreawkward, but nice picture windows to people watch.

This IS a wine experience. Jack...the wine consultant... guided me through a variety of unique and…read moretasty wines. From the moment one walks into this sun-drenched corner space, a warm and knowledgeable welcome is offered. The pours/tastings were generous. The prices reasonable. Can't wait to return to McMinnville to explore the local shops... and this wine experience !

Highland Estates was the latest Winery on my list to visit in the WV, and they are probably my…read morefavorite so far. What's lacking in views is made up in the most friendly and personable winery staff I've come across since being in Oregon. Joe, Ashley and Krystal made it an easy decision to become a member here; their customer service will be hard to top. The wines! From the Rose to the whites to reds... I kept waiting to find a bad one in the bunch, but never did. Obv,I enjoyed some more than others, but I liked all of them, which is very rare. I also appreciated that they had a variety of wines and not just a bunch of Pinots Noirs... Amazing charcuterie board as well. Looking forward to their awesome events for members and trying the rest of their delicious wines that were not in the tasting. Happy 50th, Hyland!

This winery is AMAZING! We went here for our first wedding anniversary, and they made us feel so…read morespecial. We were the only guests, and they greeted us with glasses of sparkling wine and a little snack platter of nuts, dried fruit, and mini macarons! After our tasting, we had a private tour of the facilities with their head winemaker and got to taste wine straight out of the barrels. This was such an exceptional experience! Five stars for sure!!! (Oh, and not to mention that the wines are delicious!)

We stopped by on a Thursday night to checkout the new NW Cru Side Bar and try their new hot dog…read moremenu. Word on the street Side Bar has a unique hot dog called the Ultimate Glizzy. The atmosphere is a good mix of upscale and laid back with plenty of seating even though it's a small place. I was excited to see a big screen TV showing a NFL game. We were greeted by a sweet person that was very friendly and helpful. They do have table service but we ordered at the bar. We ordered exactly what we came for: The Ultimate Glizzy. It's a perfectly grilled, extra-long hot dog piled high with bacon pieces, red onion, pickled jalapeños, chili, and nacho cheese, all on a fresh, soft bun and finished with Hot Cheeto crumbs. We absolutely loved it! I was honestly surprised by the mix of unique flavors--the tang of the pickled jalapeños combined with the crunch of the Hot Cheetos, followed by that burst of juicy hot dog. YUM! Seriously, who doesn't love a hot dog with Hot Cheetos sprinkled on top?!It's served with a bag of classic Lays, which is perfect for scooping up all the extra nacho cheese that falls off.To drink, we ordered an Old Fashioned and a Michelob Ultra Zero. The Old Fashioned was great--made the classic way with ice cubes, Elijah Craig, bitters, and a real Oregon cherry. My husband loved it!

We came into NW Cru on a Friday. They had a nice karaoke night (good sounding system and singers)…read more The ambiance is upscale, but chill and unpretentious. What made our experience next level was the service we had. Jared, who was attending to us, and those sitting around us, was truly amazing--best wine suggestions, and just a super friendly and cool server. Being from the industry, the service is distinctively better than most other spots in town. We stayed and sang and I would suggest anyone reading this go and check it out for yourself, they got a good thing going on.

Mo is making really great wine in the Dundee area!…read more Make you appt, you won't be disappointed! First impression driving up his driveway, was is this the place? There are no signs, and it is his own residence. Beautiful grounds and vineyards! We sat in Mo's kitchen and started tasting his line up. I really love his Chardonnay. Mo tells you a little about the grapes and where each of the vineyards is located. It's a fun, relaxing wine tasting experience. I really liked how quiet and private the experience was. Not in a busy loud tasting room! Mo also makes many Pinot's. His whole cluster Pinot is not like any others I've tasted. It's got a silky smooth finish! It was hard to decide which ones to buy, so we bought a few of our favs, one for now and one to hold for a few years. His wines are drinkable now, but I can't imagine how well these will age!

came by for a tasting and to pick up a case of sparking. Mo offered us his reserve Chardonnay…read more Superb!!

Secluded and tucked away for the best kind of relaxation!!!! ... with wine!…read more Lots of seating and they do recommend reservations as they can get busy. We booked for the the indoor seating in case it rained but it was so beautiful outside! We opted for an outdoor table with views. The wine was delicious, staff was friendly and attentive. The wine tasting menu is very reasonable. We very much enjoyed our visit and will be returning.

We came here as a group. I think my friend had tasting cards so that all of us got our tasting…read moreflight comped. I hadn't been to this particular winery before. It sits on a hillside with the fields of grapes splayed out before you. It's beautiful. It's literally Utopia. I wish that it remained a utopian experience. I don't know about you but I expect excellent service while at a winery. This time when we visited Utopia, albeit our tasting flights were comped, their goal at the end of the day is to get you to buy a bottle(s) or become a wine club member. So when I go limping in and ask the man behind the counter if he can recycle my glass bottle he says yes he can but then as I approach him he tells me I can just go ahead and take it outside to the white bin. From this interaction I left the tasting room and the winery host and that the winery host with the strong sensation of sour grapes. The host arrived with very good timing just as most of us had finished off our first pour which was as I recall a very fruity, like and alcohol fruit salad served very chilled. It was actually quite good. Next came three Pinot noirs. I typically do not care fore Pinot noir wines, But I will usually find at least one Pinot that pleases me. This was no exception. The first Pinot in our flight was ok. I was the wine list showed only our tasting flight. The second Pinot was a delight, it was full flavored and peppery, such a nice surprise. The last Pinot I don't think anyone liked. On to the Chardonnay. It was described to us as being aged in first oak, and then stainless steel. I would have enjoyed it more if it was only aged in oak, If you find yourself in the neighborhood, by all means, stop by. There is something on the menu for everyone. 2023 - Review # 40

We had such a lovely tasting experience here during a really quiet weekend. We were the only ones…read moreinside the tasting room so we got our choice of seating and really personalized service. We enjoyed a tasting, some light bites and discovered new favorite wines to take home. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. Service was excellent.

In early May my wife and I visited Oregon and we had a few days to explore in the McMinnville area…read more And if you know that place at all, you know there are a ton of wineries/tasting rooms. We spent some time on 3rd Street and visited Troon. Not only did I enjoy learning a ton about their farming/viticulture practices from Ashley (who was excellent in her service and knowledge), I loved the wine and enjoyed their sleek, modern space. If you're on 3rd Street I recommend hitting up Troon.

Truly awesome wine here at Chris James Cellars in a stunning tasting room with a wonderful team…read morepouring and informing about the wines. We had a really great tasting and walked away with some bottles we can't wait to enjoy when we get home. Highly recommend!

Having walked up the street checking out different places, I opted for Chris James Cellars because…read morethe posted wine tasting looked was more to my liking than the other wineries in town (and there are a few of them). Was I glad I did. They have an excellent selection of white and red wine. If you check out the wines on their website, you'll see an extensive list, with a very wide range, including Pinot, Dolcetto, Syrah, Tempranillo, Zin, Cabs, Chardonnay, Blancs, and some sparkling wines. And that's only a portion of what's available. My flight was excellent, so much so, that I bought a couple of bottles. I had a great server, Candace, and had the opportunity to talk to her husband, Jeff, who was sitting next to me. A very friendly place. I opted for inside seating because it was hot that day, and I was already roasting from eating atop the McMenamin's rooftop bar. This place was way more my speed. A five-star experience.

This was simply a superb tasting experience. We have tasted at literally hundreds of wineries…read morearound the world and were still impressed. The wines are beautifully crafted. Clearly every step from the where on the land which clones are planted to how to farm, when to harvest, and how to age is carefully considered. When we learn something new that is a bonus, Rebecca was generous with her knowledge. She is very engaged in every aspect from dirt to bottle and cares passionately about this enterprise and her family heritage in ranching and farming. There are many seating options both inside and outside. We chose to stand at the bar because that is generally where you learn the most, as was the case here. Just do yourself a favor and make a reservation. It is the antidote to some of the larger and less personal tasting rooms and excellent in its own right.

We enjoyed our time at MonksGate Vineyard in Yamhill County, outside of Carlton. This was one of…read moreour 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.