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.