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Here’s an idea for a fun summer party: Buy a selection of Northwest wines and ask your guests to try to guess the region or the soils they were grown in.
Marine sediment, volcanic basalt, Missoula flood sediment? Unless you’re an expert, you probably won’t be able to tell, but just thinking about—and getting a taste of—50 million years of geology and climate change makes drinking local wines seem educational as well as delicious.
In truth, you don’t need to know anything about the history of soil to enjoy a local pinot noir or chardonnay. But in these confusing, ultra-wired times, when it’s so easy to feel disconnected from real life and true grit and dirt, sampling local wines offers a tangible link to the earth.
Spend a summer afternoon or weekend exploring some of this area’s incredible wine country and you can easily pick up a fascinating science lesson while supporting local industry at the same time.
Head east
Cruising out along Interstate 84, Walla Walla, Wash., is a gorgeous drive from Portland. In less than four hours, you’ll find some of the best wine tasting anywhere, with more than 130 wineries and tasting rooms packed into a relatively small area. You certainly can’t try them all in a weekend or maybe a lifetime, but even a brief exploration can wow your senses. (See the full list for 2025 at wallawalla.org.)
Walla Walla benefits from being situated between two rain shadows, protected by the Cascades and Olympics. Its volcanic soil is rich with minerals brought and exposed by floods thousands of years ago.
A helpful place to start your journey is The Thief (thiefshop.com), an exceptional wine shop located in the middle of Walla Walla’s charming main street. Take a seat at the bar and the knowledgeable staff will point you toward one of the shop’s thoughtfully crafted flights. When you find something you like that’s local, make plans to visit the winery and/or tasting room later in your trip.
If you’re staying at The Finch (finchwallawalla.com), the hip and perfectly located mod hotel steps away from downtown, check out its rotating list of tasting rooms with extra benefits for Finch guests.
There are so many wineries in Walla Walla, you really only need somewhere to start, and it may not even be in Walla Walla proper. Rotie Rocks Estate (rotiecellars.com) is located across the border in Milton-Freewater, Ore., but has one of the best views of the Walla Walla Valley. Like many wineries now, Rotie Rocks encourages reservations for tasting experiences.
It’s all about change
Why is the wine here so noteworthy? There’s tradition, the soil makeup, and a little something called the diurnal shift. If you talk about Northwest wine with anyone who knows anything, you’ll soon hear about the benefits of drastic temperature swings between night and day. In short, as vines grow, dramatically changing temperatures add complexity. Heat brings sugar, sweetness, and fruit, while cool nights add biting acidity, and that’s the magic of wine.
If you’re at all interested in how this works in detail, you can easily find yourself in a deep discussion of flavor development and balance in nearly any winery. Winemakers want you to understand how much thought, care, and effort goes into everything you’re drinking.
Closer to Portland, at the Bryn Mawr Vineyards (brynmawrvineyards.com) outside Salem, winemaker Rachel Rose is that kind of person.
In Welsh, Bryn Mawr means big hill, and that’s certainly where these vineyards are, with a lovely indoor/outdoor tasting room blessed with a view from Mount Jefferson to Lincoln City.
For over 15 years, Rose has crafted award-winning wines here, with commanding views and a steep pitch that doesn’t immediately seem made for farming of any kind.
But she’s up to the challenge, digging deep into her agricultural knowledge to get the most out of the soil and growing conditions. “It’s all terroir at the end of the day,” she says.
It’s also weather. You won’t get far into a conversation about Northwest Oregon wines without hearing about the Van Duzer Corridor. People talk about it like it’s the road to Mecca, but basically it’s a wind tunnel that sucks moist coastal air inland along with strong winds giving this area its own diurnal shift.
The gusts at Bryn Mawr get so strong the owners figured out how to bolt down the patio furniture.
But Rose relishes the natural challenges and has a deep understanding of the geology of this area over the millennia. “It’s wild to work with these forces that happened 15 to 18 million years ago,” she says.
You can get really close to the vineyard by staying in the property’s sleek, spectacular Guest House. It was designed by Ideabox (ideabox.us), a modern prefab housing design studio and production company based in Salem that adheres to high environmental standards while paying careful attention to comfort and style.
A seasonal small plate menu is available during Tasting Room hours, and Bryn Mawr also offers six-course wine and food pairings on select Friday nights. The full slate of summer events includes weekly Taco Tuesdays with live music, and a yoga and wine pairing on certain Saturday mornings.
That’s an apt pairing. There’s something philosophical in growing wine: a notion that vines that have to work harder to find nutritious soil and ample water are better off in the long run, just as there’s a belief that people gain more from struggle than when things come easily. There’s truth to both, though, just as with people, too much stress can be detrimental to wine.
“It’s a balance,” Rose says, “and the ability to constantly dictate that balance is what makes wines of character.”
Tasting Summer in Oregon Wines
Summer is a perfect time to expand your palate. All of the wineries below offer personalized tastings designed to illuminate rather than intimidate.
Less than an hour from Portland, the Eola-Amity and Willamette Valley areas are rich with vintages that reflect our incredibly diverse geology, and welcoming tasting rooms where you can try them. The forces of hot and cold, lava and ocean, have worked together over millions of years, culminating in the careful hands, sharp noses, and sensitive taste buds of a collection of impressive winemakers.
These are some suggestions for summer wines, but head south on Interstate 5 or Highway 99 and you really can’t go wrong.
Note that all wineries have options for nonalcoholic beverages. so designated drivers are welcome.
Pro tip: If a map directs you to Salem and then west, save yourself some time by leaving the interstate at Brooks and heading west to the Wheatland Ferry (co.marion.or.us/PW/ferries/Pages/wheatlandhours.aspx). Operating since 1844, the small and delightful car ferry takes only a couple of minutes to carry you across the Willamette River, and there’s almost no wait as it operates on a continuous schedule. Bring $3 cash or, hilariously, a check.
Arabilis Wines
203 5th St., Amity
arabiliswines.com
Founded by Ph.D. scientists-turned-winemakers Allison and Kenny McMahon, Arabilis is dedicated to combining traditional techniques with specialized equipment. Their wines are grounded in science and shaped by place. Based in the Eola-Amity Hills, Arabilis tastings are available by reservation, ensuring an intimate and personalized experience led by the McMahons in downtown Amity.
Arabilis 2023 Eola-Amity Hills Rosé
The McMahons call this one “Sunshine in a glass!” It’s bright, crisp, and bursting with fresh strawberry and floral notes—perfect for lazy picnics and patio hangs.
Arabilis 2023 Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay
This could become your go-to summer sipper—zesty and refreshing with the right amount of cool. This sunny pour delivers a citrusy kick and lively minerality.
Bryn Mawr Vineyards
5935 Bethel Heights Road NW, Salem
brynmawrvineyards.com
This winery’s slogan is “High Hill. High Risk. High Reward,” and you can see why at its contemporary tasting room and vast courtyard perched above the valley floor between Salem and McMinnville (see above).
Bryn Mawr 2022 Chardonnay Estate
There’s a snappiness to this layered and lemony chardonnay, a wine to savor with good friends or a great book.
Bryn Mawr Brut Rosé
Dry and crisp with low alcohol, this bubbly delight is made for a girls’ night in—even if you don’t try to understand the complicated process that shapes it. In a modern twist, the grapes are divided into two batches and pressed with different techniques.
Brooks Wine
21101 SE Cherry Blossom Lane, Amity
brookswine.com
Founded in 1998, Brooks is a woman-led, family-owned winery producing 18,000 cases annually focusing on pinot noir, riesling, and other aromatic white wines.
The fantastic tasting room has a menu worth sampling even if you don’t want to try any wine. Many ingredients are sourced from the kitchen garden. Brooks hosts a variety of creative special events and recently launched its Artisans in Residency series. This program will highlight 12 regional artisans from coffee roasters, brewers, and cider makers to skin care brands, Haitian culinary products, and cheese artisans. The residencies include interactive pop-up events like tastings, workshops, and classes. Summer’s featured players are Hetty Alice Brewing, Elixor Coffee, and Creole Me Up.
Brooks Winery Amycas White Blend 2024
Brooks winemaker Claire Jarreau is known for her magic with rieslings, but this special blend of riesling, muscat, pinot gris, pinot blanc and gewürztraminer brings together the diverse wonders of the Northwest’s white wine production. The result is refreshing and lively, perfect for summer entertaining.
Brooks Winery 2024 Pinot Blanc
Fresh and bright and ideal for summer, this wine features a logo of a tattoo worn by late founder Jimi Brooks. It depicts the Ouroboros, a dragon eating its own tail to represent the circle of life. Brooks died at only 38, but this sentiment lives on at Brooks, where the winemakers are committed to sustainability for building community.
LucidWild Estate
9380 NE Worden Hill Road, Dundee
lucidwildestate.com
When LucidWild Estate’s new tasting room opens in July, it will flip your expectations of what a wine tasting experience can be. Imagine tasting exquisite wines while spinning vinyl in a speakeasy, hanging out in the game room, or playing bocce outside. Or taste LucidWild Estate’s limited-production single-vineyard wines perched 800 feet on the SkyTerrace with views of Mount Hood and the North Cascades.
LucidWild 2022 “Hidden” Chardonnay
Crisp, bright, and buzzing with citrus, “Hidden” is made for sunny afternoons. Grown sustainably from a 27-year-old Dundee Hills vineyard, this chardonnay is fresh, clean, and full of life—a fine model for summer.
The Setting Wines
20300 OR-240, Newberg
thesettingwines.com
Established in 2014, The Setting offers a collection of luxury, special occasion wines created by friends Jeff Cova, Noah McMahon, and winemaker Jesse Katz, who share a love for wine and philanthropy. As the first winemaker to make the Forbes “30 under 30” list, Katz brings experience to his profession that spans 19 harvests at internationally acclaimed wineries. The Setting’s newest tasting room is located inside the elegant Setting Inn (thesettinginn.com). If you’re not staying at the inn, call 503-687-4979 to reserve a tasting.
2022 Eola Springs Vineyard Chardonnay
Made for white burgundy lovers who crave lively chardonnay with their sunshine and seafood.
2022 Chehalem Mountain Vineyard Chardonnay
Layers of minerality and a lush, lingering finish and texture enrich this wine, a refined expression of New World winemaking and Old World sensibilities. Made for an alfresco summer dinner with loved ones.
Red Electric Wines at Armstrong Vineyards
16800 Lewis Rogers Lane, Newberg
redelectricwines.com
Founded by noted winemaker John Grochau and Armstrong Vineyard owner Douglas Ackerman, this prized label was inspired by the vineyard’s exceptional fruit and a love of the Ribbon Ridge region.
2023 Red Electric Evening Primrose
Cracking energy and bright lemony aromatics make this wine an ideal complement for your summer seafood.
This story is part of Oregon Summer Magazine, Willamette Week’s annual guide to the summer months, this year focused on making the most of and beating the heat. It is free and can be found all over Portland beginning Sunday, June 29, 2025. Find a copy at one of the locations noted on this map before they all get picked up! Read more from Oregon Summer magazine online here.
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