Best Willamette Valley Wineries Near Salem Oregon
Salem, Oregon is an excellent starting point for exploring the Willamette Valley wine country.
With its rolling hills, fertile soil, and mild climate, the region is renowned for producing some of the finest wines in the world. If you’re staying in Salem, you’ll have access to amazing wineries and vineyards.
Wine tasting near Salem, Oregon, is a popular activity to do in the area. Plenty of the local wineries offer wine tastings, food pairings, tours, and events like concerts and wine classes.
Here are some of the best wineries in the Willamette Valley near Salem that you won’t want to miss.
Best Wineries Near Salem Oregon
While we haven’t been to every winery near Salem, our family has enjoyed visiting our favorites for years. Our list of best wineries is admittedly subjective and will hopefully keep growing as we continue to explore more of the wine region around our hometown.
Andante Vineyard
This is one of our favorite places to visit near Salem. It’s our first choice for birthdays and special occasions, or when we just want to get away for an afternoon to relax.
Andante Vineyard is nestled among the rolling hills of the Van Duzer Corridor AVA of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The star of their wines is the Sauvignon Blanc, our favorite white wine, which is not a common wine in this region.
The vineyard primarily grows Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc grapes but they also plant niche crops. The Aligoté, for example, was very popular.
All wine-making takes place on site and you can view the barrel room and facilities when you visit. Their wine production is also characterized by organic (soon to be certified) and sustainable practices.
Known for their excellent hospitality and laid-back atmosphere, visiting Andante will help you unwind. To taste their delicious wines, you can schedule either a wine tasting or a full experience with food pairings.
Wine tastings include a flight of 6 of their estate wines while enjoying the views, inside the relaxed atmosphere of their rustic tasting room or outside on the new patio. The tasting fee is comped if you purchase wine or are a wine club member.
Andante also regularly hosts events such as concerts, special wine pairing dinners, and cooking classes.
Address: 3855 Morris Rd, Dallas, OR 97338. Open from Wed-Mon 11am to 5pm.
Full disclosure: we know the owners of this vineyard and sometimes help them with online work. They didn’t ask us to promote them, however, and the opinions we share here are entirely our own.
Brooks Winery
Brooks Wine is an award-winning winery and certified B Corps located on the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, just a short drive from West Salem. This is another great place we like to visit, especially for meals.
The winery has over 20 acres of estate vineyards, primarily planted with Pinot Noir and Riesling grapes. They use biodynamic, sustainable winemaking practices and also purchase grapes from other vineyards in the area.
Brooks Winery has a wide variety of activities for guests. They have tastings with a specially curated wine flight and a charcuterie board, as well as a full menu with dishes made from seasonal, locally-grown and sourced ingredients.
You can book an indoor or outdoor table and walk around the nice gardens below the tasting room.
If you’re interested in the winemaking experience, you can book tours of their vineyards and barrel room which also includes a guided tasting, and informative hands-on exercises to learn about different wine components.
Address: 21101 SE Cherry Blossom Ln, Amity, OR 97101. Open daily from 11am to 5pm.
Willamette Valley Vineyards
This is one of the oldest, largest, and most prestigious Willamette Valley wineries near Salem, Oregon. It’s located in Turner, just off of I-5 a short distance from South Salem.
Willamette Valley Vineyards is especially known for their high-quality Oregon Pinot Noir. They even received the title of “America’s great pinot noir producers” from Wine Enthusiast Magazine, making it one of the best Pinot Noir wineries in Willamette Valley.
They have many different tasting rooms across the state and even one in California. The one closest to the Salem area is the Estate Tasting Room.
You can enjoy a wine tasting with tableside service, daily food pairing menus with thoughtfully prepared dishes, a private behind-the-scenes winery tour, or a workshop where you can create your own custom blend wine.
If you just want to enjoy a glass or bottle of wine, they also have open seating available on a first come, first served basis though reservations are always recommended.
Address: 8800 Enchanted Way SE Turner, OR 97392. Open daily from 11am-6 pm; until 8pm on Fridays.
Honeywood Winery
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Honeywood Winery is one of the best small wineries in Willamette Valley specializing in fruit wines and specialty wine. As an urban winery, the shop is located right inside the city of Salem, just a few minutes from downtown.
Their tasting room features a gourmet marketplace with local food products and a fun gift shop with wine related goodies and accessories.
Their daily wine tasting includes a flight of 4 wines which you can choose from over 40 handcrafted options. They have a wide range from traditional varieties like Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris to dessert wines like Marionberry and Blackberry mead, which comes highly rated in reviews.
It’s also one of the more affordable options as their tasting flight is only $8.00, but you don’t get the nice country scenery of the other Willamette Valley wineries.
Address: 1350 Hines St SE, Salem, OR 97302. Mon-Fri from 10am to 5pm. Sat-Sun from 11am to 5pm.
Cória Estates
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Cória Estates is a Mexican-American family-owned vineyard located in the heart of Oregon Wine country just South of Salem in the Sunnyside area.
The large vineyard consists of 104 acres composed of both Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris.
Their tasting room combines a Mexican ambiance with the panoramic views of the valley. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating in their beautiful gardens.
Upcoming events include live music, yoga classes, barrel tastings, dinners and more.
Address: 8252 Redstone Ave SE, Salem, OR 97306. Open daily from 12pm to 6pm.
Other Wineries and Vineyards Near Salem Oregon
There are a few more great Salem area wineries to mention.
Cristom Vineyards
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Cristom Vineyards in the heart of the Eola-Amity Hills AVA boasts of a sprawling 240-acre estate with a tasting room and various estate venues and gazebos where you can bring your own picnic lunch to enjoy alongside their wine flights.
Eola Hills Wine Cellars
Eola Hills Winery is a heritage Oregon winery that has two tasting rooms. Legacy Estate Vineyard is just a 10-minute drive west of Salem and offers tastings from their top-tier portfolio, sparkling wines, and dessert wines. The other barrel room tasting option is in Rickreall, near Monmouth.
Johan Vineyards
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Johan Vineyards is a unique vineyard known for their biodynamic certified wines. They offer an exploratory tasting with dairy-free and gluten-free charcuterie options and a guided vineyards pond walking trail.
Cubanisimo Vineyards
Cubanisimo Vineyards combines the classic wine traditions of Oregon wineries with the owners’ Cuban heritage. They offer daily wine tastings at a great affordable price.
St. Innocent Winery
St. Innocent Winery believes in the process of making wine more naturally, using minimal technology. Their wine and food pairing menu includes seasonal and fresh ingredients.
Redhawk Vineyard & Winery
Redhawk Vineyard & Winery is a small family-owned winery with a fun, informal tasting room. Their wine varieties for tasting and purchase include Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Dolcetto and Riesling.
Left Coast Cellars
Left Coast Cellars is a family-owned winery committed to sustainability and uses biodynamic practices. Aside from producing high-quality wines, they also offer a variety of experiences including vineyard tours, wine tastings, farm-to-table dinners, and outdoor concerts.
The Willamette Valley is home to some of the best wineries in the world, and the wineries near Salem are no exception. Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or simply looking for a relaxing way to spend an afternoon, these Oregon wineries are must-visits.
You might also like:
Where to stay in the Willamette Valley
Where to stay in Salem Oregon
Things to do in Salem
Hidden gems of the Willamette Valley
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