Story and photos by Scott Kendall (unless otherwise indicated)
Beautiful Newberg and the Northern Willamette Valley in Oregon
Some of the best wineries and restaurants in Oregon are located in the beautiful North Willamette Valley area just southwest of Portland. In this article, we describe a few of the best wineries and restaurants in the Newberg, Oregon area. These wineries are located in the AVAs of: Chehalem Mountains, Dundee Hills, Eola Amity Hills, McMinnville, Ribbon Ridge, and Yamhill-Carlton.
The North Willamette Valley is one of the few places on earth ideal for growing the Pinot noir grape, which accounts for a large majority of grapes grown in the area. Local vineyards also grow Pinot gris, Pinot blanc, Chardonnay, and other select varieties. With about two-thirds of the 1,000 or so wineries in Oregon, the picturesque Willamette Valley is a wine lover’s dream.
Join us as we explore eight wonderful wineries and three great restaurants in Newberg and the surrounding area of the spectacular Northern Willamette Valley.
Map of Newberg Area Wineries and Restaurants
Some of the best wineries and restaurants in the North Willamette Valley are in and near the city of Newberg, Oregon. Only 30 minutes southwest of Portland, these select wineries and restaurants are just a few of the many wonderful wine and food venues in the area.
Saffron Fields Vineyards in Yamhill, Oregon
Find out why this woman-owned Willamette Valley Winery Tasting Room at Saffron Fields Vineyard has been honored with a 2023 Best of the Valley Award by Willamette Living Magazine! This picturesque winery offers stunning views of their vineyards and the Hoichi Kurisu designed Japanese Gardens, especially beautiful on this crisp Fall October afternoon.
The founders of Saffron Fields were Houston natives Dr. Angela Summers and her husband Sanjeev Lahoti, who passed away in 2020. With a background in chemical engineering, the couple planted their first grapes with the intention of just selling their crop to local winemakers. After loving the wine made from their first harvest by a local winemaker in 2009, Angela and Sanjeev decided they had to make their own wines. With their delicious trademark Pinot noir as well as their refreshing Chardonnay, thousands of wine lovers are glad they made this decision.
We were amazed at the knowledge and hospitality of Amanda, the Tasting Room Manager at Saffron Fields. With its stunning scenery, attractive facilities, extensive artwork, and fabulous wines, Saffron Fields is a local favorite for hosting numerous events throughout the year.
Bells Up Winery in Newberg
Bells Up Winery has quickly become a favorite of many locals and visitors to Newberg. Don’t miss this charming micro-boutique winery and the friendly folks that run it – Dave and Sara Specter. We especially loved their Titan Pinot noir, the Estate Prelude Rose, and the Firebird Summit View Syrah.
We couldn’t help but admire and relate to this lovely couple who talk from the heart about their passions and priorities in life. Dave and Sara told us about the circumstances around their mid-life decision to move from a successful, but unfulfilling career in their hometown of Cincinnati to a new life in Oregon. “If you’re this successful in a career that makes you sick, stressed and miserable… how much more successful would you be doing something you love?”
So Dave left his career as a corporate tax attorney and expanded his hobby of winemaking into an all-in quest to learn all he could about the art of winemaking. After winning two national amateur winemaking awards for his wines, Sara and Dave made the life changing decision to move to Oregon and start their own winery.
Both are music lovers, and when looking for a name for their new venture, they came up with Bells Up. Dave told us that the name Bells Up refers to that anticipatory moment when the conductor motions for his french horn players to lift the bells of their horns in preparation for playing the coming notes with maximum intensity. It seems such an appropriate moniker for their winery, and they carried the musical theme forward in naming each wine they create. For Dave and Sara, they approach each day of their new life with Bells Up and a zest for the coming notes of their life.
Coeur De Terre Vineyard in McMinnville, Oregon
Coeur de Terre Vineyard is a beautiful 94 acre property founded by Scott and Lisa Neal in 1998. They specialize in estate grown Pinot Noir, known for its deep red color. We enjoyed the Heritage Reserve Pinot Noir, a spicy and fruity blend from from distinct blocks of the vineyard. Scott and Lisa combine Scott’s farming background and Lisa’s love of the outdoors to create their uniquely flavorful wines.
Coeur de Terre means “heart of the earth” in French, and is an apt description of the passion and and quality Scott and Lisa pour into their hand-crafted artisan wines. We enjoyed listening to Scott talk about the wines and life at the vineyard. I even made a new best friend, CiCi, who accompanied us around the tasting table, staying close but always minding her manners.
Scott believes in a minimalist approach. He controls those variables he deems important, but does not want to interfere too much – he wants to allow mother nature to shine through. Lisa is the driving force behind the organic and regenerative agricultural initiatives of the vineyards. Together, they have created a magical place at Coeur de Terre in the hills above McMinnville.
Lemelson Vineyards in Carlton, Oregon
Lemelson Vineyards, located southwest west of Newberg in lovely Carlton, is known for its acclaimed Pinot noir and other white wines. Founded by Eric Lemelson in 1997, Lemelson Vineyards has pionerred innovations in technology, sustainability, and tradition in winemaking. Lemelson is proud of using organic farming methods and gravity flow production to produce some of the finest Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Chardonnay, and Riesling in the Willamette Valley
William was the perfect host in the tasting room and on our tour of the facilities. My favorite wine was the Jerome Reserve Pinot Noir, such a wonderful combination of fruit, spice, and sunshine in a bottle. The sophisticated layout and machinery focusing on using gravity to help in the process is fascinating.
Adelsheim Winery in Newberg, Oregon
Adelsheim Winery is nestled in heart of the Chehalem Mountains. Founded in 1972 by David and Ginny Adelsheim, this special vineyard is now owned by Jack and Lynn Loacker. Adelsheim was one of the first wineries in the Chehalem Mountains, and recently celebrated their 50th anniversary.
Jessica led our tasting with an informative and entertaining history of Adelsheim and the Chehalem Mountain AVA. Sitting in the comfortable sofa and chairs with a lovely view of the vineyards, we thoroughly enjoyed the Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir, the Staking Claim Chardonnay, and other wines produced by Adelsheim.
In honor of Halloween, staff members were dressed in seasonal costumes, and local art adorned the walls of the tasting room. Even Charlie, the vineyard dog, was dressed in a colorful handkerchief. I highly recommend visitors spend some time at Adelsheim, Chehalem Mountains’ First Winery.
Stoller Family Estate Winery in Dayton, Oregon
Over the past 30 years, Stoller Family Estate has been developed into the largest contiguous vineyard in the Dundee area. The family is proud of the fact that their fruit is 100% estate grown. Stoller Family Estate is honored to be ranked on the USA Today 10 Best Tasting Rooms Reader’s Choice six years in a row, and has been named by the Portland Business Journal as Oregon’s Most Admired Winery for eight consecutive years.
The area’s new hop-on-hop-off NW Wine Shuttle has chosen Stoller Family to be one of the regular stops. In the tasting room, Michelle shared stories of Stoller’s beginnings, when Stoller transformed a former turkey farm into one of the largest wineries in the area. Huge windows, along with a large outdoor patio, overlook the neatly manicured rows of grape vines – such a spectacular sight!
Chehalem Tasting Room and Wine Bar in Newberg
In downtown Newberg, Chehalem Tasting Room and Wine Bar is the perfect place to relax and enjoy their passion for diverse and flavorful wines from the Willamette Valley. You can make reservations or just drop in seven days a week to enjoy your favorite wines in a comfortable atmosphere.
Hannah, public relations for Chehalem and the other Stoller family wineries, and tasting room manager Joleen made us feel right at home. Although the weather outside was the typical Oregon wet and chilly afternoon, we were warm and cozy inside this lovely downtown tasting room.
My friends and I started with the delightful Pinot Noir Rose, which had a deep ruby red tint. Joleen also poured us two excellent Chardonnays – one unoaked, aged in stainless steel, and the other aged in oak. Of course, since this is Oregon’s Northern Willamette Valley, we also sampled some fabulous Pinot noir. The 2021 Corral Creek Pinot Noir was outstanding. Other wines we tried included a Gruner Veltliner and a Pinot blanc.
Four Graces Winery in Newberg
Just a few minutes from downtown Newberg, Four Graces Winery is a welcoming winery. Valerie, the tasting room manager, was all smiles and full of interesting stories about the wines and the winery. Part of the Foley Family Wines, Four Graces was a fun stop on our tour of Newberg area wineries.
We especially enjoyed the lighter Dundee Hills Reserve Pinot Noir grown in the red clay of the Jory. Housed in the old Foley family farmhouse just a mile and a half from downtown Newberg, The Four Graces promotes sustainable practices to create pure, elegant, and complex wines.
Restaurants in the Newberg Area
Rosmarino Osteria Italiana in Newberg
Under owner, Head Chef, and entertainer extraordinaire Dario Pisoni, the amazing Rosmarino Osteria Italiana has been named among the “top 100 restaurants in the country”. Known for their authentic Northern Italian cuisine, the family recipes come from their Nonna Agnese’s private cookbook.
We were lucky to get reservations for the special Friday Oregon Winemaker’s Dinner Series. A highly popular event with limited seating, this special event often sells out despite a hefty $125 cost per person. Our party of four all agreed it was well worth it.
The 5 Course Dinner with wine pairings was outstanding. Before each course, Dario would describe the next dish and regale us with stories. Then Julia, the winemaker at Duck Pond Winery, would educate us on the next wine.
Usually, at pairings like this, I like most of the courses and paired wines, but normally don’t care for at least a couple. I can happily say that every dish, and every wine, was excellent.
We started with a Vellutata Di Sedan Rama, a Velvety Celeriac Soup, paired with the Pinot Gris from Duck Pond, Skin Contact. What a great start! Next was the Tortino Di Pomodori Secchi, a Sun-dried Tomato Soufflé topped with Truffle Pecorino Fondue. Paired with the Pinot Noir, Front Yard, I had my doubts about this one when I saw it on the menu. However, this delicate souffle hit all the rights notes as I finished off every bite.
Trying to pace myself and save my appetite for the fourth course of braised short rib and dessert, I only ate half of the Pasta Alla Cream di Porcini E Speck. It was so creamy and flavorful it was hard to stop. Luckily, I still had enough appetite for the Reale Di Manzo Al Balsamic, a beef short rib slowly cooked in wine, tomato, and balsamico served on roasted polenta. The short ribs were so tender we could easily cut them with a fork, and the polenta and rich, flavorful gravy was perfect. The Duck Pond Syrah was a wonderful pairing.
Finally, dessert came. A bubbly Bianco Frizzante was served with dolce, a Torte Al Limone – lemon cream and white chocolate vanilla cake. Bellissimo!
SubTerra Restaurant in Newberg
Yes, as the name suggests, SubTerra Restaurant is located underground in a cellar in downtown Newberg. Owners Stephanie and Javier Santos strive to make their restaurant a warm, welcoming place for people to share special moments with family and friends. We certainly felt welcome with smiles from the hostess, our server, and Stephanie in just the first few minutes we were there.
For appetizers, we started with a delicious prawn dish with honey chili, lemongrass cream, crispy rice noodles, and lime zest. My wife enjoyed a flavorful concoction of carrots with whipped ricotta, lemon, thyme, carrot top salsa verde, and crispy carrot ribbons carrots.
For my entree, I had the delicious home-made gnocchi with braised short rib, porcini, preserved heirloom tomatoes, and pecorino. My wife enjoyed the King Salmon, pan seared with roasted gold and red beets and carrots, served with an English pea garlic confit pureé. Another person in our party was happy with his tender scallops served with crispy polenta, local mushrooms, and a basil-oregano foam.
Stephanie and Javier have succeeded in creating a warm, welcoming haven for people to share great food, wonderful wine, and special moments with friends and family at SubTerra in downtown Newberg.
JORY at The Allison Inn and Spa, Newberg
JORY, the signature restaurant at the spectacular Allison Resort in the heart of the Willamette Valley wine country, was on our must do list. Guests are treated to scenic views overlooking hazelnut orchards and the rolling hills of the Willamette Valley as they enjoy the creative fine dining menus. Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, and Dinner are available on their varied menus.
For our mains, two of us ordered the Alaskan Halibut, cooked perfectly with wheatberry, pinenut, celery root purée, patty pan squash, and herbed-panade. The more adventurous member of our party dined on the Rabbit Involtini with charred carrot mole, semolina gnocchi, foraged mushrooms, and brussels. The elegant but relaxed setting, the friendly staff, and outstanding food and wine selections make the JORY a top choice to dine in Newberg.
A Special Wine Country in the Willamette Valley, Oregon
The North Willamette Valley around Newberg is definitely a paradise for wine lovers. Just thirty minutes from Portland, it is a perfect getaway destination for a few days, a week, years – or, as in the case of others who have fallen in love with the area – a lifetime.
Thanks to Saffron Fields Vineyards, Bells Up Winery, Coeur de Terre Vineyard, Lemelson Vineyards, Adelsheim Winery, Four Graces Winery, Stoller Family Estate, Chehalem Tasting Room, and SubTerra Restaurant for hosting us. All opinions are my own.
Click below to learn more about other great Oregon destinations
