Christmas at the Oregon Coast – Willamette Valley Wine Tasting and McMinnville

Looking for tips for Willamette Valley Wine Tasting and where to stay in McMinnville? Here are recommendations to help you make the most of your visit in the area.

Starting our trip in McMinnville

We celebrated Christmas with family at the Oregon Coast. Our trip began with a flight from Chicago to Portland and we planned a few extra days to enjoy wine tasting in the Willamette Valley before meeting up with family in Pacific City. It was a great opportunity to stock up on wine for Christmas festivities.

Third Street Flats in McMinnville

We spent two nights at the Third Street Flats affiliated with the Atticus Hotel in McMinnville. It was a good ‘half-way point’ between Portland and the coast. It was also a great base for visiting several wineries in the Willamette Valley. They had a special rate for our dates and can I just say WOW!!!! This was such a great way to start our trip. The lobby was gorgeous and welcoming and our 2-bedroom flat was amazing.

Atticus Hotel and 3rd Street Flats in McMinnville OR

Holiday decor in the lobby at the Atticus and 3rd Street Flats McMinnville OR

Bunny Holiday decor at Atticus McMinnville OR

Third Street Flats and Atticus Hotel McMinnville OR

We arrived to a wonderful treat on the kitchen counter. What a fun surprise! Third Street Flats would be a wonderful spot for two couples to rent for a weekend of wine tasting and dining or cooking and game nights. I cannot recommend this hotel enough. A fully stocked kitchen. The bedrooms were lovely with beautiful decor and fantastic beds and linens. The furniture and light fixtures were comfortable and gorgeous. Definitely check out the website for more information and pictures. It was definitely an awesome value for the money.

A lovely welcome gift - Atticus and Third Street Flats McMinnville OR

Dining and Holiday Decorations in McMinnville

The town is absolutely charming with wonderful restaurants and the holiday decorations were lovely. We enjoyed dinner at Two Dogs Taphouse and breakfast at the Wildwood Cafe. Then it was time for our first day of winery visits and tastings.

Breakfast at Wildwood Cafe McMinnville OR

Willamette Valley Wine Tasting

After breakfast we headed off on the first day of our winery tours and tastings. Advance tasting room reservations were required, but it worked out really well. Plenty of time for tastings and travel in between. When we arrived at one of the wineries early, they accommodated us without a problem. My husband is more of a beer vs wine guy, but he does enjoy visiting the wineries and the Pinot Noir is definitely his favorite.

Day 1: Willamette Valley Wine Tasting

We left the flat and started our wine tasting adventure at Domain Drouhin.

Willamette Valley Wine Tasting Tour route Day 1 — Our winery tour route

Domain Drouhin

The server at Domain Drouhin made us feel very welcome and we thoroughly enjoyed our experience. The tasting room was lovely and the wine was wonderful, but the landscape was absolutely breathtaking. We have visited many of the wineries in this area on previous visits and this is definitely in my top 5.

Having our own personalized tasting menu really helped us feel welcome and special. The wine was great and we made sure to purchase a few bottles of wine to offset the tasting fee.

Durant Vineyards

Durant Vineyards was an interesting stop. There was a nice gift shop and a beautiful garden area to walk around and explore. Unfortunately, we were not able to book an olive oil tasting during our visit. Seemed like something different and unique to do in the area.

Beaux Frères

This was my favorite stop on our wine tasting adventure and likely my favorite winery in the region. Super low key. Our tasting was very casual and very informative. Learned about the grape growing microclimates on the property and eco-friendly farming practices. I loved the wines here and picked up a couple of bottles for Christmas dinner.

Day 2 Vineyard stops on our way from McMinnville to Pacific City

Willamette Valley Wine Tasting Tour route Day 2

Brooks and Elk Cove Vineyards

I enjoyed a wine flight at Brooks Winery. The tasting room was nice and we were able to find comfortable seating. We also stopped at Elk Cove Vineyards. It wasn’t the greatest weather and we had the tasting room all to ourselves until we were just about to leave. I ordered a glass of wine rather than doing a tasting. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any photos of the Elk Cove tasting room.