Skip to content

The best wines from Oregon

United States

Oregon, located on the west coast of the U.S. to the north, is a cool, if not perhaps the coolest, wine growing region in North America. Since about 1850, attempts were made to plant vines in the cool, rather harsh climate, but they did not really succeed. Attempts with hybrid vines and American vines were also unsuccessful. It was not until the 1960s that the region was really discovered and developed for top wine production by emigrants from Napa Valley. Some 800 wineries farm Oregon's 14,557 acres of vines (as of 2018), which is roughly between the latitudes of Bordeaux or Burgundy. However, the vineyards are directly exposed to the cool Pacific influences, and it also rains quite frequently. The area is therefore particularly suitable for grape varieties that can cope with cool and damp weather conditions. First of all, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling, which have already proven in Burgundy and Mosel that they can thrive in cool regions. Most of Oregon's vineyards are located in the northern part of the Willamette Valley and are situated on gently sloping hillsides. The nearly 4,000-foot-high Cascade Mountains protect that section of the valley from continental hot influences from the arid west beyond the mountains. There are also vineyards on a small scale in the southern part of the valley, where it is somewhat warmer, as well as in the Tualatin Valley and Umpqua Valley. There are also vineyards along the Columbia River at the Columbia Valley border. Oregon's wine production is small; the region is dominated by dedicated boutique wineries that produce excellent Pinot Noirs, but also Chardonnays and Rieslings that need not fear European comparison. With the name Drouhin, a very prominent producer from Burgundy is also represented here.

Related wine regions

Current Tastings from the Region

To the Falstaff Tastings
1 / 8

Best wines from this region

73 entries
sort by
2018 Cayuse Vineyards Bionic Frog Syrah
Cayuse Vineyards
United States
Oregon,  United States
Red Wine
Syrah
15%
Cayuse Vineyards Bionic Frog Syrah Red Wine
100
2012 »Bionic Frog« Syrah
Cayuse Vineyards
United States
Walla Walla Valley,  Oregon,  United States
Red Wine
Syrah
14,5%
»Bionic Frog« Syrah Red Wine
98
2019 Antica Terra Pinot Noir Botanica
Antica Terra
United States
Willamette Valley,  Oregon,  United States
Red Wine
Pinot Noir
14,4%
Antica Terra Pinot Noir Botanica Red Wine
97
2019 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir Beaux Frères Vineyard
Beaux Frères
United States
Willamette Valley,  Oregon,  United States
Red Wine
Pinot Noir
14%
Beaux Frères Pinot Noir Beaux Frères Vineyard Red Wine
97
2019 Roserock Chardonnay
Domain Drouhin Oregon
United States
Eola-AmityHills,  Oregon,  United States
White Wine
Chardonnay
13,9%
Roserock Chardonnay White Wine
97
2018 Antica Terra Pinot Noir Antikythera
Antica Terra
United States
Oregon,  United States
Red Wine
Pinot Noir
14,1%
Antica Terra Pinot Noir Antikythera Red Wine
97
2017 Cayuse Syrah Armada Vineyard Walla Walla Valley
Cayuse Vineyards
United States
Oregon,  United States
Red Wine
Syrah
13,8%
Cayuse Syrah Armada Vineyard  Walla Walla Valley Red Wine
97
2017 Cayuse Syrah Armada Vineyard Walla Walla Valley
Cayuse Vineyards
United States
Oregon,  United States
Red Wine
Syrah
14%
Cayuse Syrah Armada Vineyard Walla Walla Valley Red Wine
97
2018 Cayuse Syrah Cailloux Vineyard Walla Walla Valley
Cayuse Vineyards
United States
Oregon,  United States
Red Wine
Syrah
14,3%
Cayuse Syrah Cailloux Vineyard Walla Walla Valley Red Wine
96
2018 Cayuse Syrah Cailloux Vineyard Walla Walla Valley
Cayuse Vineyards
United States
Oregon,  United States
Red Wine
Syrah
14,3%
Cayuse Syrah Cailloux Vineyard Walla Walla Valley Red Wine
96
2016 Lillian Gold Series No. 05 Syrah
Lillian Winery
United States
Oregon,  United States
Red Wine
Syrah
14,5%
Lillian Gold Series No. 05 Syrah Red Wine
96
2016 Lillian Gold Series No. 05 Syrah
Lillian Winery
United States
Oregon,  United States
Red Wine
Syrah
14,5%
Lillian Gold Series No. 05 Syrah Red Wine
96
2015 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir »Monogram«
Domaine Serene
United States
Willamette Valley,  Oregon,  United States
Red Wine
Pinot Noir
14,4%
Domaine Serene Pinot Noir »Monogram« Red Wine
96
2022 Sokol Blosser, Estate Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills
Sokol Blosser
United States
Dundee Hills,  Oregon,  United States
Red Wine
Sokol Blosser, Estate Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills Red Wine
95
2019 Tan Fruit Maresh Vineyard Chardonnay
Arterberry Maresh
United States
Willamette Valley,  Oregon,  United States
White Wine
Chardonnay
Tan Fruit Maresh Vineyard Chardonnay White Wine
95
2018 Antica Terra Pinot Noir Obelin
Antica Terra
United States
Oregon,  United States
Red Wine
Pinot Noir
14,3%
Antica Terra Pinot Noir Obelin Red Wine
95
2018 Cristom Pinot Noir Eileen Vineyard
Cristom Vineyards
United States
Oregon,  United States
Red Wine
Pinot Noir
14%
Cristom Pinot Noir Eileen Vineyard Red Wine
95
2018 Nicolas-Jay Pinot Noir L'Ensemble
Domaine Nicolas-Jay
United States
Oregon,  United States
Red Wine
Pinot Noir
13,5%
Nicolas-Jay Pinot Noir L'Ensemble Red Wine
95
2009 Marjorie Vineyard Eola-Amity Hills Pinot noir
Cristom Vineyards
United States
Oregon,  United States
Red Wine
Pinot Noir
Marjorie Vineyard Eola-Amity Hills Pinot noir Red Wine
95
2022 Elk Cove, La Bohème Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton
Elk Cove Vineyards
United States
Yamhill-Carlton District,  Oregon,  United States
Red Wine
Elk Cove, La Bohème Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton Red Wine
94
Wine-News
1 / 12