It may not yet be quitting time, but on rough days, we all know it’s wine o’clock somewhere when you feel like you just might not be able to take anymore. After all, isn’t it true that if you “wine” a little, you’ll eventually feel better? All corks aside, a nice glass of wine is often a joy to behold at the end of those long days, and on such days, no ordinary glass of wine will ever do.
Luckily, Oregon’s state capitol of Salem isn’t just known for the legislature, the State Fair, and a variety of art festivals. It’s also wine country!
Honeywood Winery
1350 Hines Street SE, Salem
503.362.4111
Oenophiles won’t want to miss a chance to sample some of the very best reds, whites, and blushes at Oregon’s oldest and first urban winery, Honeywood Winery. Debuting the day after Prohibition ended in 1933, the winery is home to Oregon’s first tasting room and many historic fruit wines.
From Pinot Noir & Pinot Gris to Marionberry & Pear, Honeywood has developed its craft perfectly and specializes in making superb wines for every palate. It has good wine, good people, and a rich history, and it can only be found here in the Salem community.
Ankeny Vineyard
2565 Riverside Drive S, Salem
503.378.1498
In a special, tucked away corner of Salem is a place where glasses clink together with hearty cheers at Ankeny Vineyard. The vineyard’s small tasting rooms create an intimate, artisanal setting where patrons are treated to estate-grown wines and wood-fired pizzas with delicious desserts as they take in the winery’s scenic views.
The 50-acre estate less than a mile from the Willamette River has been growing its grapes for more than forty years on land initially planted to fruit trees by Oregon Trail pioneer Thomas Cox in the 1840s. One lone pear tree remains 150 years later, surrounded by ripe and delicious grapes that will create the vineyard’s famous Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris wines, with micro plantings of Chardonnay, Muscat, and Gewürztraminer.
Cubanisimo Vineyards
1754 Best Road NW, Salem
503.588.1763
It’s all pride, passion, and pinot at Cubanisimo Vineyards. Initially, the vineyard focused its efforts on grape growing with its inception in 1986, selling its grapes to larger wineries. It wasn’t until 2003 that the label Cubanisimo Vineyards would debut as the Collada family decided to forge ahead with their dream to keep half the product to produce their own wines.
The name pays homage to the owner’s and family’s Cuban heritage, with Cubanisimo meaning “very Cuban.” They have been committed to developing their wines into top-quality products, meriting the name from the beginning. It already speaks for itself as its award-winning boutique wines continue to receive increased recognition in fashionable wine circles.
Bethel Heights Vineyard
6060 Bethel Heights Road NW, Salem
503.581.2262
Right in the heart of the Eola-Amity Hills, within its peaceful, rolling landscape of rich farmland and open vistas, is Bethel Heights Vineyard. The 40-year-old family estate began as a labor of love between two brothers, Ted and Terry Casteel, and their wives, Pat Dudley and Marilyn Webb, along with Pat’s sister, Barbara Dudley.
Since their first harvest in 1984, they have worked hard to grow their wine production to 10,000 cases and joined forces with fellow wine connoisseurs and pioneers to establish the Willamette Valley as the home of New World Pinot Noir. These days, 14 different bottlings of estate-grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are grown yearly, with current vintages of the vineyard’s delicious wines available for purchase.
Chemeketa Cellars Tasting Room
215 Doaks Ferry Road NW, Salem
503.584.7256
Sampling rich wines isn’t just an art or hobby at Chemeketa Cellars Tasting Room. It’s also a learning experience! This local winery and tasting room at the Northwest Wine Studies Center is part of the Wine Studies program at Chemeketa Community College.
Wine aficionados are more than welcome to pay a visit to the tasting room, where they’ll get to sip through flights of award-winning, student-grown, student-made wines, all while enjoying stunning views of the vineyard and valley from their patio. The masterminds behind these delicate concoctions, aka the students, are also happy to share their knowledge about the wines during these tastings, providing excellent opportunities for interacting with these expert winemakers in the making.
Cristom Vineyards
6905 Spring Valley Road NW, Salem
503.375.3068
Visitors to the Cristom Vineyards, nestled in the volcanic hillside in the Aola-Amity Hills, will want to raise a glass to this estate’s distinguished Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays that express the five surrounding estate vineyards that range in elevation from 200 to 800 feet and are planted on a patchwork of volcanic soils.
There’s much to explore and even more to experience on the property as they offer everything from seated seasonal tasting with scenic views to immersive vineyard tours where you’ll learn all about Cristom’s 100-year commitment to the land and its stewardship and craftsmanship.
Cória Estates
8252 Redstone Avenue SE, Salem
503.363.0525
Mexican-American family-owned, female-owned and operated vineyard, winery, and tasting room, Cória Estates, has been growing award-winning Pinot Noir for over 20 years. The story of their estate begins with that of Luis Coria, his wife Janice, and two young girls. The family purchased their first piece of property, a small nine-acre parcel, which became the family home and later the original site of the family vineyard, in 1988.
From there, roots grew, and in the winter of 1999, they planted their first Pino Noir and Pinot Gris vines. These days, Luis and Janice manage the thriving vineyard and winery while their youngest daughter, Aurora, has become the family’s expert winemaker, and the eldest daughter, Elizabeth, runs things in the tasting room.
Redhawk Vineyard & Winery
2995 Michigan City Lane NW, Salem
503.362.1596
Family-owned and operated by John and Betty Pataccoli, Redhawk Vineyard and Winery began in 1988 and has since become well-known for producing the valued price Pinot Noir, Grateful Red.
Having undergone extensive remodeling upon the couple’s purchase of the vineyard in the summer of 2005, immaculate improvements to the infrastructure and the vineyard’s health are pretty evident in the quality of their wines. Not to mention their fun and informal tasting room, coupled with the ever-changing view of the mountains and the valley, has created a gathering place for regulars and newcomers alike as they sip the nectars that could rival that of the gods that are a fruit of the couple’s passion and love to their craft.
West Hills Vineyards
4785 Salem Dallas Hwy NW, Salem
503.383.9058
More than just another winery, West Hills Vineyards is a historical gathering place on the grounds of the home of the 18th Governor of Oregon, I. L. Patterson. Over the years, this modest 1800s homestead transformed into a large family farm stretching over 300 acres. The 1886 farmhouse still stands next to the vineyard’s tasting room today, and they have since taken on the challenge of restoring the Governor’s Villa and breathing new life into the soil to bring the property back to its former splendor.
With these breaths of new life into the fields comes the vineyard’s mission to grow grapes with generative practices so that they, too, may restore and breathe new life into fields that were once over-farmed and neglected for many years. The end result is a robust creation of fragrant flavors that can be enjoyed in the vineyard’s tasting room with a chef-prepared seasonal menu to pair it with.
It seems world-class wine really is just around the vine here in Salem, and with so many prestigious wineries in the region, you could say it’s a “grape” place to be for wine connoisseurs.
