The Heart of the Willamette Valley: McMinnville

You know you have arrived when the New York Times makes you the centerpiece of an article. McMinnville had this honor last week when the Frugal Traveler did just that. Entitled, “Sip Oregon Wine Country, No Driving Required”, McMinnville was highlighted as the rare wine region accessible by public transit from the city center and the Portland airport.1 Though reachable by car in a little over an hour, it will take double the time to arrive first by light rail (Trimet Max line) to Hillsboro, then by the Yamhill County transit bus. From the McMinnville transit center, it’s an easy 4 block walk to the center of this town of 35,000 where several hotels from the premium Atticus Hotel to the more affordable Hotel Oregon are available for wine country visitors.

15+ tasting rooms reside within downtown McMinnville, with another 250+ within a 20 minute drive—plenty to sate the average wine enthusiast, and walking between stops eliminates the hazards of drinking and driving. 

You may be wondering why I would be promoting a walking wine tasting tour since my business is driving tour guests to scenic wineries. Well, I believe the more access the better! Since we pick up in McMinnville, I would encourage guests to stay an extra day or two to visit those easy to access tasting rooms on their own. Our tours specialize in boutique wineries which combine amazing views, great wines and knowledgeable, friendly staff, which often include owners/winemakers. The tasting rooms in McMinnville represent wineries which are remote or don’t have facilities at their vineyards for an on-site experience. What McMinnville can’t offer are the scenic valley views that we can reach via van but visitors can fit in more tastings in a day plus walkable restaurants, shops, coffee houses.