We recently spent a long weekend out in Oregon and can’t recommend a trip to the state more. We’ll have other travel guides on Portland later on the blog, so check back, but our first stop of the trip was Willamette Valley, or Oregon’s answer to Napa Valley.
Willamette is absolutely beautiful, but not as built up as other wine regions. There is less of the infrastructure than what you would find in a Napa or Sonoma, etc. There aren’t any chain hotels or anything along those lines. We stayed at Willamette’s Youngberg Hill Estate, which is a working winery and five-star bed and breakfast and it was the perfect way to kick off our trip to Oregon.
The best way to describe Youngberg is charming. The home is set atop a hill with the best views of wine country that you can get in Willamette.
One of my favorite daily activities while we were there was getting up early and grabbing a cup of coffee to bring out to their massive wrap around wooden deck to take in the views of the valley and all of the life on the farm waking up.
Our room was super spacious and even had a fireplace and enormous king bed and beautiful walk-in closet to hang our clothes. The Inn has nine rooms total, each with a different feel. Dates back to 1989 and is family-run.
After my morning little ritual of sorts, we would go get ready for the day and have a wonderful breakfast in the dining room. The breakfast each morning was just beyond great. Our first day, they made us yogurt parfaits with freshly-made granola followed by the most delicious lemon pancakes. The breakfast was as good as a meal that you would have at a five-star restaurant and just charming. They also leave homemade chocolate chip cookies in a cookie jar at all times should you want to indulge. It’s just the most perfect start to the day since most people fill up their dance cards with wine tastings throughout the valley (more on that in a separate post).
Speaking of tastings, Youngberg has its own wines produced from grapes on its grounds. Included in our room cost was a tasting for the two of us on their beautiful deck. We sampled about 8 different wines, both reds and whites, while taking in the most bucolic scene.
Oregon is known for Pinot Noir, and Youngberg’s was delicious (They had several different pinots we loved trying, especially the Jordan, which was our favorite). But, we were also so impressed with some of their other varieties, especially their white wines. Their Aspen chardonnay, for example, was absolutely delicious. Better yet, the two women who gave us our tastings were so well educated on each wine, the production of it as well as the property’s approach to wine making. It was akin to getting a private wine class. Many of the wines are named after the family’s daughters and are also the names of the blocks of grapes on the property. A tasting at Youngberg is the perfect way to set the tone for the rest of your day, and is such a beautiful setting.
We loved walking the grounds at Youngberg, which is set at the top of a hill. We walked through their vineyard looking at the methodical rows of grapes and explored the grounds, which had grazing cows, which was such a treat for a city girl like me. The cows are functional — their manure is used in the biodynamic wine production, we learned. I can’t stress how Instagrammable the entire estate is.
We missed it, but on Wednesday nights the vineyard has a real treat for visitors. There is a live band and party of sorts that looks just delightful.
Overall, Youngberg is truly a five-star stay in the most beautiful of settings. From the staff’s warm welcome and cozy arrangements to their delicious wine and unbeatable views, we can’t think of a better way to spend time in Willamette Valley.
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