McMinnville tends to miss out when it comes to wine country visits*, being a bit further from Newberg and the wineries around Dundee. It’s a great place to go tasting, though—pretty much all the tasting rooms are within walking distance of each other, with the streets of historic McMinnville providing a pleasant back drop. The city has recently launched a Wine Walk Passport to help promote local wineries; in all, 20 are highlighted, including the likes of Eola Hills, Eyrie and Westrey, which alone are worth the drive. Keen tasters who receive upwards of 10 stamps in their passport start to accumulate prizes (such as a tasting journal and wine glass), though that might require more than a single visit (on a recent tour I only managed to get round four in an afternoon). McMinnville is a good spot to spend the night if you want to put in a tasting session over a couple of days (or get too tipsy so you can’t drive back), with a choice of restaurants, bars, distilleries and breweries (should you be done with fermented grape drinking). For accommodation, there’s the historically charming Oregon Hotel situated downtown, which offers characterful rooms and a congenial roof-top bar.
*This is based on personal experience and has nothing to do with official statistics.

www.visitmcminnville.com
mcmenamins.com/HotelOregon

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