Sunrise view from EIEIO Wines
Sunrise view from EIEIO Wines

Tasting rooms are scattered throughout the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, but only a few are farther west than the town of Carlton. We recommend staying in Carlton so you can spend a day touring these wineries off of NW Meadowlake Rd, which leads west toward the Tillamook State Forest.

EIEIO Wines is only open on the weekend, but the adorable cottage you’ll taste in is worth every second of the drive. When it’s nice out, taste outside at the top of the vineyards with an available firepit and 180° views. Founded by Jay McDonald in 1998 (see what he did there?), EIEIO produces award-winning vineyard designate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Only four minutes away on Meadowlake Road, Résonance Wines has another world-class view of the valley below from their modern tasting room and huge patio. Burgundian legend Maison Louis Jadot saw the opportunity for the Willamette Valley to produce Pinot Noir, and purchased the estate and started Résonance. Most of the wines are single vineyard wines, concentrating on a natural expression of their Yamhill-Carlton soils and multigenerational Burgundian heritage.

You can catch Chris James Cellars at their tasting room in McMinnville all year round, but for beautiful hillside views at a tasting room nestled in the vineyards, visit their estate tasting room just ten minutes from Résonance, open March through November. Here you’re circled in the estate vineyard and the privacy and quiet are unmatched.

Sylvanus Estate is a reservation-only visit, but they do have a beautiful AirBNB on the property. If you’d like to stay in a vineyard cottage (and who wouldn’t), check this one out! Stay at the vineyard and book an extended visit with a tasting and vineyard tour.

At Carlton Hill Vineyard, tastings are private and personal with the owner in an historic barn. Winemaker David Polite wants to let each vintage show its true characteristics, so his winemaking philosophy is to do the same vinification regimen for Pinot Noir each year. All wines are structured for cellaring, and the unique differences between vintage show beautifully with a few years of age. Like many of the wineries in Yamhill-Carlton, you’ll need to make an appointment in advance. Reserve your place today.