Best Willamette Valley Winery | Traveler’s Choice Award

October 10, 2023

Best Winery in Willamette Valley

The results are in, the best Willamette Valley winery of 2023 according to our travelers is Domaine Divio!

With the high season of tourism over for 2023, it’s time to release the result of our traveler’s choice award for this year and we are proud that one of our favorites, Domaine Divio, was also rated by our guests to be their favorite overall winery experience based on wines, people, location and overall experience.

Oregon wine by essence; Burgundian by style. – Domaine Divio Slogan

As we take our clients to various wineries in the valley, we keep track of their favorite experience. We then tabulate the number of #1 responses based on the number of times we took clients to that winery to find the one with the highest rating percentage. Thus, the best winery of Willamette Valley according to our travelers!

A big shoutout to Bruno, Isabelle, Sara, Jacob, Steve, Hannah, Calais and the rest of the team at Divio. You made our guests feel welcome and helped them create lasting memories of their Willamette Valley vacations!

All About Domaine Divio

Domaine Divio, which is nestled on the dividing line between the Ribbon Ridge AVA and the Chehalem Mountains AVA and has views reminiscent of the French countryside, was founded by fourth generation French winemaker Bruno Corneaux and Isabelle Corneaux.

Domaine Divio is known for its award winning Chardonnay’s, which have been featured extensively in the Wine Enthusiast magazine.

Bruno’s wines also extend to an AVA series showcasing the terroir of many of the valley’s premier AVA’s as well as a number of exquisite single vineyard bottlings.

The wine offering at Domaine Divio is rounded out by one of Willamette Valley’s best
Rosé wines, a fantastic Pinot Grigio (named in the French, Pinot Beurot at Domaine Divio), and a Sparkling Brut Rosé, Sparkling Blanc de Blanc and Sparkling Blanc de Noir.

“If I had stayed in Burgundy to make wine, I would be boarding a train that was already in motion. Here in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, I’m helping lay down the tracks.”– Bruno Corneaux, Winemaker and Proprietor

Domaine Divio excels at offering premium wines at reasonable prices and two of their wine club levels offer 20% discount on wines–making it one of our highest rated wine clubs in Willamette Valley.

If you want to enjoy the Adirondack chairs in the summer sun or sit by their wood burning fireplace in winter, you won’t be disappointed in your visit to this charming boutique winery that is our customers’ pick in 2023 for best winery in Willamette Valley.

Honorable Mentions: Best Willamette Wineries

Elevee

Husband and wife team, Tom and France Fitzpatrick, have created a wonderful secret garden spot in the heart of the Dundee Hills where they introduce clients to their terroir driven wines.

Tom and France, also known as two of the kindest people in the valley, host groups personally in their enchanting backyard garden or, during winter, in their small tasting room.

Make sure to look forward to France’s homemade after-tasting ice cream or cakes and Tom’s passion for exploring the soils of Willamette Valley drawing on his experience making wines in Australia, Burgundy, Napa, and Willamette Valley.

Elevee is one of our customer favorites for everything above as well as the intimacy of a very small boutique winery with world-class wines offered at affordable prices. Elevee is one of our best wineries in Willamette Valley selections as chosen by our clients.

Average production: 1,500 cases

Winderlea

Owner’s Donna Morris and Bill Sweat purchased their pristine vineyard in the Dundee Hills AVA in 2006. The vineyard, originally planted in 1974 and called “The Dundee Hills Vineyard,” boasts amazing views as well as changes in elevation that make its fruit some of the most sought after in the valley.

The Winderlea Tasting Room, built in 2008, is in a modern minimalist style with glass all the way around and two large glass garage doors that open in the summer onto the deck with some of the best views in the valley.

This is the place to go if you want Burgundian wines grown organically and farmed biodynamically with sustainability considered at every step.

Look for DeAnna, Staci, Theresa, Scott, Allison, George, Erick and others in the tasting room. They are some of the most hospitable and educational tasting room ambassadors in the industry, which goes a long way toward making this one of the winery of the year selections.

Average production: 6,500 cases

Shea Wine Cellars

What more can you say about an award-winning vineyard ranked by many as one of the most famous vineyards in the world with the most sought after fruit in Willamette Valley making some of their own wine and selling it on property?

Shea’s wine’s are crafted with extreme care and showcase the different blocks and Pinot clones from their 290 acre vineyard site with 155 acres under vine.

Dan Lerma, the tasting room manager and host, ranked in the top three of our traveler’s “favorite tasting room hosts” this year and is the fun uncle everyone wished they had. Dan’s way of translating his passion for wine into a fun and educational tasting is unique.

If you want to say you’ve been to “Shea” and taste some of the best Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley and one of this year’s best wineries, make sure to add this winery to your list!

Average production: 5,000 cases

Beaux Freres Vineyards

Beaux Freres Vineyards shows up on our list as one of the storied wineries in the Willamette Valley. Originally purchased in the late 1980s by Mike Etzel, this maker of extremely high-end and sought after Pinot Noir is now in the hands of Mike’s second son, Mikey Etzel, who serves as CEO and head winemaker.

Beaux Freres never changed the look and feel of its original “Pig Farm” days and our clients are enchanted by the beauty of the rustic and authentic feel along with the sense that EVERY PENNY goes into making the best wine they possibly can.

Come visit Beaux Freres and taste the wine from their Beaux Freres estate vineyard, which ranked #3 in the world in 2016 and #8 in the world in 2020 according to Wine Spectator’s annual Top 100 Wines of the World.

When hosted by Jillian, the tasting room manager, or any of their highly skilled and knowledgable hospitality team, be prepared to be greeted by vineyard dogs or Mikey’s children who sometimes roam the property!

Beaux Freres is not only the winery that turned me into a Pinot Noir enthusiast, but it is also one of this year’s selections for “Willamette Valley best winery.”

Annual production: 10,000 cases

Willamette Valley Tour Season Recap

2023 was a warm year in the Willamette Valley after a cold spring and late bud break. With it’s warm sunny days it made touring a delight and gave visitors to the Willamette Valley plenty to choose from in picking their top winery of Willamette Valley selection.

As we always say and our clients agree, however, there is no bad winery or bad glass of wine in the Willamette Valley – only some you might like better at that point in time.

Book your tour to see the best of Willamette Valley – including Domaine Divio and many of our other favorite wineries!