For many Oregonians, the best part of the holiday season is the chance to cozy up with loved ones for a delicious meal paired with a glass of Oregon wine. Sharing Oregon wine as a gift makes it possible to keep those good feelings going year-round. From curated wine bundles that will look perfect under the tree to gift cards for friends near and far, here are some ideas for Oregon wine gifts worth toasting to.
Exceptional Wines: Curated Bottles & Holiday Packs
Many wineries across the state sell holiday packages designed with gifting in mind. For fans of warmer-climate varieties, Ashland’s Resistance Wine Company offers a curated holiday bundle featuring its award-winning 2019 malbec and 2019 syrah, plus a bottle of Wingman 2022 syrah that’s perfect for mulling (a recipe is included). Forest Grove’s Apollini Vineyards has a huge selection of gift packs, including a chardonnay-only option and an “Italian Getaway” three-pack of pinot grigio, rosato and sangiovese.
In Dallas Van Duzer Vineyards offers a range of duos and three-packs, including a Holiday Harmony package, which pairs two bottles of estate wines with a six-piece box of wine-infused truffles crafted by Independence chocolatier Melting Pot Candy. Dayton’s celebrated Remy Wines has holiday offerings that include a celebration gift pack, which pairs a bottle of port-style Beneficio with two different bottles of bubbly. For serious sparkling aficionados (or anyone prepping for a New Year’s Eve celebration), Corollary Wines showcases some of its finest bubbles in 1.5-liter magnum bottles.
For a gift that gives back, purchase a charity three-pack of all red or red, white and sparkling wine from the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. Proceeds support Ahivoy, a nonprofit providing career-advancement opportunities to Latinx vineyard workers. Participating wineries include Abbott Claim, Résonance and Soter Vineyards. McCollum Heritage 91 and Adelsheim have also joined forces to each create a barrel (25 cases) of special-edition wine, available only in six-packs consisting of three bottles from each producer. All proceeds benefit the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Foundation.
Unique Wine Experiences: The Gift of Adventure
For loved ones who enjoy getting out and exploring, consider a gift that blends wine tasting with a day of adventure, whether trying your hand at sabering at Domaine Willamette or taking a deep dive into winemaking at Brooks University. Cyclists can take a guided bicycle trip through the bucolic Chehalem Valley with Wine De Roads, stopping at boutique wineries along the way. Equine enthusiasts can hop aboard a smooth-gaited Tennessee walking horse and visit some of the top wineries in the Red Hills of Dundee with Equestrian Wine Tours. For those who prefer leaving the navigating to someone else, consider the gift of a wine tour in a 1945 Chevy school bus with The Vintage Tour Bus Co. Choose from wine-tour options in the Willamette Valley and the Hood River Valley, including a special springtime tour that pairs wine tasting with a stroll among the colorful wildflowers of the Rowena Plateau.
Hikers can also visit Newberg-based Sealionne Wines for a half-day vineyard hike and Earth Series tasting led by the winemaker, capped with a seasonal lunch in the vines and taste of their new sparkling wine. Pick up a holiday three-pack in a festive, ready-to-go gift box with their top pinot, chardonnay and rose, plus a chardonnay-infused finishing salt.
Gift Cards: Flexible and Thoughtful
Can’t choose what to get the wine lovers in your life? Consider gift cards instead. They’re available at wineries all over the state, including Three Feathers Estate in the Willamette Valley and Central Oregon’s Faith Hope & Charity VIneyards. Southern Oregon’s Anchor Valley sells gift cards in denominations as low as $10, great for gifting without breaking the bank, while Hood River’s Hiyu Wine Farm offers gift cards for its multicourse lunch and dinner tasting experiences and its Understory wine club. For those who love pampering as much as they love wine, consider a gift card to Portland’s Wine Spa, which offers massages, facials and vinotherapy soaks.
Wine Club Memberships: A Gift That Keeps Giving
For a present that will last the entire year, give a wine club membership. Wine clubs typically offer special members-only perks that range from fee-free tasting to access to special library vintages, along with curated wine shipments and members-only events. Carlton-based Ghost Hill Cellars Wine Club has a variety of membership programs, all of which include reciprocal perks at Utopia and Clos Griotte (the trio has also launched a three-vineyard, three-AVA pinot noir under the Fellowship name).
For a flexible gift membership, Evening Land Vineyards in the Eola-Amity Hills has one- and two-year options along with six-bottle gift memberships. In the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater, Rotie Cellars provides six- and 12-bottle options to its members, known as Rotiesians. In the Gorge, Analemma Wines offers a variety of membership tiers that include free cherry and lavender picking at its biodynamic U-pick farm. While many wineries send out batches of six or 12 bottles at a time, Southern Oregon’s Kriselle Cellars has a three-bottle club, an ideal introduction to the wine club experience.
Want to assemble your own special mixed case of Oregon wines to take home with you? The Oregon Wines Fly Free program offers a free checked case on Alaska Airlines flights for mileage plan members.
