REX HILL in Newberg has been making wine for more than 40 years. It sits near the north end of the Willamette Valley, about 20 miles southwest of downtown Portland — close to the city while still feeling like you’re in the country.
While you can book a traditional wine tasting here, the reservation-only Somm’s Table experience pairs pours with a multi-course menu from under the expert guidance of a sommelier. Whether you’re an experienced wine enthusiast or just curious, it’s the perfect format for learning more about Oregon wine, how it pairs with food and why the Willamette Valley is so special. With my table booked, I headed out to REX HILL on a Sunday afternoon with a fellow wine-obsessed friend, excited for the experience we had in store.
Sip Bubbles and Enjoy Bites With Vineyard Vistas
As we turned off Oregon Route 99W onto REX HILL’s driveway, rows of grapevines dotted with yellow wildflowers greeted us at one turn. At the next, the patio sat as a welcoming sunny-day refuge, complete with a balcony offering sweeping views. Inside the tasting room, hospitality lead Jonathan Lampe greeted us with glasses of REX HILL’s 2018 Blanc de Blancs sparkling chardonnay, filled with vibrant acidity and a bit of creaminess. We sat at a table right by one of the tasting room’s floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing right at the REX HILL Estate vineyard. Our first bite arrived: a crisp slice of cucumber, topped with scallop and cured trout roe that popped in our mouths with salty bursts.
It was an apt introduction to the luxe yet lively feel of the Somm’s Table. Lampe swooped back to our table holding a bottle of 2019 chardonnay from REX HILL’s Jacob-Hart Estate Vineyard, named after REX HILL’s founders, Jan Jacobsen and Paul Hart. He explained how it was aged in oak barrels, giving it a creamy lemon curd flavor. That pour was paired with wild sockeye salmon, topped with beets and sided by a tangy horseradish crema that we swiped every last drop of.
Experience Oregon Wine Through Place and Time
Before delving into REX HILL’s storied pinot noirs, Lampe gave us a peek into the winery’s history. In 1982 Paul Hart, a wine hound who worked in insurance, was driving back from a wine tasting in McMinnville when he spotted a “For Sale” sign on the 38-acre property that was once home to a hazelnut farm. The property had just hit the market that day, and he purchased it immediately. The first vines were planted by Paul and Jan’s friends, and plates with their names mark those rows today.
In 2007 REX HILL was purchased by A to Z Wineworks, one of Oregon’s largest wineries. But REX HILL became even more exclusive, shrinking its production from about 40,000 cases per year to 10,000. Today REX HILL acts as A to Z Wineworks’ boutique label, showcasing primarily single-vineyard wines that are farmed using sustainable, organic and biodynamic principles.
Taste Pinots With a Point of View
Lampe poured two pinots for a side-by-side tasting, each from different vintage years and vineyard sites. One from a hotter year was full of blueberry and plum notes, while the cooler vintage was more acidic, balancing flavors of cherry and mushroom. Both were smart pairings for perfectly juicy pork tenderloin from local Carlton Farms topped with charred wild mushrooms.
Then even more pinots entered the fray. The 2015 REX HILL Reserve was a bold, personality-filled wine full of black-cherry flavor, while the 2019 REX HILL Benchrock, made from select rows of the Jacob-Hart Estate Vineyard — the best of the best — was delicate with layers of complexity. The latter is particularly special because 2019 was the last vintage made from those rows before the old vines were replanted. They were served with a short-rib tostada served atop truffled white-bean puree, a delight of crunchy corn tortilla paired with tender beef.
Lampe summed up the REX HILL ‘s executive winemaker Michael Davies’ mindset like this: “They have no preconceived notions about what things will be.” It’s all about what the vintage and the site have to say. And believe me: There’s plenty.
If You Go
The Somm’s Table is offered Thursday through Sunday, and the experience can accommodate groups of up to eight. Reservations are required — book online.
