Central Oregon is a surprisingly great place to get to know Oregon wine. Winemakers from across the state have opened satellite tasting rooms in Bend that encourage drop-ins and have a community vibe. A few intrepid winegrowers are even harnessing the potential of this unique high-desert terroir and other winegrowing areas to make wines unlike anywhere else. Add in a growing community of great wine bars and bottle shops, and you’ve got everything it takes for a high-desert wine getaway. Here’s where to savor a glass of wine with friends or purchase your favorite bottles in Central Oregon.
Have a Wine Dinner and Do a Blind Tasting in Downtown Bend
The Willamette Valley may be a few hours to the west, but you can experience what makes this wine so special at Willamette Valley Vineyards’ Bend Tasting Room & Restaurant. There’s no need for reservations here — just pop in, grab a seat and let the staff guide you through a seated tasting or suggest pairings from the food menu, like plank-roasted lemongrass salmon with chardonnay or pinot noir with saffron risotto.
A couple of blocks away is Amaterra Kitchen + Social Club, another outpost of a Willamette Valley producer. Make a reservation for a luxe paired lunch or dinner to taste wines made from fruit grown in several different Oregon regions, alongside Northwest-inspired fare like oysters on the half-shell or scallops with charred leeks and pickled shimeji mushrooms. The experience is only for members, but anyone can become a member for a one-time fee of $25, which can be applied to purchases of two or more bottles.
In the mood to geek out? Head for wine bar and bottle shop FERM & fare and let owner and advanced sommelier Dave Bodi guide you through a flight of the day or suggest glass pours from an eclectic selection of both wines and their fortified cousins — vermouths and aperitifs. There’s even a blind tasting flight on Thursdays if you’d like to have fun and test your knowledge. Then head for Good Drop Wine Shoppe to stock up on bottles for holiday dinners, including hard-to-find pinot noirs from boutique Oregon producers.
Taste Walla Walla Reds and Willamette Pinot in the Old Mill District
Bend’s Va Piano Vineyards grows grapes in the Walla Walla American Viticultural Area, which straddles Oregon’s northern border in the eastern part of the state. It’s hot and dry in summer and icy cold in winter, producing big-bodied reds like syrah, merlot and cabernet. Head for Va Piano’s Bend Tasting Room in the Old Mill District to try a flight or share a bottle with friends.
In Bend’sBox Factory — which once manufactured wooden crates but now houses a thriving community of makers, artisans and retailers — you can visit three different wine businesses under a single roof. Stoller Wine Bar offers glasses, flights and bottles featuring Willamette Valley fruit alongside cheese and charcuterie plates.
Also nearby you’ll find Bend’s only urban winery, the cozy Elixir Wine Group & Ermisch Cellars, with open mic nights and guest chef events. Visitors sample wines made from Willamette Valley and other Oregon grapes, as well as offerings from owner Kirk Ermisch’s winery in Argentina and around the globe. Bend Wine Bar serves wines made at sister business The Winery at Manzanita on the Oregon Coast. There’s a huge variety on offer here, from cabernet franc to white pinot noir, all adorned with labels depicting the owners’ black lab, Pinot.
Visit Vineyards With Mountain Views
A rugged climate hasn’t deterred a handful of intrepid local vintners from planting vineyards in the high desert. In Terrebonne, about 30 miles north of Bend, is Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards, named for the peaks of the Three Sisters, visible from the winery tasting room. Make a reservation to taste a flight of wines made from unusual varieties like marechal foch, frontenac gris, grenache and marquette, or check the event calendar for live music, farmers markets, winemaker dinners and other events.
Inspired by the owners’ Greek heritage, Maragas Winery in Culver specializes in long-aged wines that spend two to eight years in the barrel before they’re bottled. In Central Oregon’s famously dry climate, that’s a long time for wines to evaporate and concentrate, which results in deliciously bold wines made from varieties like petit sirah, cabernet franc and tempranillo. Grab a spot inside at the tasting room or settle into a table or Adirondack chair on the patio for peaceful views to accompany your pours.
