What’s better than sipping a crisp rose with views of meadows, vineyards and wildflowers? It’s a favorite experience for many wine lovers in Oregon each May. Each spring, visitors can book tickets to the annual two-day AAPI Food and Wine Festival, which returns to the Willamette Valley during AAPI Heritage Month and Oregon Wine Month in May. It’s been so popular, it’s expanded with a tour to New York City in March.
The festival is different from all others in Oregon since historically, the AAPI (Asian and Pacific Islander) community has not been represented in a big way in winery ownership in Oregon — in large part because immigrants haven’t grown up enjoying wine tasting as a pastime. So says Lois Cho, co-founder of CHO Wines, along with her husband, Dave, in 2024, becoming the first-known Korean-American winemakers in Oregon.
“A lot of time AAPI folks don’t feel comfortable drinking wine because their parents didn’t drink wine – they were too busy working their butts off, or working in the fields,” Lois says. “Young people are situated where we are now, lucky enough to be able to take advantage of the sacrifices they made for us.”
Shortly after opening the winery at scenic Bald Peak in the Chehalem Valley, the Chos rallied their friends in the food and drink industry to showcase the best of their community, and the AAPI Food and Wine Festival was born. Here’s how to get into the new wave of wine tasting led by AAPI pioneers in Oregon.
All-Star Chef and Winemaker Lineup
At the AAPI Food and Wine festival in McMinnville, nearly two dozen AAPI-owned restaurants, wineries and a mobile cocktail bar will be curating bites, with a special opportunity to access a VIP experience by award-winning chefs Peter Cho and Carlo Lamagna, paired with sparkling wine.
The all-star lineup of Oregon restaurants changes each year, recently including chefs from: Chochu Local Island BBQ, Obon Shokudo, Oma’s Hideaway, Oyatsupan, Memoire Ca Phe, The Soop, Annam VL, Golden Triangle, Kau Kau, Phaya Thai, Sugarpine Drive-In and Toya Ramen.
Esteemed wineries and winemakers that have participated include Alexana Winery, Hundred Suns Wine, Junichi Fujita, Nash Vineyards, Kristof Farms, Et Filles, Evening Land, Landmass Wines, Shiba Wichern Cellars and CHO Wines.
Check the website for the current lineup, as well as ticket details and shuttle transportation. Know that 10% of ticket sales goes to beneficiaries Safe Route Immigration and APANO.
The festival is a nonprofit created to celebrate the diverse wine and culinary scene that makes the Pacific Northwest, particularly Oregon, so unique. The mission is to uplift AAPI food and wine businesses, promote diversity, educate the public regarding unconventional food and wine pairings, and support like-minded organizations.
Sip, Nibble and Adopt a Vine
A dream a decade in the making, the modern indoor/outdoor tasting room at CHO Wines sits on 77 acres of land just north of Newberg, in the rolling farmland south of Hillsboro and about 25 miles west of Portland. The letters in their name are capitalized to signify the essential winemaking elements of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
The site is home to a combination of diverse soil types including basalt and Jory in the high elevation and marine sedimentary soil in the lower elevation. So far they’ve planted 8.5 acres of pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot gris, and also partner with 10 growers throughout the Willamette Valley and the Rocks District AVA of Milton-Freewater in Eastern Oregon for their unique wine blends.
While Dave and Lois Cho rely on their vineyard team for the field work, they run everyday operations at the winery and have designed and built the operation from the ground up – including everything from preparing the paired snacks and designing their own wine labels. Their three young children often pitch in to help.
Enjoy Oregon Wine Month Across the State
It’s just one of many events that will be happening all month long throughout Oregon. There will be food pairings, live music, discounts and benefits supporting great causes culminating in a Memorial Day Weekend finale at tasting rooms in all corners of the state.
Here are five more ways to support the industry and join the fun:
- Watch a recent Oregon wine film to inspire your trip.
- Order an Oregon wine license plate.
- Pick up a gift for Mother’s Day (May), Father’s Day (June), weddings and anniversaries.
- Feel good about your dollars. Forty percent of Oregon’s vineyards are certified sustainable, the most of any major U.S. winegrowing region. Look for these sustainability indicators on the bottle of your favorite Oregon wine: LIVE Certified Sustainable, Salmon Safe, Demeter Certified Biodynamic, USDA Organic.
- Enter to win an Oregon wine sweepstakes.
Wherever you go, know that Oregon wines fly free on Alaska Airlines for mileage plan members from specified Oregon locations, so you can take a bottle of Oregon wine country home with you.
