Just as there’s more to Oregon wine than pinot noir, there are plenty of small towns in the Willamette Valley that are well worth adding to your itinerary. Many visitors stop in Dayton just for its wineries, which are some of the best in the Willamette Valley — but its historic downtown, top-tier restaurants and recent wave of new food, drink and lodging openings have brought all eyes on Dayton as an up-and-coming destination in its own right. Here’s how to make this growing community just 33 miles southwest of Portland your base camp for a wine adventure.
Day 1: Downtown Dayton and a Classic Winery
Start your tasting day at the legendary Stoller Family Estate. In 1995 Bill Stoller planted pinot noir and chardonnay on the land where his family used to raise turkeys. Now it’s one of Oregon’s biggest and most sustainable wineries. Stoller’s classic tasting, available by reservation or walk-in, features all estate-grown wines, including several pinots and a chardonnay.
Then stop at Branch Point Distillery, which produces grain-to-glass whiskey with locally grown wheat and barley. Many are finished in unique barrels, from muscat wine to sweet sherry. Book a whiskey or cocktail flight, or upgrade to a barrel-room tasting that includes reserve selections.
Next check out downtown’s Courthouse Square Park, an expansive central square with an 1856 fort, a WWII cannon, a picnic area and a playground. If you’re visiting in summer, you might be able to catch a free live show as part of the Friday Nights concert series. From there, take a self-guided tour of Dayton’s historic buildings using this interactive map to guide you.
For dinner stop at The Bay House, a beloved seafood restaurant that was located on the Oregon Coast for 45 years and then moved to an 1886 brick-walled Dayton church in 2025. Call for reservations, and don’t skip the wine pairing.
When it’s time to tuck in for the night, you’ve got options. Book one of 12 rooms at The Inn at Dayton, a historic building turned guesthouse that opened in June 2025. For a cozy experience, stay in a retro RV at The Vintages, where you can choose from old-school digs like a 1941 Shasta or a 1999 Airstream. The property includes a seasonal pool and cruiser bikes to ride around the grounds and along the path into downtown.
Day 2: A Trio of Tastings
Start with breakfast or lunch at Juanita’s Cafe y Neveria, where you’ll find everything from fresh juices and espresso drinks you thought only possible in your dreams (a Snickers latte!) to breakfast burritos, tacos on handmade tortillas and chicken mole. There’s also pozole and menudo on weekends.
Start tasting downtown at Seufert Winery, which specializes in single-vineyard pinot noir. For a real sense of what makes the Willamette Valley’s many winegrowing regions different, book the Taste of Terroir Trio, complete with pairing bites. Then pop in next door to Soirée, a shop selling home goods, gifts and vintage wares.
Next head to Domaine Drouhin for French-style pinot. Maison Joseph Drouhin was founded in Burgundy, France, in 1880; the family opened Domaine Drouhin here in 1987. Several different tasting experiences are available, including some that show the terroir of the Dundee Hills versus Eola-Amity and others that pour Willamette Valley wines next to Burgundy offerings.
Finally, head to Durant Vineyards, where you can book a tasting of estate wines, tour an olive grove and taste cool-climate olive oil from Oregon’s only commercial olive mill. Afterward, walk the 1-mile Durant Nature Trail, open spring through fall, and check out the lavender fields and garden shop.
That evening, make reservations for dinner at The Joel Palmer House Restaurant. Located in the historic home of one of Dayton’s founders, this fine-dining destination is a haven for wild-mushroom lovers, from a strawberry and candy-cap mushroom salad dressing to sturgeon with chanterelles and peas. Go for the five-course tasting menu or an indulgent 10-course Oregon omakase that includes a forest-inspired, mycological-themed dessert board.
Day 3: Brunch and Bubbles
Begin with brunch at Loam downtown right on Courthouse Square Park. Along with classics like French toast and pancakes, the menu features house-smoked brisket sandwiches and pasture-raised lamb burgers.
Then take a quick walk to Dayton Landing County Park, a launch point for canoes, kayaks and small watercraft. Even if you don’t head out onto the water, it’s a great spot for getting an up-close look at the Yamhill River as you walk across the newly renovated footbridge.
Next head to Remy Wines, just a few minutes from Dayton. Owner and winemaker Remy Drabkin is a local icon. Born and raised in McMinnville, she decided to become a winemaker when she was 8 and recently served as McMinnville’s first woman and first queer mayor. Remy Wines specializes in a little-known variety, lagrein, originally from Northern Italy, but Drabkin also uses other Italian grapes like nebbiolo and dolcetto. You’ll also find traditional-method sparkling wine and bubbly rosé.
Nearby, the RAW Cider Co. tasting room opened in 2024. All of its ciders are made from fruit grown in the Pacific Northwest, including Columbia Gorge grapes and pears made into a sparkling co-ferment and estate-grown bittersweet French apples made into cider. Book patio or tasting-room seating online before you arrive.
