Rolling hills, laidback locals and killer pinot: we took a trip through Oregon’s lush Willamette Valley and found plenty to love.
Located about an hour’s drive from Portland in the iconic Pacific Northwest region, the Willamette Valley is the beating heart of Oregon’s wine country.
When we visited the region for the first time earlier this year, on the tail end of a hectic trip through California, the valley and its people instantly put us at ease. Maybe it was fresh air, maybe it was the slow pace, maybe it was all those hugs we got from winemakers. Whatever it was, our arrival in the Willamette Valley came with an unspoken but profoundly compelling invitation: to let go and just breathe.