The Willamette Valley is a huge and varied appellation that includes three sub-appellations, McMinnville, Dundee Hills and Yamhill Carlton. Three additional sub-appellations, Ribbon Ridge, Chehalem Mountains and Eola Hills have been proposed.

Buffered from Pacific storms on the west by the Coast Range, the valley follows the Willamette River north to south for more than a hundred miles from the Columbia River near Portland to just south of Eugene. To the east, the Cascade Ranges draws the boundary between the Willamette Valley’s misty, cool climate and the drier, more extreme climate of eastern Oregon

Just minutes away from the Century Hotel in Yamhill County, is the Heart of Oregon Wine Country, and Rex Hills Vineyards.

Paul Hart and Jan Jacobsen established Rex Hill Vineyards in 1982. Since then, Rex Hill has consistently produced and been honored for top-quality Pinots, including many Reserve and single vineyard bottlings. Currently the winery manages more than 225 acres of prime vineyard land in the North Willamette Valley , including holdings in the premier growing region of the Dundee Hills and the Chehalem Mountains. The focus of Rex Hill is Pinot Noir with smaller productions of Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.

Chehalem (chuh-HAY-lum), a Native American word translated as "valley of flowers" rolls off your tongue like a mantra. Intense, hand-crafted Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Chardonnay, tiny amounts of a bone-dry Riesling and a red blend called Cerise, are "hard to find, hard to forget." Made in small quantities, the wines honor our three vineyards, Stoller, Ridgecrest and Corral Creek. Cellar tastings with advance notice including Saturdays, Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Yamhill County Wine Country, where the rolling hills are covered with row upon row of lush grape vines, is located just 25 miles from Portland . The county is home to the largest concentration of wineries and vineyards in the state of Oregon . Many Yamhill County wineries are achieving national and international prominence with their award-winning wines, notably Pinot noir, the flagship wine of Oregon , as well as Pinot gris.

Approximately half of the 55 wineries and tasting rooms belonging to The Yamhill County Wineries Association have tasting rooms which are open to the public on a regular basis. Others are open once or twice a year when the Association sponsors its two annual events: Memorial Weekend in the Wine Country and Wine Country Thanksgiving. During the three-day events, more than 40 wineries open their doors to visitors, even some of those not usually open to the public.

Cheers!