what i drank recently and where
It’s time for a recap of my sips from August! Since I just moved to Oregon to work a wine harvest, I have been busy exploring the area and trying new coffee shops and wineries. This list excludes all of the 8 coffee shops I tried at the beginning of the month on my road trip out west–read all about those coffee shops here.
Enjoy my sip notes from this past month in Oregon, including two coffee shops on the coast, several wineries in the Dundee Hills, a local brewery, and more!
Domaine serene – Dundee hills
Since my job as a harvest intern is located in the Dundee Hills, I’ve been trying several wineries in the area. Read more about the wine harvest here! The first wine tasting I went to in the Dundee Hills was at Domaine Serene. Serene is known for their award-winning, estate-grown Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. I tasted their Estate Flight, which included one sparkling, one chardonnay, two pinot noirs and their Grand Cheval, which is a pinot noir-syrah blend. My favorites from the tasting were the 2021 Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir, which has those classic cherry and earthy notes of Oregon pinot, and the 2019 Monogram Pinot Noir (not on the menu), which was more complex with strawberry and raspberry on the nose and a smoky undertone on the palette.
hayward – Carlton
Hayward has made a reputation for itself as one of the best restaurants in the Willamette Valley, with Chef Kari Shaughnessy named as a semi-finalist for the 2025 James Beard Award for Best Chef Northwest. Their website describes the food as “inspired by local farmers, featuring hyper-seasonal ingredients to create unexpected yet nostalgic dishes.” I tried their tasting menu–for a set price, you receive a multi-course meal that Chef chooses for you. Let me tell you, this is the way to go at Hayward. I cannot say enough good things about my experience there–from the ambiance to the service (our waitress Lauren was phenomenal) to the incredible food–this was one of my top 5 restaurant experiences EVER.
I ordered the Beckham 2022 Aequalis (a Willamette Valley blend of pinot noir and pinot gris) to pair with my meal, and it was not only delicious with notes of spicy apricot, fresh strawberry, and golden raspberry, it complemented with every single dish beautifully. Some of the stand-out dishes from my meal were the Stuffed Peppers, Cold Buckwheat Soba, and the Miso Glazed King Salmon (which is the best cooked salmon I’ve ever had). I cannot recommend Hayward enough.
pacific grind cafe – Lincoln city
I stopped at Pacific Grind to grab a coffee and read for a bit before hitting the beach! It’s a very cute cafe with fun merch and plenty of seating. I enjoyed a very peaceful morning sitting outside and sipping my oat milk latte here.
never coffee lab – portland
Some of my fellow interns and I spent a day downtown Portland shopping and exploring the area. We went to Never Coffee before making our way over to Powell’s Books! This coffee shop is super aesthetic (I’m in love with the pastel color scheme), the coffee was delicious, and the baristas were super helpful with giving us recommendations for things to do downtown! 🙂
domaine drouhin/roserock – dundee hills
Drouhin is another well-known winery in the Valley, also renowned for their estate-grown Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. Their sister winery, Roserock, is owned by the same family and is located in the Eola-Amity Hills, about a 15 minute drive from Domaine Drouhin. All of the harvest interns on my team went together, and we tasted three Roserock wines (a rosé, a chardonnay, and a pinot noir) and two Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noirs. All of the wines were very well-balanced with acidity, especially the 2023 Roserock Chardonnay, which had beautiful notes of green apple and huneysuckle, with a nice smoothness to it that was countered by the sharp acidity. My favorite wine of the tasting was the 2023 Roserock Pinot Noir, which was more fruit forward, floral, and lighter than the Domaine Drouhin Pinots. Our waiter, Tristan, was great and even offered to show us around the cellar during the tasting!
pioneer joe coffee co – lincoln city
Located right by a public beach access on 51st Street in Lincoln City, Pioneer Joe is the perfect spot for a coffee before hitting the beach. They are a popular roaster with several locations in and around Lincoln City. I ordered a cappuccino and it was delicious!
argyle winery – dundee
Argyle is known for their sparkling wines, being the first winery in the Willamette Valley to begin producing bubbles with a dedication to sustainable farming practices. Their modern, chic tasting room is located downtown Dundee. All the interns went together again, and we tried 8 different wines (numbered in the image above). I really enjoyed the 2015 NutHouse Riesling and the 2015 SpiritHouse Pinot Noir.
archery summit – dundee hills
After Argyle, we made our way up to Archery Summit. I was immediately struck by the design of both the tasting room and the cellar. Built directly into the hillside, the cellar feels like a natural cave, with walls of exposed earth. One feature I especially loved was a wall display showing the soil layers and groundwater beneath the estate. It’s an engaging way to show how the unique terroir shapes the character of the wines, and it gives visitors a deeper appreciation for the winemaking process. We sampled several of their Pinot Noirs, all of which were elegant and beautifully made. My experience at Archery Summit was both educational and enjoyable!
summon coffee – mcminnville
Summon Coffee is a local roaster in McMinnville. It’s located right next to Bad Dog Bakery, so it’s the perfect place to go for your quick breakfast fix! The interior of the shop is small but very aesthetic, and it was bustling on the Sunday morning I went. The coffee was great, and I enjoyed my latte and my chocolate knot outside on the back patio with a book.
winter’s hill estate – dundee hills
I had a very pleasant experience at Winter’s Hill–the view was breathtaking, and sharing a glass with my fellow interns while looking over the hillside felt like the perfect expression of what a wine tasting should be. My favorite wine was their 2019 Vintage Sparkling, with notes of crisp golden apple and dark honey, and an incredibly cute bottle with flamingos on the label. A special shoutout to our server, Rachel, who made the experience even more enjoyable!
wolves & people – newberg
Okay, I know this is not coffee or wine, but I had to include Wolves & People. I had such an amazing time there, and I kind of fell in love with the place. All of us interns went on a Saturday night, and it was surprisingly quiet, but it was very peaceful sitting by the fire together and enjoying our beers. I got a flight at first–you can pick any 4 beers of your choice that are on tap–and I chose Prova (their Italian Pilsner), Pesca, Traveling Companions (both are sours), and La Trufe, which is a table stout infused with truffle! The vibe of this place is very rustic and wholesome, and they do a bluegrass jam every Thursday night! I’ll definitely be going back.
Cheers to discovering new places and the memories made along the way!
Thanks for reading 🙂
Caffeine & Chianti 
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