7 Columbia River Gorge Wineries You Have to Try

view of Mount Hood and vineyards at a Columbia River Gorge winery

Columbia River Gorge wineries are some of my favorites in all of the Pacific Northwest. They feel like hidden gems because big media rarely talks about them, but insiders know they’re part of an up-and-coming wine destination.

The Columbia River Gorge is a 40-mile stretch of canyon separating Washington and Oregon. The canyon was carved millions of years ago by lava flows and Ice Age melts, resulting in varied elevations and soil sediments.

The rocky terrain, sunny weather, and arid conditions make the Columbia River Gorge a prime wine-growing region. You’ll find more than 40 wineries and 90 vineyards growing about 45 different grape varietals.

Western Columbia Gorge wineries in the cooler climates are ideal for varietals like pinot noir, pinot gris, and riesling. Big red wine lovers can get their fix at the eastern Columbia Gorge wineries known for warm-climate varietals like cabernet sauvignon, syrah, and zinfandel. This range means there’s a winery for every type of wine drinker.

If you’re wondering which out of the 40+ wineries to visit, let me help you. I visit this wine area often and have found the best Columbia River Gorge wineries offering award-winning wines, epic views, and even the best food.

Get ready to discover some of the Pacific Northwest’s best under-the-radar wineries and tasting rooms!

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7 Columbia River Gorge Wineries You Have to Try

Here area the best Columbia River Gorge wineries you need to add to your itinerary. Overwhelmed by the idea of fitting it all in? Let me plan you a custom trip itinerary!

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If you’e ready to dive in and plan yourself, here are the wineries in the Columbia River Gorge not to miss!

Hiyu Wine Farm

website | 3890 Acree Dr, Hood River, OR (get directions) | best for: organic wines and lunch

Hiyu Wine Farm is hands down my favorite Columbia Gorge winery and one of the best wineries in the Pacific Northwest. It’s a working farm located in the Hood River valley with farm animals meandering the rows upon rows of vegetables and grapes.

They turn their grapes into award-winning wines that are on the pricey side, but worth every penny. You can really taste the terroir and minimal intervention in their small-batch wines, and it feels extra special because they only produce up to 6,000 cases per year.

This mastery of the vines is thanks to co-founder Nate Ready, who started his career as a sommelier at legendary restaurants like The French Laundry in Napa Valley before turning to farming and winemaking.

He and his partner China Tressemer, the talented illustrator behind all their bottles, moved to Oregon and created an impressive farm using techniques beyond what’s required by organic or biodynamic certifications. In fact, this is the reason they don’t seek these designations.

You’ll roll up to their secluded farm and be met with a rustic, yet posh tasting room that’s airy and filled with light. The impressive kitchen is the heart of the space, filled with staff whipping up creative dishes using mostly ingredients grown on the farm.

Guests can enjoy these delicious creations with wine pairings. We did the wine farmers lunch and kept gushing at how amazing everything was. Homemade pork sausage, stracciatella cheese with fresh grown tomatoes and basil, just plucked melons in a semifreddo…we could taste the farm in the food just as much as we could in the wine.

table of fancy dishes and wine at one of the best Columbia River Gorge wineries

Idiot’s Grace

website | 8450 US-30, Mosier, OR (get directions) | best for: cabernet franc

Idiot’s Grace is another working farm worth visiting when wine tasting at Columbia River Gorge wineries. It’s a dog-friendly, family-owned winery with a quaint tasting room overlooking their vineyards and orchards (where you can u-pick in the summer!).

They use minimal intervention to create small-production wines low in alcohol. This creates brighter, refreshing wines made to complement food. In fact, you’ll often see a few bites laid out for the taking to pair with your wine.

The must try wine here is the cabernet franc. It often has an herbaceous nose and flavors that change from woodsy to fruity on the palate. I love it so much that I added it to my list of best Oregon wines everyone should try in their lifetime.

inside a Columbia River Gorge winery tasting room

Le Doubblé Troubblé Wine Co.

website | 111 E Jewett Blvd, White Salmon, WA (get directions) | best for: pinot noir

Now we’re headed to the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge wineries. Le Doubblé Troubblé is one of my favorites. It’s a tiny, hip tasting room in the quaint downtown area of White Salmon.

It was started by two ski obsessed besties who lived in Portland but wanted to be closer to the best Mt. Hood ski resorts. So they moved within 30 minutes of the ski areas and pursued their passion for winemaking.

You’ll find a few different grape varietals to try, but their passion is in pinot noir using grapes sourced from the Willamette Valley and Columbia Gorge. I absolutely gushed over all the pinots I tried, so make sure to focus on them during your visit!

Tetrahedron Wines

website | 421 Lewis and Clark Hwy, Lyle, WA (get directions) | best for: experimental blends

Tetrahedron is an under-the-radar Columbia River Gorge winery that was recommended to me by staff at Idiot’s Grace. It’s a tiny, unfussy tasting room located on the Washington side of the Gorge focused on the science of winemaking.

Owner and winemaker Kelly Johnson used to be a scientist, so she’s obsessed with understanding the molecular makeup of wine and how you can modify flavors through the science of blending and other winemaking techniques. In fact, she’s so obsessed that her team also offers lab services to other wineries.

Johnson sources grapes from the Gorge and Columbia Valley in Washington and transforms them into works of art. I really enjoyed their chardonnay and rosé. But you’ll also find red favorites like merlot and syrah on the tasting menu.

Hawkins Cellars

website | 10401 Cook-Underwood Rd, Underwood, WA (get directions) | best for: big reds and epic views

If the idea of enjoying wine with views of Mt. Hood in the distance is your idea of a good time, Hawkins Cellars is a must visit during your Columbia River Gorge wine tasting adventure.

Hawkins is a small winery nestled on Underwood Mountain with a beautiful property and tasting room. There’s a large outdoor area facing their vineyards, which have a stunning backdrop of Mount Hood on a clear day.

You’ll find something for all types of wine drinkers at Hawkins. That’s because Underwood Mountain is the perfect spot for growing cool-climate varietals that result in lower alcohol and high acid wines with great structure: think chardonnay, pinot gris, and pinot noir.

However, Hawkins also sources warmer-climate grapes from Yakima and Red Mountain vineyards in Washington for those that prefer earthy and bolder red wines.

woman drinking wine on a picnic bench with Mt Hood in distance at one of the best Columbia Gorge wineries

AniChe Cellars

website | 71 Little Buck Creek Rd, Underwood, WA (get directions) | best for: female-led winemaking

AniChe Cellars is another one of the best Columbia River Gorge wineries in Washington. This female-led winery is helmed by Rachael Horn and her team of female winemakers who create approachable wines served in a fun atmosphere.

The property is an old barn that’s been converted into an indoor-outdoor garden. On a clear day you’ll see the mountains in the distance and maybe even a few of their cats playing in the flowers. The ambiance will be topped with fun music and friendly staff willing to walk you through exactly what you’re drinking in a non-preachy or condescending way.

Wine wise you’ll find a lot of medium and heavy-bodied red blends. I loved how they ran the gamut of big and fruity to drier and earthy. One of my favorites is the Arachne red wine, a blend of nebbiolo and zinfandel. When you think zin you may think of a heavy red, but this version is more medium bodied with a light ruby color and medium tannins.

One of the best Columbia River Gorge wineries

Syncline Winery

website | 111 Balch Rd, Lyle, WA (get directions) | best for: interesting varietals and sparkling wines

Another great Gorge winery to visit is Syncline (pronounced “sin-klin”). Syncline is a geological term describing a trough of stratified rock where the beds dip toward each other from either side. This is a fitting name because Syncline’s estate vineyards are located in a cooler climate on some of the Columbia River Gorge’s rockiest terrain.

They honor the terroir by producing biodynamic wines using estate-grown, Rhone-style grapes that speak for themselves in the bottle. You’ll find interesting varietals you won’t find at many other wineries, such as gruner veltliner, picpoul, and my favorite: gamay noir. A blend like their Subduction Red Blend will allow you to try a bunch of their interesting varietals in one glass.

Syncline is also known for sparkling wines, so don’t forget to add some to your tasting flight!

More Gorge Wineries to Try

Here are more wineries in Columbia River Gorge on my short list of places to try. Once I do, I’ll update this post with my thoughts so pin this for later.

Want even more wineries to explore? Check out my map of all the things to do in Columbia River Gorge. I’ve added Gorge wineries and tasting rooms that I hope to visit on future trips.

Other Things to Do Around Columbia River Gorge

You’re going to have to do more than just go wine tasting, right?! Here are more guides to the Columbia River Gorge area. Check them out for ideas of what to do between winery visits.