Down (town) the Pike

Pike Road Wines moves tasting room to McMinnville

By OWP STAFF

When Pike Road Wines outgrew its Carlton location, it relocated the tasting room in downtown McMinnville. Launched in 2016 by sister winery Elk Cove Vineyards, Pike Road welcomed visitors to a historic bank building, too small for the now popular winery. Following an expanded search, they discovered a vacant insurance brokerage office on McMinnville’s Third Street.

“The great little town of Carlton has been a wonderful home these five past years, but I love McMinnville, too. I look forward to the diverse opportunities for Pike Road as part of the vibrant Third Street community,” explains Dane Campbell, Pike Road Wines Director of Retail Sales.

The new space, 701 N. E. Third Street, allows far more guests to experience Pike Road Wines with a wine flight enjoyed inside or the sidewalk seating. The winery purchases fruit from over 20 wine grape growers in the northern Willamette Valley. Second-generation winemaker and owner Adam Campbell, whose parents Pat and Joe founded Elk Cove Vineyards in 1974, manages the wine production for both wineries.

Says Campbell, “With over four decades of experience at Pike Road’s sister winery Elk Cove Vineyards, our family has a long history here in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. We are committed to preserving family farms through our longtime partnerships with growers from around the Valley.”

Focusing on Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, the winery features numerous single-vineyard bottlings, allowing a glimpse into the terroir of specific vineyard locations.

“In the coming years, we hope to break ground on a winery surrounded by our vineyards off Pike Road in Yamhill, but we aren’t ruling out a continued presence in McMinnville. This town has done so much to promote Oregon wine, from the International Pinot Noir Celebration to the Linfield Wine Studies program. With more choices to stay and dine, McMinnville has become central to the Willamette Valley wine community and is attracting visitors from all over the world,” continues Campbell.

Wineries are increasingly opening satellite tasting rooms in wine regions throughout Oregon, including many in downtown McMinnville. Book overnight stays at several downtown lodging options. Visitors easily walk between wine tasting rooms, while leaving the car parked on one of the many, tree-lined side streets.