Say It Like a Local
The fastest way to announce you’re from somewhere else is to mispronounce the Willamette Valley. Locals are used to it — no harm, no foul — but we like our guests to fit right in.
Step one: say it “Will-LAM-it.” Just remember, Willamette rhymes with “dammit.”
Once you’ve got that down, the rest is easy. Lean into the local culture, and enjoy.
McMinnville — The Heart of Oregon Wine Country
In 1965, David Lett spent his honeymoon planting Pinot Noir cuttings in the rich, volcanic soil of the Dundee Hills — a gamble almost no one else in the region was willing to make. A few miles from where the Atticus Hotel now stands, that gamble changed everything.
Lett, along with pioneers like Charles Coury, Dick Erath, and David Adelsheim, went on to prove the Willamette Valley’s potential — winning prestigious international competitions and catching the attention of established regions like Burgundy and Napa Valley.
Today, the Willamette Valley is Wine Enthusiast’s 2016 Wine Region of the Year, home to more than 900 vineyards and 700 wineries spread across eleven distinct American Viticultural Areas, each with its own climate, soil, elevation, and character. Pinot Noir leads the way — a notoriously temperamental grape that, handled with care, becomes something extraordinary in the glass. But the valley is also increasingly known for remarkable Chardonnays, Rieslings, Pinot Gris, and Gamay Noirs.
About the only thing that rivals the wine here is the hospitality: inviting by nature, eclectic in personality, and decidedly Oregonian.
Personalized Excursions
Like wine, a great trip is personal. Tell our concierge what you love — taste, tasting room atmosphere, vineyard setting, appellation — and we’ll build a stay around it. When you want an extra hand, we have direct relationships with the best tour operators in the valley and know exactly which guide fits which guest.
Oregon wine country holds a style, setting, and personality for every kind of traveler. Let our concierge help you find the one that defines your stay.
McMinnville Means Endless Wine Possibilities
Many of the Willamette Valley’s oldest, most celebrated wineries are in our backyard — some 250 within a 20-mile radius of the Atticus Hotel alone. Whether it’s a casual tasting in the Granary District a few blocks away or a private barrel tasting hosted by the winemaker, we’ll set you on your way. The possibilities are nearly endless; we’re here to make the experience as tailor-made as you can imagine.
The Willamette Valley is home to eleven distinct American Viticultural Areas:
- McMinnville
- Dundee Hills
- Eola-Amity Hills
- Yamhill-Carlton
- Ribbon Ridge
- Chehalem Mountains
- Laurelwood District
- Lower Long Tom
- Mount Pisgah
- Tualatin Hills
- Van Duzer Corridor
Guests often ask if there’s really enough to do here to justify three nights. Take another look at the list above, and the real question becomes which eleven AVAs to start with — because three nights won’t be enough to get through all of them.
Lucky for you, that’s exactly what we’re here for.
Recreation opportunities include the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, where Howard Hughes’s Spruce Goose aircraft is on display, a short distance from the Atticus Hotel.
The Atticus Hotel is about thirty-five minutes from the Oregon State Capitol.
The Atticus Hotel is about a one hour drive to both Pacific City and Lincoln City, cities on the Oregon Coast.
The Atticus Hotel is about one hour and twenty minutes from Portland International Airport.
Yes. Two pharmacies are within walking distance of the Atticus Hotel.
