Maryhill Winery

What can I say… Pat really knows her wine and how to entertain. Stunning views, live music, and oh yes the wine is deeeelicious! There’s a reason the Pinot Gris is an international winner!

Probably the worst wine tasting experience I’ve had. They close at 6, we arrived at about 5:40. Instead of politely telling us that wine tastings end at 5:30, the server just glared at us, then told us there’s no more tastings and said, «she might be able to pour us a couple.» She then proceeded to stare more. And we asked for a taste. She rolled her eyes and poured the wine, She didn’t talk about the wine at all. She would pour the wine and immediately disappear to the back room — and after a couple tastes didn’t return. While it was nice of you to pour us wine at all, the customer service was terrible and completely unwelcoming. Sorry for being such an inconvenience to you Pat, I won’t be back to your establishment! We bought a bottle to be polite and the cashier was much friendlier.

This award-​winning winery on the Columbia River Gorge has stunning views, and it’s totally worth the drive! I stopped in for the first time after visiting the Maryhill Museum of Art down the road. In the summer there’s live music on the patio on weekends, which encouraged me to stay for a second glass of the 2011 Barbera — it was excellent!
There’s also a wine garden on a different section of the property shaded by grapevines, and tournament-​quality Bocce ball courts. Who knew?!
The stemless glasses offered for patio patrons are thoughtful and necessary for the high winds on the Gorge, which like to steal the wine as the server charmingly mentioned.
They have a few cold cases with cheese, hummus, crackers, etc., and only moderately overpriced. This was a low-​key alternative to actual patio service.
Found the bar itself to be crowded because there’s no open seating inside except the tasting room, and the gift shop is also part of this space. But the servers were nice and approachable, and didn’t leave me standing too long. Probably the longing look helped. Vino. Please.
There’s a gorgeous ampitheater on the property that probably has a good show lineup based on its size (large), and the irrigated grass looks green and comfortable. It’s a fascinating place for the senses.
The drive is ~2 hours east of Portland and ~4.5 hrs from Eugene. I’ve camped overnight nearby on two occasions — a good decision for travel fatigue and fully enjoying the sights.
The only downside (for me) — it’s so pet-​friendly that someone’s untrained poodle roaming an 8′ leash said hello to me from behind, abruptly, twice. It doesn’t matter if I went camping the night before and smelled great to the dog, that shouldn’t be part of the deal when I visit an upscale winery. It also kept barking at the music on the patio. Hey humans, don’t be that dog owner, and you won’t get those dirty looks.

Nice, quality wines. In the $ 20-​$ 40 range. Well made. Reliable.
The tasting room also has a very large gift shop but the real big deal (besides their wines, after all) is the verandah and view of the Columbia Gorge, facing south into Oregon.
We will sample and usually then buy a bottle to picnic with on the verandah making for a very enjoyable afternoon.
As National Lampoon’s «Cousin Eddie» would say — «Life don’t get much better than that, you know what I mean, Clark?»

Such an amazing and fun experience! The staff was great! I can’t wait to go back!

Beautiful setting with great views, but it can get windy. Long drive from most places, but you can check out the museum and Stone Hinge shaped war memorial down the road and other nearby wineries. Large selection of wines that are good, but seem a bit overpriced. Bring your own food for a nice picnic on the deck with a bottle of wine.

Beautiful views and delicious wine! We stopped there on our way from Ellensburg to Bend, OR. Such a great visit. And there concert site looks amazing. I can’t wait to come back!

I too went to the Styx concert and found everything there to be wonderful. We had such a great time. I’m a native NW’erner.(?) and I’m still in awe of the views, it was gorgeous. The Columbia River rolls past the golden hills. The green trees of Oregon just beyond it. The rolling hills of grass where in fact the seats at the concert. You can bring in your own folding chairs or a blanket to sit on and a picnic. The wine was available and yes, it was pricey. But all in all I can’t wait to return. The drive from Clark County is worth every minute of the trip. I suggest anyone who may have out of towner’s over take a trip out, they will be impressed. If not by anything else, our NW views can not be matched.

I love the bocce ball court with the covered cement patio and picnic tables. My family congregates here from OR and WA for various family events and we buy a bunch of wine at the winery and have a lovely time. The view is beautiful, staff are knowledgeable and helpful, and the facilities are always clean. Very fun location and it’s great that they have the amphitheater on site, too. The fact that the tasting room closes at 3:30 on concert days is too bad (and why I provided a 4-​star review) but also makes sense from certain business aspects.

We love this venue. We recently saw Styx and Foreigner and we try to see everything we can here. The website is very thorough and has all the information you need if you like to be prepared. The parking can be hairy. If you get there later, you will be bused from the museum so try to come a little on the early side. The tasting room closes early and you are not allowed to buy wine and bring it in with you. The amphitheater is a separate venue and are licensed differently. You can buy wine once in the amphitheater.
The views are great and there’s not a bad seat in this place. The food vendors are really nice. This is the only outdoor arena that we have been to that will let you bring in a good size cooler. You can bring closed non-​alcoholic beverages and food. They will check, but in our experience, not well. They never like to touch your things so it’s just a quicky visual. My husband is a beer drinker so we took in several bottles of beer, no problem. Not suggesting it, but it is possible if you are so inclined.
This is one of our favorite places to see a concert and we travel all over the country for live music. My only one real complaint is that the lawn is terraced. This makes for some tricky navigating especially after dark and given the fact that people leave their trash everywhere. There are steps up each side of the lawn, but a set up the middle would be so helpful and much safer.
Seriously, if you are going to a show here, check out their website. I’ve never seen one with so much information. That way you won’t be surprised like some of the previous reviews experienced.

The wine was yummy, but… We felt like the winery was a bit overrated. The service was disorganized and we didn’t get much information in the wine. We also found conflicting prices on the list and in the racks. Individually the help was great but There is a lot of room for improvement. I expect a relaxing and fun experience rather than a rushed and forgotten experience.

Such a relaxing place to take friends and family for tasting. We love the tasting prices, variety of wines and laid back atmosphere.
In the reserve room, Rick is the best! He’s so knowledgeable and approachable. The main tasting room has some great staff, as well, but sometimes the newer folks don’t have basic answers (like pairing ideas). Still, all in all, we love the approachability of this place.
If you can, try the 2010 Tavola Rosso, 2011 Serendipity, 2006 Barbera and the Sparkling Brut. Those are my favorites (if you’re into big reds and dry whites).
It is a commitment – 1.5 to 2 hours away, but that doesn’t stop us.

It was Fathers Day and the bar area for wine tasting was slammed but staff was efficient and we tasted a few reds and whites. The gift shop has your classic T’s, sweatshirts, hats, glasses and key chains. Bought a bottle and sat on the deck enjoyed the view… No so much the wind. Yes it blows through the gorge, but this was very windy. It’s a winery and the setting makes the experience. And the reds make a ribeye steak great.

Had a pleasant experience in the reserves tasting room. Disappointed that you have to be a member to buy their wine that’s actually worth drinking… oh and you have to buy 36 bottles a year to be a member. Takes balls to demand that in my world. Beautiful venue!

No complaints.
Great wine, awesome winery! Wish we lived in the area, i bet the concerts in their amphitheater are AWESOME.

We drove out from Portland on a Saturday afternoon. However, «Lola» our GPS pilot, gave us wrong directions and we drove for over 30 minutes before we got to the place.
Out on the deck, they have lots of seating. You get greeted by their residence dog, Potter, Maryhill’s 130-​pound Great Pyrenees «wine dog,». Extremely friendly staff, great view, and small cozy amphitheater. Very nice winery with a gift shop and snacks for purchase. The price to taste was reasonable @ $ 5 per person.
The view is breathtaking, it was 80 and sunny the day we were out, Mt Hood looked amazing from their decks! The tasting room is nice. Their wine is reasonably priced from 14 – 20 for most bottles.
Maryhill Winery is a breathtakingly beautiful place to visit.

Really surprised this is the first review for Maryhill Winery on here. Strange. So very very strange.
It was my extended birthday weekend last weekend as the gf was out of town for my real birthday. Now that she was back in town I decided I wanted to go to Maryhill for some wine tasting and music. Huey Lewis and the News were there and since I grew up listening to his music and had never gotten a chance to see him live, I thought it was time to remedy that. So we did.
A 100 mile drive east of Portland and you are in a beautiful part of the gorge. Sure, most of it is a brown shade this time of year, but that is ok. Love the setting of this winery. Right on the gorge overlooking the Columbia and Oregon. The amphitheater is definitely one of the prettier places I have ever seen a show at. I’ll get back to that in a bit.
Our first task on this day would be to do some wine tasting. I had never had this wine, but a few people I know have and really enjoyed it. Prices for wine here are actually not bad at all with many bottles falling in the $ 12-​$ 14 range. Sure, they have $ 30+ bottles of wine (I ended up buying one of those for the show as they raise the prices (more on that later) during concerts) but I don’t often spend that much. The tastings are $ 5 each, but they refund that money if you buy any wine. We decided to share both tastings. One was a mostly white wine tasting while the other focused on reds. Surprisingly I liked their whites more than their reds (I am more of a red drinker) and ended up buying a bottle of their Pinot Gris (for the gf) and a bottle or Riesling for myself along with a bottle or Port as I am a sucker for Port.
They lose a star with me. Here is the reason. We were here to see the concert later in the evening. Great. You can buy wine from their tasting room (obviously) during tasting room hours, but you can’t buy that wine and bring it back in for the show. If you want wine at the show you have to buy another bottle once you are back inside which they proceed to charge extra money for. The bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon in the tasting room was $ 22. At the show that same bottle was $ 36. That is crazy. I don’t understand why places need to do this. They are making enough on the tickets so why can’t they just charge their regular prices for bottle that most people are buying anyway. It really is sad that they do this.
Back to the amphitheater. This place is beautiful. If you happen to get a lawn seat, the grass here is super plush. We did not know you could bring food in. People had coolers and spreads of food that you can’t imagine. I’m making a mental note for the next time I come back. Would definitely come back for a show.
All in all a wonderful venue that isn’t too far from Portland. Less than a 2 hour drive will get you in for some wonderful wine and possibly a show if you happen to be here when there is one. We are spoiled for having a place so close.

What a gorgeous place. Sits on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge and has spectacular views East, South, and West.
I was there for the Earth, Wind & Fire Concert — the venue for music was awesome.
I did not do any wine tasting here — but of those in my group who did — they were not impressed with any of their Classic or Reserve flight wines that were served. The price to taste was reasonable @ $ 5 per person.
I did drink some of their wine — because that’s all they sold at the concert. Their prices were OUTRAGEOUS for crappy wines. I paid $ 26 for a bottle of Gewürztraminer … and it was awful (I’m not going to lie — I drank it — but only because I paid for it and my parents taught me not to waste food). Prior to getting to the winery I had just shared with my friends a $ 2.50 bottle of Lancer’s Moscato that was WAY better. They had all been wine tasting earlier and they also agreed!
Wrap up — — -
— Gorgeous winery and concert venue.
— Nice staff.
— Plenty of parking.
— Affordable tasting fee (you can get that back when you buy their wines).
— You can bring in food — cooler must weigh 30 lbs. or less.
— You can NOT bring in any alcoholic beverages … period!
— You are forced to buy their wine at the concert venue. Over priced wines that tasted like crap.
— Concert was SHORT … It was over before it got going … sorry — but I expected a lot more out of EW&F.

This review is only for their Mt. Hood Railroad Cinco de Mayo wine tasting trip.
First off, the concept is fantastic!!! I really enjoyed just lazily following the railroad tracks past rushing waters, Mt. Hood peekaboo views, as well as cherry and apple blossoms.
The train ride was comfortable, easy going, and would even rock you to sleep if you let it. The folks running the train were friendly and accommodating.
The folks from Maryhill Winery were very liberal with their wonderful pourings of 2007 Serendipity red blend, to a rose (did not get name of as I was sipping on that Serendipity), to a wonderful tasting Zinfandel. They even had a gewürztraminer that they were pairing with their dessert.
Speaking of desserts, this was what lost them the star. In their pamphlet they said that the wine tasting would be accompanized by tapas. I guess my idea of what tapas is, is not their idea. Basically what we got was a bunch of fried foods that consisted of breaded jalapeño and cheese, breaded mozzarella, chicken wings, beef and chicken fried chimichangas, and chips and salsa. All these items were something you might find in Safeway in the freezer. The dessert was a small chocolate frosted brownie, again something you might find in a grocery store. I know it is supposed to relate back to Cinco de Mayo but I would have just lost that whole idea. The items they were serving would be better with, say, margaritas or cervezas. We did eat since we were held captive on the train and came hungry. Frankly, these food items pale in comparison to their wonderful wine. I would have preferred the more traditional food that goes better with wine, like some locally baked italian baguette, some sampling of local cheeses, and top it off with some local apples and other fruit. Dessert could have been dipped strawberries in chocolate. That would have just clinched this tour.

Given that most of the reviews have the amphitheater covered, I’ll say a little about the wine and everything else!
This is a pretty lovely spot on the edge of the Gorge; with a wide, sweeping patio (with wine rail!), I can see this getting beautifully crowded on a weekend tasting. The main tasting is free (on our visit, consisting of about six or seven wines), and you can add on a reserve tasting (four wines) for $ 5, waived with a $ 20 purchase. For those of you traveling with your dog, this is a very dog-​friendly place with a resident wine dog. We took Syd in with us and he sat very quietly… once he had his treat from our friendly wine pourer!
Most people are probably familiar with the Maryhill label: this is a Washington wine with big production that’s easy to find in supermarkets. With 27 different wines and 18 varietals on offer, that’s no surprise. And there are some decent deals to be had, if you know what to buy. I was surprised by how much I liked the Winemaker’s White: an inexpensive blend (Viognier, Chardonnay, Semillion, Sauvingnon Blanc) with just the right amount of brightness and body. The ’06 Sangiovese was another surprise: a great food wine with a nice balance of acidity and soft body, with none of the sometimes harsh bite a poorly crafted Sangiovese can deliver.
Most of the wines here are on the tame side (for my palate), but some are good values for the price. I’ll pay quite a bit for a great bottle, but those aren’t the ones I want to go through when I’m just crafting dinner from an assortment of meats and veggies (the recipe in my little kitchen most nights!). If you want some decent wines to go with your regular dinners, that aren’t too expensive and outperform ones at similar price points, look for the Winemaker’s White, the Sangiovese, and maybe even the Zin. And if you’re driving around the Gorge, stop in for a great view and friendly, unpretentious pours.