Willamette Valley Vineyards, other Oregon wineries at top of USA TODAY lists

Willamette Valley Vineyards placed at the top of two spots on national wine lists as voted on by readers and ranked by USA TODAY.

The Turner-based vineyard and winery placed first in Best Tasting Room and second in Best Wine Club in the country. This is the first win for the Willamette Valley on this list, as it was one of more than 11,600 considered. The winery was initially selected by the 10Best Editors team along with other nominees, then opened up for the Readers' Choice Awards for a vote.

"There's no one like us anywhere in the world," Jim Bernau, founder and CEO said. "I'm happy to provide a top-shelf experience to guests and wine enthusiasts who want to share their joy with others and I'm proud to see an Oregon winery rise to the top."

Several other Oregon wineries placed in the contest as well.

Farm & Forage at Sokol Blosser Winery, based in Dayton, finished in third place for Best Winery Restaurant, lauded for its locally sourced ingredients and six courses paired with six wines. Stoller Family Estate, also based in Dayton, ranked third for Best Wine Tasting Room for its eco-friendly tastings.

Durant Vineyards, also based in Dayton, earned fourth place for Best Wine Tasting Room. Ken Wright Cellars, based on Carlton, ranked fifth for Best Winery Tour. And Wine de Roads, based in Newberg, ranked eighth for Best Wine Tour Company.

The Willamette Valley as a region ranked in eighth place in a category set aside for wine regions.

Willamette Valley takes top honors

Bernau established Willamette Valley Vineyards in 1983. The Willamette Valley Estate Tasting Room in the Salem Hills is its flagship location, with 10 total tasting rooms around Oregon including Happy Valley, Lake Oswego, Bend and Vancouver, Washington.

After learning of being nominated, the winery's marketing department put the word out to the thousands of members through email and social media to vote for the vineyard, said Libby Spencer, the chief operating officer.

Bernau said the community-funded model the winery has is different from other wineries, with many who are "super fans."

The winery has five different levels of subscription, with Owners at the top level (with 300 or more shares of stock).

It is one of the largest wine producers in the state, sourcing its grapes from 500 acres in the Willamette Valley. The winery owns and manages more than 1,000 acres of vineyard, consisting of 13 estate vineyards with two more in the making.

For more info on Willamette Valley Vineyards, check out its website, wvv.com , and Facebook page .

Em Chan covers food and dining at the Statesman Journal. You can reach her at echan@gannett.com and follow her on X @ catchuptoemily.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Willamette Valley Vineyards, other Oregon wineries at top of USA TODAY lists