USA Today's readers say an Oregon winery has the country's best tasting room

The newspaper USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards rates the country's best wineries in many categories.

This year, Oregon wineries fared well — including one that fared the best in the country.

Willamette Valley Vineyards won the category "best tasting room" for its flagship Estate Tasting Room in the Salem hills. The winery, founded by Jim Bernau, operates 10 tasting rooms, including in Vancouver, Washington, Bend, Lake Oswego and Happy Valley.

From the USA Today 10Best report: Whether you’re seeking a classic tasting experience, looking to create your own journey with a tableside tasting, or hoping to find some new pairings for your favorite dishes, the Estate Tasting Room at Willamette Valley Vineyards has it all. Enjoy the views from the patio before or after embarking on an amazing tasting experience.

Willamette Valley Vineyards also placed second in the "best wine club" category.

Other results; Stoller Family Estate in Dayton ranked third best tasting room, Durant Vineyards of Dayton earned fourth place for tasting room favorites; Ken Wright Cellars, based in Carlton, ranked fifth for best winery tour. Wine de Roads, based in Newberg, ranked eighth for best wine tour company.

Willamette Valley was ranked the No. 8 wine region — Yakima Valley, Washington was No. 1 for 2024.

Judging was done by a panel of wine and travel writers and USA Today 10Best editors. Readers were allowed one vote per category. The 10Best Readers' Choice Awards are coveted by winemakers across the country as a testimony to the wine tastings, food pairings and overall wine experiences.

Willamette Valley Vineyards was established in 1983. Considering there are nearly 12,000 wineries in the United States, being named No. 1 in something would be considered quite an honor. WVV has 10,000 wine club members and 26,000 shareholder members; it's the only publicly traded Oregon winery.

“There's no one like us anywhere in the world,” said Jim Bernau, founder and CEO. “It’s Willamette’s devoted members, customers and visitors who are fanatical about our tasting rooms and wine club, and they put us on the podium. Similar to the way we were funded with crowdsourcing, this accolade somewhat unexpectedly put us at the top, and no one knew where we landed in the polls until they tallied the votes.

“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.”