Cristom Vineyards

I stopped by here on my way from Seattle to
Salem. Some good friends of mine from Quebec
City are pinot noir lovers and Cristom is one of
their favorites, I was greeted by Becky who was
enthusiastically working the tasting area. It
wasn’t very crowded that day which was nice for
me. After a thorough and lively explanation of
the various vineyards on the property I picked
up a half bottle of an older vintage from the
Louise Vineyard for comparison with the newer
2013 bottle I had already bought for them.
If you enjoy pinot noir this is probably a good
place to visit.

Cristom has long made one of the better, more austere Pinot Noirs in the Willamette Valley. Our host Chas was charming and informative and the pairing of cheese with the delicious Viognier was spot on. We own a restaurant just south of Cristom in Albany — Cellar Cat — and would love to sell their Viognier if only their rep would give us a jingle!

The wines were very nice and the tasting good value — $ 15 for five wines and includes a small cheese plate. Plus waiving the tasting fee for $ 30 purchase was a good deal (two of their wines — one Viognier and one Pinot Noir — were priced at exactly $ 30 and both were very nice). However, the tasting room was very busy and so unfortunately the lady pouring for us wasn’t able to spend really any time with us describing the wines in any detail. It would probably have been more enjoyable if we came at a less busy time.

Fantastic wine. Love the building and grounds. Its worth a visit.
My only issue is the miscommunication between staff. We have been previously and were able to bring a picnic. On the last visit we called to double check and were told it was okay. On our group wine tour we planned to eat lunch at Cristom however the Sales Manager came our a scolded us for bringing food and said they’ve never allowed food brought in. Weird. Because of this we ended our tasting, didn’t buy anything and left to another winery and had lunch, purchased wines, joined the wine club and even bought some of their cheese plates. Oh well, Cristoms loss.

Just spent the afternoon/​evening tasting wine and having a fantastic five course meal with wine pairings.
This winery is in South Salem with a beautiful view of Mt Hood.
I really enjoyed the Pino Gris.
The food started with apps, my fav was the salmon mousse on a wafer of radish.
The first course was chilled buttermilk soup with shrimp and dill. Soooo good. Next was a green bean salad with picked cherries, yes cherries, and goat cheese. A perfect combination.
The main course was lamb chops, lamb paprika sausage, cucumbers with a yogurt dill sauce and a tomato salad.
Dessert was a poppy seed cake topped with berries and lemon verbena whip cream.
OMG I was so stuffed and happy.
This winery is a hidden gem and the staff were all super friendly and welcoming. Take a drive, spend some time, enjoy some wine.

Impromptu trip to our first winery! Recommended to us by an ‘ideabox’ architect, we made our way over after our meeting.
The site was absolutely gorgeous. Walking up there is an array of beautifully arranged flowers. Entering the tasting area you pass through tall, thick, ornate wooden doors. Beautiful view from every perspective.
This experience was a little different then I would expect it had been, considering it was Memorial day weekend. They were having an event.
Each purchased a flight, which included: a flight of 5 wines, a hot dog and a home brewed beer.
Now this being my first winery, I started with a blank slate, knowing absolutely nothing about wine. Although I drink it daily: P
I loved the Viognier. Bought my first bottle of white wine. I usually prefer reds and although the Niors were pleasing to my palate, we opted for the Viognier. Now typically they would waive the flight fee if you purchase a bottle, but since this was an event it wasn’t applicable, no biggie.
In addition to the wines, the staff was very knowledgable, friendly and welcoming, including their black lab, whose name I forget. Oh and FYI, she likes belly rubs and hot dogs.
Thank you for providing us with such a wonderful experience to our first winery! Looking forward to opening our bottle over some dinner this week.
Oh and look for the spotted llama as your driving out :)

Cristom makes some of the most delicious pinots I’ve had in the Eola-​Amity area. Louise and Eileen are my favorites! Their pinot gris (a crazy bargain!) and viognier are also the types of dry, crisp white wines that I really love and I had to bring those home as well. I’ve sat outside with my family and shared a picnic while overlooking the grapes and other vineyards in the valley (the high vantage point affords quite a view) and I’ve been inside on rainy days just sampling at their beautiful tasting bar. The friendly pourers always seem to educate me on something new each visit.

I happened across Cristom during a 6 week wine tasting trip throughout Washington and Oregon. The place was recommended and it lived up to it’s great reputation. Across the boards, all of the wines were excellent. I loved how they are making a cool climate Viognier… dry and crisp… as a great Viognier should be. Somewhat unusual for such a cool climate. The vineyard designate Pinot’s were excellent and I really loved Eileen… the 2012 harnessed the coolness of it’s higher elevation vineyard in what was a warmer year for the Willamette Valley. As much as I love Eileen, the highlight of my trip, by far, was Becky… such elegance and refinement that one would have much trouble finding in CA.
Off the beaten path in Amity Hills but a fantastic experience.

**Update Review 5÷24÷14 Experience
I’m glad I gave Christom a second chance. My friends and I were greeted not only by the staff but by the owner, Tom. This time we got to hear the story behind the wine. Tom invited us out to walk around the vineyard. He explained how each vineyard on the property was named after an important woman in his father’s life. Tom also took us to the cellar and explained the different types of barrels used and how it affects the flavor of the wine. He showed us by tasting that different vineyards on the property also produced different types of wine.
The first wine we tried was a Pinot Gris. I don’t think I tried this one last time. I really liked the Pinot Gris because it wasn’t so sweet. We also tried some Pinot Noir and Syrah. My two favorites were the Pinot Gris and Syrah.
At the end of showing us around the vineyard, my friends, Tom and I sat outside at the picnic tables and had some more wine. Tom took the time to talk with my friends and really showed the passion he has in the winery.
If you would ask me now if I would go back to Christom, I would say yes. I would go back because this time I did receive amazing service from the moment I arrived. Also, the wines I tried were tasty. The bread sticks were just as buttery delicious as last time and the view was breath-​taking. I changed my rating of Christom from 2 stars to 5 because of all these components. In regards to the pricing I talked about in my last review, I now understand why some of these wines are priced a bit higher than I would usually pay for a bottle. Some of these wines are aged therefore that may affect the price.
Note to Tom: Thanks for showing your passion in the wine and your winery. This is what my last experience was missing. I loved hearing the story behind the wine. It makes the wine that much better. Being able to hear it from you who actually experienced it while growing up on the vineyard was the best part. Thanks, Tom! I feel like I can say you are my friend. :)
4÷24÷14 Review: Pretentious and overpriced. The woman pouring was talking badly about other wineries as if there wine taste better. The wine here was just ok. Would I go back? Hell no! The person serving wine was talking crap on other wineries telling guests other wineries close at 5– not true! We made it to Dobbes Family Estate in less than 30 minutes which closes at 6pm. The breadsticks that were complimentary taste better than the wine. One of the guest asked if he could purchase the breadsticks just before spitting out their wine. «No,» was the answer he received.
I’ve gone wine tasting quite frequently and have NEVER had a winery talk crap on another wineries. Save your $ 10 and go to Witness Tree which is right next door. There wine is better and half the price. You will also get better service.
You might ask why two stars, the view was beautiful and their complimentary breadstick were amazing! Great job to the baker who made those delicious long tasty creations.

Not the greatest wine for the price, Cristom is typical old world style with a bit of earthy undertones. Tasting experience was below average as the team of ladies really weren’t interested in answering my questions. They just lacked connection that day.
Wouldn’t be my first choice! Sorry.

I think perhaps the real reason I drink so much beer is because it will not bankrupt me. Wine just may be the vice that lands me in the poor house. But what a way to go. I’d be drinking Cristom’s 2009 single vineyard pinots by the name of Louise, Jessie and Marilyn all the way there. They are some fantastic wines but pricey. Still want some of the Cristom magic for a more reasonable price? Grab a nice bottle of their Pinot Gris for $ 17. They also offer Viogniers, Syrahs and Chardonnay. I really like this AVA and this is one of the standouts for sure complete with friendly tasting room employees. Oh and of course the grounds are stunning. Really what else can you expect from this area? Great pinots and a gorgeous view. Kill me now.

Cristom is a nice winery located in the Eola Amity AVA with a nice tasting room. It was a little dark but that could have been due to the weather. Our tasting manager was very kind and treated us quite well. I enjoyed the wines and look forward to taking some new people to visit this winery. It is a winery where you just have to check the hours and come in when you’d like. There is a tasting fee of, I believe $ 15. The wines are stellar, so if you are a wine lover, it is worth the visit.

My favorite winery in the pacific NW. I wish I was sophisticated enough to explain their wine in detail, but instead, let me just say their pinot noir and overall style is very true to their French roots. The service was amazing… one of the workers there made me and my boyfriend feel like we were on a personal tour. I also read that this winery is very Eco friendly.

Tom (Literally puts the Tom in Cris-​Tom) is a great host for wine tasting. He’ll take any question you have about their process with ease and explain it to the full extent.
I actually enjoyed this wine for the first time at Canlis Restaurant in Seattle. When we took a trip to Oregon, it was a real treat to meet the people that make this wine so special. Beautiful grounds and tasting room. Really looking forward to going back sometime in the future!

$ 5 tasting.
My friend liked the Jessie, but I had too much to drink at other wineries that I couldn’t really tell what was what anymore. So… none really stood out for me. LoL
They had a Korean sign hanging in the corner of their tasting room. I wonder why?

This was one of our favorite vineyards we dropped by. The wines were all very fragrant and tasty. The service was some of the best we had all day. The ladies behind the counter did not just make us feel welcome but we really stayed awhile and enjoyed our tasting. Most of our group actually bought something because the wines were a touch spendy but well worth their price.
The grounds are also stunning with a beautiful garden right in front overlooking the Willamette Valley. It was just breathtaking.

Best winery we visited in our whirlwind tour of the Willamette Valley in terms of overall experience (quality of the wines, service and setting). Our pourer was amiable, knowledgeable and patient. The $ 5 tasting fee was fair given the various wines in the flight and the generous pour (which is refunded with any purchase of their wines). We bought a bottle of the 2006 Jessie Vineyard Pinot Noir and enjoyed it there with our picnic lunch. Their wines are a bit pricey, but the 2006 Jessie was definitely worth it!