Soter Vineyards

I would highly recommend this winery if you’re tasting around Dundee. First things first-​you need to make reservations. Every tasting we’ve had has been a sit down private affair at a leisurely pace. No large bar to saddle up to and fight for space. I think you try roughly 4 wines and a Brut rose. The wines are delicious and the staff is super informative. For true wine lovers this is a must stop. The tasting is $ 30 (not sure if that’s comped for purchases) and well worth it. We decided to join the wine club and so far have been impressed with the wine events as well. Love this place!
Little tip: gps has a hard time finding this winery. It’s on the hill with a tiny sign leading you up. Just look for the road going up.

Solid Wines, beautiful estate. Exceeding Expectations of Customer Care/​Service. All the staff was very approachable and helpful. At $ 30/​person to taste and all year round-​requiring reservations (except during open House Weekends, Thanksgiving and around Memorial Day) this winery is a little bit more «high maintainence» than other wineries that I tend to frequent. Regardless, I’m glad I experienced it and know what to expect, but it’s not a top-​favorite one that I would consider becoming a Wine-​Club Member of or anything like that. But, we had a great day, and I appreciate the memory. ANd, I do recommend everyone trying it and making their own opinion!

This place is the winery to beat! It started out on a high note with a nice lady bring wine to us before we had even left the parking lot. Such a nice, warm way to welcome us to their beautiful vineyard. The main building is set up on a hill with the best view in the valley. We enjoyed the wines, and especially enjoyed the extra time and care that is given to make this a very exceptional experience. Well worth the time and cost! Be sure to call ahead, you must have a reservation.

The view from the winery is incredible and Jill did a fabulous job hosting our tasting. Most of the wines were from their other label, North Star, and only two from Soter. The tasting rooms are little cabins off the main tasting room, very cute. The tasting at $ 25 is a little bit pricey.
They just started wine pairing and food (which looked incredible). I would definitely do that next time.

Beyond words. Such an incredible venue run by such incredibly wonderful people. The wine is outstanding, and we even got to walk into the vineyard to sample a grape or two off of the vines. This one is worth the required appointment. We’ll definitely be back.

This place is amazing. A part of me wants to keep it a secret so it doesn’t ever turn into one of those commercialized, tour bus winery stops in the future. Another part of me is eager to share this with like minded wine lovers who appreciate small scale family oriented, super knowledgable, and friendly service. Be sure to make an appointment.
I was here with two friends in mid June. It was a Thursday morning appointment. It is a VIP experience start to finish for a $ 15 tasting fee that is easily waived with a wine bottle purchase. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, a representative from the winery walks out and greeted us at our car with a glass of wine. Wow! Then we got seated at a table with a few others who made the same time appt. it was six of us and then a very knowledgable gal who took us through all the tastings of wine and even provided a lot of history about Dundee Hills region.
Afterwards I bought a bottle of the rose wine we tasted. It was a great value at $ 25 and it waived the tasting fee. Love to come here again!

This is everything a wine tasting experience should be. From the building to the setting to the people to the wines. Everything.
Soter offers tastings by appointment only. And oh is it worth it. The tasting facility is a beautiful lodge with a couple of out-​buildings. You’re welcomed at the door with a glass taste, and start out in the gorgeous main lodge. When your group has assembled, your personal taster takes you down to one of the two out-​buildings for a seated professional tasting. Attention to detail is everywhere, and the tasters are super knowledgable.
The wines themselves? Exquisite. Some are creeping up there in price, however unlike a lot of other overpriced wines in this valley, the quality here stands up to the price. On our last visit the 2012 Mineral Springs Ranch blew my mind. Ranked 17 on WS’s Top 100 list, I can understand where the accolades come from. I know ’12 was an amazing vintage year in Oregon, however this is above and beyond most of the 12’s I’ve tasted. Their bubbly is pretty insane as well, however at $ 65 I can’t afford many bottles of that. I did score two magnums of the ’12 MSR, and I’m blown away at how inexpensive this wine is for how amazing it is. I had tasted an $ 85 bottle earlier in the day that simply came nowhere close to even the lower end bottles here.
Oh, and the best part? Buy one bottle and your tasting fee is waved. For this quality experience?! That’s how it’s done. Take note all you other tasting rooms that require $ 100+ purchases to erase a single $ 15 tasting fee. This is how it’s supposed to be done.
Amazing wines, amazing facility, and great people. You owe it to yourself to make a stop here when you’re in the area. But call in advance!

We had a great tasting experience in a private little «outbuilding» that used to be the owner’s sleeping lodge. Just gorgeous.
Delicious wines, excellent detailed info on the grapes, the process, and the regions by David.
We will come back on our next trip to Oregon.

This is a brilliant location and wonderful environment. Their private tasting are educational and lovely. I highly recommend coming up here, joining the club, and enjoying a glass of Pinot with the view.

Outstanding setting, fantastic wine and unbelievable hospitality. We arrived without an appointment just before closing time only to have one of the hospitality staff (Casey) walk out to meet us with three glasses of wine. From there we were educated on their wine and taken to one of their separate buildings to try some of Soter’s wines. It was by far the most personal tasting experiences we’ve ever had in the Valley.
The staff at Soter were engaging, knowledgeable and made us feel so welcome, we will definitely be sending friends back. Not to mention, if you like sparkling, Soter is the best!

Wow, I totally forgot to review this when we visited. Though my cellartracker notes are in hand.
The facilities are nice. Overlooking the vineyards to the south. Very well educated and accommodating staff.
Pinot 2010 rose: nice underripe red fruits/​white rind of watermelon, but it needed a bit more minerality
North Valley 2010 Pinot: A step up from the ‘planet’ botteling, but this was a tougher vintage and this doesn’t hold up. Other basic bottlings are much better in the price range.
North Valley 2010 Chard: Similarly light offering. Heard the other chard was better.
Mineral Springs 2010: Very nice. Some cola and coffee with enough acid to provide the balance. One of the most expressive 2010’s we had. Some good depth. Perhaps a touch overpriced in the $ 60 range (more similar quality to $ 40 – 50 bottlings at other vineyards)
White Label 2009: Succulent. Very extracted but balanced. Smutty comes to mind, but for this vintage that’s actually reserved. Silken texture reminiscent of RRV fruit. Certainly a step up in terms of persistence and depth on the palate ($ 80 range)
Reservations: required
Cost: $ 20/​per but comp’d with purchase
Overall: Higher end pinots are solid regardless of vintage. Soter doesn’t hide a bit of new world veneer to the wines, but the top flight wines are very good if a bit overpriced and never go over the edge to fruit bomb land. They also have a brut sparkling (Soter is famous for Napa sparklings). Certainly a very nice experience.

Wow, this is an experience. I have been wanting to come here since last year, when Melvin T. suggested it at the UYE I attended. My hubby made an appointment, since this vineyard is by appointment only. They offer appointments at 11, 1 and 3, since we were driving from Hood River and it was a little later in the morning, we secured a 3p.m. appointment. Once you get there, you are welcomed with your first tasting. The tasting is set up in what used to be the owners home (they now live in Portland). They have three beautifully set up tables of 6. The tasting fee is $ 20, which is waived with any wine purchase. Our first tasting was our welcome wine, the 2013 Rosè, it was delicious, since the guests at our table were running a little late, we were lucky enough to get a second helping of it. Next was the 2011 Reserve Chardonnay, my husband loved it, so we had to have a bottle of this one. The third wine was the 2012 North Valley Pinot Noir and that was the bottle I bought. The last two were 2011 Pinot noire also great wines. The setting lends itself to a nice experience and you can chat with the other guest at a leisurely pace. This was so awesome, I will have to come back next year.

Some great wines here in a casual exclusive atmosphere (by appt only). A very friendly host walked us through their history and six wines at a leisurely pace. Really enjoyed that it was the four of us in their cabin in the woods. Spectacular views and wildflowers at this excellent winery.

One of the loveliest wine experiences I have ever had. A lovely rustic place overlooking the Carlton area with shade trees and patio spaces. Could be a good spot for a large gathering I’d think. Very knowledgeable host and super gracious (we were 15 minutes late for our appointment after getting lost.) The rose and chardonnay wines here are light and refreshing with some bold pinots as well. Of course they are known for their pinot and it was not disappointing at all. They only taste by appointment and it is well worth your time for a visit.

I am finishing up my bottle of perfect Planet Oregon PN. Drinking it straight from the bottle; it’s that hard to put down!
Tony Soter… love your skills!

Soter is an incredibly beautiful winery with a pleasant tasting room. Unlike the other tasting rooms at mid-​end wineries, Soter welcomes you in a large farmhouse style eatery area. The staff was extremely pleasant, knowledgeable and warm. The wines were reasonable, but prepared very «old world» style. The slight nuance within their pinots, on a comparative basis, were hints of spice, black cherry, tannin (grip) and some minerality.
In general the wines were of high quality but lacking distinct character.

This place is soooooo worth the call to make a reservation. The setting was spectacular. The hosts were knowledgable, friendly and no pressure to buy — probably they know once you’ve tasted the wine you won’t want to leave without a bottle or two or three or … You can see where this is going.
Which wine you ask is good. To that I say YES! We enjoyed them all. You can’t go wrong.

Imagine yourself on a cool Oregon day driving through the country side. Top down. Wind blowing through your hair. You drive up a windy dirt road and end up at your lovely destination. A beautiful young woman greets you in the driveway with a smile and a glass of wine. You think your dreaming til your wife slaps you upside your head and you realize this shit is real.
You get invited in and once inside a table greets you with glasses and wines already set up. Paper and pen too in case you want to take notes. For the next hour plus you get a wonderful education and appreciation of fine wines.
$ 20 gets you a half dozen of the most delicious wines in the region. A chard/​gewurtzraminer blend, a chard, several pinots, and a sparkling brut.
Of course the fee is waved if you buy.
After tasting you are invited to stroll around the grounds including the gardens and the vinyard. The hillside is not only teaming with vines but also wildlife. We saw a variety of birds and the host has seen coyotes and foxes on the property.
After a relaxing stroll, you pick up your wine and get into your car. No dream here but now its back to reality.
PS make sure you have a reservation!

My experience here was brilliant!
Seriously, just bury me here when I die.
Or compost me and let me fertilize their grapes.
(okay, that might not sell any wine)
The setting is incredible — the main building belongs in the pages of Dwell magazine, with its generous space and openness to the outdoors, spilling onto a beautiful view of the Willamette Valley.
Being greeted with a glass of bubbly right as we stepped out of our car was a surprising (and very welcomed) introduction. The three girls who explained their locale, mission, land and products were jovial and so easy to get along with (also worth mentioning, all quite beautiful). I could have spent my entire afternoon there… tasting their delicious wines and playing with the adorable (two) dogs running around the property.
They are in the process of being accredited as a bio-​dynamic farm and I’m fascinated to know more.
Love Love Love… I’ll be returning here!

BEEEEYOOOOOOOTIFFFFFFUUUUUL!
Soter’s «tasting room» is actually the Soter family’s beautifully designed, open-​air living room that sits stop the hills of Carlton. This is their home that they share with a lucky select few. It is a unique way to taste wine in a region filled with wineries and tasting rooms. You might spend more time taking pictures of the beautiful view and their home than you will tasting the wine. Soter Vineyards offers private tasting limited to 6 people. At 11AM, 1PM, and 3PM. It is a very intimate affair. Call ahead for reservations.
As soon as my wife and I stepped out of our car, the guide, Rob, welcomed us with our first wine of a 5 course flight. We took in the expansive views with our glass of wine as we waited for the rest of the guests. We then sat a beautifully set 6 seat wooden table with 5 glasses and a carafe of water. This is a communal tasting and we enjoyed chatting up with the other guests and Rob. He expertly described every flight. One of the flights poured was from a bottle that retails for $ 125! At the end of our tasting, he generously poured us an extra flight of our favorite taste.
The tasting fee of $ 20/​person is refunded with ANY purchase. Let me say that again so the other wineries can hear. Soter will waive your tasting fee with ANY purchase… No minimums! The trend in Oregon wine country is that wineries will only waive your tasting fee if you spend a minimum amount (Usually $ 40-​$ 50 purchase per person). Rob said the Soter’s gave decreed they have no plans to shove a minimum purchase in our face. I love that expert and friendly business practice. I supported them and bought two bottles of wine and no tasting fee. The other wineries we visited with minimum purchases got no such additional business from me.
Since the «tasting room» is actually the family’s private residence, there are no blue wine tourist signs directing you to the vineyard. After turning south on 240, take the 1^st gravel road on the left. The only sign on the road is their house number, 10 880 .
From top (of the hills) to bottom, Soter Vineyards is doing wine tasting right. They provide a uniquely, private and beautiful setting for your wine tasting that is unrivaled in the Carlton area.