If your Thanksgiving weekend tasting plans start on Black Friday, how much of the season have you already missed? In 2026, the Willamette Valley Winery Association lists Wine Country Thanksgiving for November 20 to 22 and November 26 to 29. The association also notes that wineries closing over Thanksgiving weekend often hold their open houses the weekend before, with new fall releases and wine club exclusives.
That second line matters for anyone living between Newberg and Amity. The two weekends offer different kinds of events. The 2026 listings put more library tastings, capped seatings and member pricing on November 20 to 22. November 27 to 29 has more open houses where you can arrive with your in-laws and no booking.
One Tradition, Two Weekends
The Yamhill-Carlton AVA describes the custom as cellars and tasting rooms opening "during the weekends before and after Thanksgiving" to mark the end of harvest. In the WVWA's words, each winery "celebrates the festive weekend with its own flair," so the details come from individual listings.
The early weekend leans toward events with a set start time, a fixed headcount or an older bottle. The later weekend leans toward open doors.
November 20 to 22: Library Bottles, Set Times, Small Rooms
The first weekend opens Friday night in Carlton. Flâneur is hosting Friends of La Belle Promenade on November 20 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $125 and the event is capped at 65 guests. Six wineries will pour more than 10 wines from the same vineyard, covering Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, sparkling, Pinot Meunier and Aligoté, with a grazing spread from Hayward.
Saturday and Sunday are full of events that depend on older vintages or a planned arrival:
- EIEIO, Carlton, November 21 and 22, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. You email ahead to set an arrival time, and current and older vintages are opened every 15 minutes.
- Rain Dance Vineyards, Newberg, Saturday, November 21, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. A seated comparison of four library wines costs $50 and is free for club members. The fee is refunded with a three-bottle purchase. When you book through the estate tasting link, note that you want the library tasting.
- Soléna Estate, Yamhill, Saturday, November 21, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Crab-inspired bites come with special library pours for $45, free for Nos Amis members. Soléna asks for an RSVP, and tickets are also sold at the door while the bites last.
- Shea Wine Cellars, Newberg, Saturday, November 21, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., $40. This open house in the cellar includes current releases, bonus new-release pours, small bites from Good Company Cheese and time with the winery team.
- Balsall Creek, Newberg, Saturday, November 21, 4 to 6 p.m. The ticketed Sparkling Soirée costs $60, or $30 for club members. The first bottles of its 2023 Method Oregon Sparkling Brut will be opened, with heavy hors d'oeuvres and live music.
- Brick House Wines, Newberg, November 21 and 22, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days. The fall open house has current releases and holiday wine purchases.
Even the more casual events this weekend are built around a class or a time slot. Yamhill Valley Vineyards in McMinnville calls its weekend "The Thanksgiving Warm-Up." A truffle-making class at 11 a.m. on Saturday costs $50, or $30 for club members. Sunday at 1 p.m. brings a large-format tasting of library magnums for $15, free for club members. In Dundee, Knudsen Vineyards' fireside wreath workshop costs $75, or $60 for members, and includes materials and a glass of Family Series Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. Tock lists it for Sunday, November 22, from 1 to 3 p.m. and already showed it sold out in late October. Contact Knudsen directly about openings.
The Wineries Running Both Weekends
Several wineries take part in both weekends, and comparing their two listings shows the pattern most clearly.
| Winery | November 20–22 | November 27–29 |
|---|---|---|
| Fairsing Vineyard, Yamhill | Nov. 21–22, current flight with estate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and traditional-method sparkling; reservations recommended, walk-ins as space allows | Nov. 27–29, special flight, tasting-room exclusives, optional seated tasting with cheese and charcuterie; walk-ins welcome |
| Natalie's Estate Winery, Newberg | Nov. 21–22, four wines with charcuterie, $30 or free for Cellar Club, 10% off cases; reservation required | Nov. 27–29, four wines with charcuterie, $30 or free for Cellar Club and guests; by reservation |
| Yamhill Valley Vineyards, McMinnville | Truffle class and library-magnum tasting at set times | Nov. 27–28 open house, mulled wine, cheese and crackers, 2019 Pinot Noir Reserve; walk-ins welcome |
| Knudsen Vineyards, Dundee | Wreath workshop, sold out on Tock | Nov. 27–28 wood-fired pizza at $18, paid to the food vendor; reservations recommended |
| Dobbes Family Winery, Dundee | Nov. 21–22 holiday market in the cellar with local makers, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. | First sparkling red release, $25 flight; reservations suggested |
| Durant at Red Ridge Farms, Dayton | 17th annual Olio Nuovo Festival | Olio Nuovo Festival continues |
| Varnum Vintners, Amity | Nov. 20–22, $20 flight of traditional or alcohol-removed wine, or both side by side | Nov. 27–29 holiday stock-up |
Fairsing's booking rules relax between the two weekends. On the first, walk-ins are taken only as space allows. On the second, its listing says walk-ins are welcome. Yamhill Valley Vineyards moves from classes with start times to an open house where reservations are optional. Natalie's Estate keeps the same format and the same booking rule on both weekends, so plan on reserving there either way.
November 27 to 29: Formats That Work for a Group
The weekend after Thanksgiving has the most options for a mixed group of guests. That includes relatives who want a glass and some food, relatives who want to shop, and anyone who doesn't want to keep to a tasting reservation the morning after a big dinner.
- Walk in without a plan. Yamhill Valley Vineyards is open November 27 and 28 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It serves wine by the glass, mulled wine, and complimentary cheese and crackers, and reservations are optional. On Saturday, November 28, Cana's Feast in Carlton pours new releases and library wines with complimentary small bites. Reservations are recommended but not required.
- Combine wine with lunch or shopping. Knudsen Vineyards in Dundee is serving wood-fired pizza with wine on November 27 and 28. Seating is limited, so reserve ahead. Abbey Road Farm in Carlton lists a holiday market on November 27 and 28 with local artisans, lunch, wine pours and special pricing on wine purchases. The Potter's Vineyard and Clay Art Gallery in Newberg pairs tastings with gallery access from November 27 to 29 for $25, and reservations are recommended.
- Something new to taste. Dobbes Family Winery in Dundee is releasing its first sparkling red, made from 100% Syrah, as a bonus pour in a $25 flight. At Et Fille's Newberg tasting room, a $25 vertical compares its 2021, 2022 and 2023 Kalita Vineyard Pinot Noirs. Et Fille Club members taste free.
- A sit-down event for one occasion. Ambar Estate in Newberg hosts its Chardonnay & Crab Soirée on Saturday, November 28, from noon to 2:30 p.m. It is set up as an open house with indoor and outdoor seating, and tickets are $195, with lower pricing for Ambar Circle members.
Letting Someone Else Drive on Black Friday
When a group spends the day tasting, someone has to drive. Crush Wine Tour lists a "Ride Through The Hills" bus pass on November 27. It costs $20 and departs from Dayton Square at 10 a.m. The listing doesn't name the winery stops, so ask the tour company where the bus is going before you buy passes for the whole table.
Guests who stay into the following week will still find a tasting room open after the holiday events end. CASA ROCO at 11425 NE Hendricks Road in Carlton is open daily, and reservations are recommended. Its five-wine Portfolio flight costs $40. The Diamond and Taste of Italy flights cost $50, and the fee is waived with a qualifying bottle purchase.
Planning a house full of guests at the same time you're getting a home ready to sell, or settling into a new one? Shelley Lucas works with Wine Country clients on both, and she's happy to share which of these weekends she'd pick for out-of-town family. Right-Size Your Life by booking a free consultation.
