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20 reviews for Penner-Ash Wine Cellars
20 reviews in English
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Review from Julie T.
11/15/2010
i haven't been to a ton of wineries, but this one is mega beautiful.
the $5 flight sample wines seemed to be a great value. i would like to go here when someone else is driving. -
Review from Brian B.
Portland, OR
12/31/2011
Not quite sure, who these people think they are - I'm in the industry, and I hate to say this was a horrible experience. I wanted to buy wines and had the Asst wine maker Brian with us - I bought a fair amount of wines, and would have bought more...and they still charged me for the tasting...really?!!! Never...The myth of this wine is solved...
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Review from Christy h.
Portland, OR
10/25/2011 2 photos
I thought the scenery and ambiance of the winery was amazing. I loved the large tasting room in the back. The view was killer! One of the best in the willammette valley. The pinots were okay. None really stood out for me however. Awesome tasting room an view but not much going on for the wine. Just my pallet. Maybe others would enjoy though.
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Review from Anna S.
Campbell, CA
11/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
A beautiful winery and great views of the valley, but expensive tasting fee. We paid $15 to taste 3 of their pinots. BF picked up a bottle of their more expensive pinots and they still charged us for the tasting. I think it would have been a nice gesture to wave our fee with our purchase considering it was a rainy day without a lot of foot traffic. Their pinots are decent but I would rather spend a little more for a bottle of Argyle or Archery Summit pinots.
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Review from blanca g.
Santa Cruz, CA
8/23/2011
Beautiful view. Gorgeous facility. Decent pinot noirs, but this area is packed with winemakers who are creating excellent pinots. Very spendy. We did a $10 (riesling, Rubeo, pinot and syrah) flight and the $15 pinot flight (3 pinots). We bought a $60 bottle of pinot and they still charged us $25 for the tastings. I appreciate that folks who taste shall pay, but if you pony up the cash, perhaps the tasting fees could slide? Be sure you bring a picnic; the views are outstanding!
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Review from Kathleen H.
Newport Beach, CA
8/30/2010
At first, we missed the turn onto Penner-Ash. We turned around after a quarter mile, and turned onto the gravel road leading up the hill to their property. As we drove, we were in awe of the gorgeous view of the valley just below. Then, as we pulled into the parking lot, we saw a gorgeous view of the vineyards. It's really magnificent. We were greeted with smiles as we entered the beautiful tasting room. We walked out into the gorgeous grounds and picnic area which made us eager to start our tasting.
There were two flights to try - $5 multi-wine flight (lame) or a $15 all pinot flight. We really enjoyed the pinots we tasted and would recommend it to anyone.
The single-vineyard wines were what attracted to us to visit, but I have to admiit, the wines are a bit more expensive than I imagined, contrary to what I would expect of wines from this region. We were first-timers and we were armed with a wine magazine / guide and an Amex card. We were in good shape. We bought some wine that would be shipped in late October, weather-permitting, and we are really looking forward to receiving them.
All in all, we had a great experience here and recommend this beautiful locale to anyone visiting. -
Review from Brooke M.
Portland, OR
7/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Beautiful view!!!
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Review from Thad W.
Seattle, WA
12/2/2007 1 photo
I could not have ended my tour of Yamhill County wineries in a better way than the experience provided at Penner-Ash Wine Cellars. This is a special place in so many ways, from the facility's thoughtful architectural design, to the connected experiences offered tasting Penner-Ash wine.
I had learned about Penner-Ash while listening to the 3 Wine Guys, who recommended their wine during a podcast that featured four 2005 Oregon pinot noirs. After hearing their show, I was eager to visit the Penner-Ash winery and try some of their wines myself. Little did I know how this online discovery via iTunes would turn into a fantastic offline experience at the Penner-Ash winery.
When you turn at the Penner-Ash sign from the main road, you can't see the winery, only the gravel path leading up a hill into a dense patch of trees. As you make your away up the hill, the trees give way to rows of grapes in the Dussin Vineyard, their 15 acre estate vineyard, which is one of eleven places they source grapes. The road crests providing a wide view of the winery, which is set at the top of the hill, creating a picturesque setting.
The Penner-Ash winery, which was built in 2005, appears as if it were meant for this hillside - the architectural design, from landscaping to building, complements the surroundings very well. And their thoughtful design extends inside, where it's clear this facility was built with both winemaker and visitor in mind, for it is inside where connections between vine and wine are most apparent. From the tasting room, visitors have a variety of views looking out across the vineyard to the valley beyond or down into various levels inside this gravity-flow complex.
The design and style of Penner-Ash reminded me of the Novelty Hill-Januik winery in Woodinville. In a similar way, Penner-Ash has established a benchmark in winery design and construction that enables visitors to go beyond the bottle. By replacing walls with glass, Penner-Ash creates a level of transparency that is rare in most wineries I have visited. There's no need for visitors to ask, "can we take a look at what's going on in back?", for you can see it for yourself while sipping wine in the tasting room.
In combination with its spectacular setting, Penner-Ash provides knowledgeable staff and great service. I was fortunate to be served by Natalie, who is responsible for direct sales and hospitality. Natalie created a tasting experience that was enjoyable and enlightening, offering many stories behind the who, what and where of Penner-Ash wine. With each glass poured and story told, I was feeling more and more connected to the people and places behind this winery.
For example, I learned a lot about the founder and winemaker,Lynn Penner-Ash, who spent thirteen years at Rex Hill before leaving to dedicate herself to her own label. She and her husband, Ron, started Penner-Ash as a side venture in 1998 and eventually partnered with Chris and Tyanne Dussin in 2001 to establish the winery on a fulltime basis. You can read more about these folks and other aspects at the Penner-Ash web site, which like the winery, offers a benchmark in site design and usability.
I enjoyed hearing these stories as Natalie poured each glass offered in the tasting flight, a 2006 Dry White Riesling, a 2005 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, a 2006 Rubeo (syrah/pinot blend), a 2005 Oregon Syrah, and a 2006 Roseo (pinot rose). In addition, Natalie offered tastes of their 2006 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and 2006 Dussin Vineyard Pinot Noir. The tasting fee was only $5, which was refunded with my purchase of the '06 Dry Riesling and '05 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, two wines I can't wait to open soon.
It was a lot of fun tasting the wines and hearing Natalie impart information on each bottle's grapes, vineyards, and winemaking style. Best of all, she let the wines speak for themselves, without bragging about awards or reviews. Natalie's passion for Penner-Ash made for a great experience. I've lost count the number of wineries that subscribe to a "fill 'em up and get 'em out" approach. Not at Penner-Ash, where you are encouraged to linger and learn about the people and places behind their wines.
I look forward to coming back to Penner-Ash on my next visit to Yamhill County, to spend more time in this special setting and to discover more about their wines. I recommend you do the same on your next trip to Oregon wine country. -
Review from Michele R.
Bend, OR
4/21/2010 4 photos
For full disclosure, we're fans of Penner-Ash wines. They make some wonderful Pinot Noir, but our favs of their line up are two others. What seems to be at first blush an unlikely blend of Pinot Noir and Syrah called Rubeo and their Syrah bottling itself which we think is absadarntively great.
In the handful of years that we've been enjoying Penner-Ash wines we had not made a trip to the winery until last week. What a great experience it was to see the remarkable setting and tasting room building, sample good wines and pick up a couple of bottles to take home.
TASTING THE WINES: On the day we visited there were six wines in the tasting flight at a cost of $10. (Not refunded with purchase. More on that in the Bottom Line comments.) The six were Viognier, Syrah, Rubeo, Dussin Vineyards Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and Rose. (The Rose was a house add and not included in the "official" flight.)
We didn't know Penner-Ash bottled Viognier until this visit. Not typically one of our favorite varietals as our experience has been that most are too floral for our tastes. But the Penner-Ash Viognier was delightful for the nose of what seemed to us to be more pear and stone fruit with the same on the finish and a really nice acid balance. This is a Viognier that we'd buy and drink..
Rubeo was the wine that introduced us to Penner-Ash. It remains one of our favorites for a great bottle at a good price. Winery price is about $20 and available by retail for less. Some wine writer or another called this Syrah / Pinot Noir blend an "irreverent" wine, meaning it as a compliment we think. That is not all good wine needs to take itself too seriously. This is balanced with nice tannins and a lush flavor. Even if they're not sampling it at the tasting room when you go, although we hear they normally do, you won't be disappointed if you purchase a bottle of Rubeo blind and take it home to try it. (Or drop by our house, we always have bottles of Rubeo on hand!)
As for the Pinot Noirs, it confirms we are cheap winos that we enjoyed the Willamette ($45) over the Drussin ($60). Probably simply because the first is more drinkable now and at our ages we're getting nervous about having to put things away to age before drinking!
The tasting room staff was so knowledgeable about wine and passionate about the stellar products of Penner-Ash it was delightful to talk with her and the other customers there for tasting.
THE SETTING: Stunning view from this facility and the tasting room is warm welcoming in spite of the contemporary design. In some hands this can be too stark, but the Penner-Ash design it is just right. Also from the tasting room you can see into some of the production facility on the level below which has the sense of opening up the space and adding to the "winey" ambiance both. Take the time to go peek in the fireplace / private use room right off the tasting room and see the views from there. Wonderful.
ACCESSIBILITY: NYTimes restaurant critic Frank Bruni started paying attention to equal access for people of all abilities when a friend, who dined and drank with him, needed to use a wheelchair. While she was exactly the same person on four wheels as she was on two feet, many places where she had been a welcome "first class guest" before now had barriers that kept her out as "second class"
We pay attention too these days. So it was a wonderful to see how perfectly done is the Penner-Ash facility for equal access for people of all abilities! No surprise, we guess, given the high quality they use for all else to be extended to this too. From the parking lot, to the walkway into the tasting room, to the bi level tasting bar (that is one part lowered so people at seated height can access it) it was "spot on". In making this universal access so seamless, Penner-Ash in essence, posts a sign that says "All people are welcome here". Good for them!
BOTTOM LINE: Stellar wine, remarkable views, a beautiful and accessible tasting room....GO...drink some wine, buy some wine, you'll love it.
But we do have one concern. We hope PennerAsh might consider changing their tasting policy to provide refund of fee with some minimum (bottle or two) purchase. We think tasting fees are good things for many reason. But wine buyers pay more for wine at the winery than any other retail channel. And winemakers make the biggest per bottle profit from those sales. We don't mind paying more at wineries to support farmers and food artisans - wine makers are both. But, it does make us feel "had" when we purchase wine there and pay more for it to then not have the fee refunded with a purchase. Policy contrary to creating customer good will and loyalty it seems to us. -
Review from buggy b.
San Francisco, CA
8/9/2008 4 photos
Penner-Ash was one of two wineries I visited during my weekend stay in Portland. I have heard a lot of great things about the wineries in Portland, and so it was quite a treat to check a couple out. Penner-Ash didn't disappoint. Situated off of Ribbon Ridge Road, Penner-Ash couldn't pick a nicer facility - everything was quite new (less than three years since they moved there) and the space was beautifully developed with some great views of the wine county.
We walked in on a Saturday afternoon, and to no surprise, the place was pretty crowded. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. The folks were really helpful and informative when we had our wine tasting even though they were trying to multi-task and serve 2-3 other groups. The facility has a great patio for small groups to gather and share a bottle wine or two with some snacks.
Definitely worthwhile to check out when you're visiting the area! -
Review from Matt M.
Atlanta, GA
7/3/2010 2 photos
Penner-Ash is on the eastern edge of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, just west of the tiny Ribbon Ridge AVA. There, Lyn Penner-Ash makes killer Pinot Noir from single vineyards throughout the Willamette Valley. The modern-rustic eco-friendly winery has a tasting room that overlooks the gravity-flow cellars, also with sweeping views across the valley. Lush landscapes and vineyards surround the winery. It's a warm, friendly, and elegant atmosphere.
There are two tasting options. One that focuses on the basic blend of each of the varietals they produce. There you can taste Viognier, Pinot Gris, and Syrah- along with the Willamette Valley Pinot. The other option is a few bucks more and focuses on the single vineyard Pinot program. I opted for the latter, and enjoyed some very nice Pinot Noir. A nice elegant style overall. Those wines sold in the mid $50 range- pricey but not out of line for that level of quality in the area.
An enjoyable visit. -
Review from jeff w.
Austin, TX
3/29/2009
Penner Ash has been very consistent and one of the best I have had in the region.
At the time that I went, the standard tasting charge went towards purchasing a bottle of their wine. A good plan for the rising prices in Oregon's wine country; Nothing says go away like a non-applicable tasting charge. The VIP tasting however was good, but not applicable to the purchase.
Read the other glowing reviews for an idea of the wonderful view and decor of the place.. But remember you are there for the wine. -
Review from Julie M.
Charlottesville, VA
5/25/2009
I do not fancy myself a wine person, although I have been known to drink the stuff on occasion. I know the difference between good wine and bad wine, and which color goes with certain food. I mean, I did live in Northern California for fifteen years--a person learns this stuff almost by osmosis there.
Over Memorial Day weekend I found myself in Portland with some friends, one of whom was college buddies with Lynn Penner-Ash. It also happened to be the Penner-Ash Memorial Day Open House. Adding these two facts together led to three hours of comp'd wine tasting and a tour of the wonderful facilities.
Like I said, I can't give a review of the wine per se (although I really, really, really enjoyed the 07 Riesling, liked the 08 Viognier and Roseo, was "meh" on the Pinots except for the 07 Palmer Creek which I liked (but I'm not a big Pinot person anyway)). But the people are super -- everyone working there was nice and knowledgeable -- the grounds are beautiful, and the overall experience was quite lovely. Highly recommended for a tasting experience and a picnic destination (but don't be a jerk and bring wine from somewhere else!) -
Review from Tony M.
6/1/2010
We pulled up in our classic, 1992 Cadillac Limo, having been to two outstanding wine tastings at Tyrus Evans and Canus East. There were 6 of us plus our driver. We were not just tasting, we were buying! The signs stated that the tasting room was open unitl 5pm. We were excited because it was only about 4:20. We did our tasting and then were prepared to purchase a number of bottles to take with us and another bottle to sit out on the deck and enjoy. We were RUDELY informed that "we closed at 4 and we will be out of here by 5". In other words we were told to get the hell out of here we don't want your business. Well guess what, you did lose our business. It's really too bad to because we bought a lot of wine that day.
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Review from Bronwyn E.
Portland, OR
7/13/2011 3 photos
I went here last Sunday with a group of girlfriends. This place is a hidden gem located on a secluded hillside. They have beautiful gardens over-looking the hillside where the vineyards grow. The beautiful white lily was perfect for a photograph. This place was so peaceful with the rolling hills and honey bees. I could gaze at the view by their picnic table forever. My friends suggested installing hammocks nearby, because it made us feel so calm and relaxed just being there. The view is quite heavenly. The wine tastings offered were two flights. One for $10 and the other for $15. They specialize in Reds, and I prefer whites. My friend tried them and fell in love with both the Syrah and the Rubeo. She ended up buying the cheaper bottle, - the Rubeo for $20. The tasting room was very nice, and you can even see the production area/viewing from standing within this room. They also had some lovely art, and were very friendly. We were in for a pleasant treat. If you like Red Wine, make this one of your stops for sure. It's worth checking out just to see how lovely the view is!
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Review from Dane K.
12/18/2009 11 photos
amazing, scenic winery.
tour + tasting was $20/person. The tours start when they open at 11am and I think that's it for the day. We very coincidentally happened to be showing up right at 11 so decided to take the tour, but I think they encourage reservations for it. It was just us and another couple, who happened to live less than a mile from us halfway across the country. If you don't want the tour their tasting is $10 I believe.
Overall the tour was decent. It covered everything you'd expect, and really nothing was toooo unexpected, and if you've been on a handful of winery tours before you've probably seen just about everything covered here. So was it revolutionary? No. Was it worth it? Yes, because we got our tour cost rebated w/ our purchase. Also, the tour includes a private tasting (which as far as what it covers is somewhere between their regular and premium tasting they offer) which may make it worth it for many.
We were the first ones to show up at the winery at 11, so it was empty; after our tour 45 minutes or an hour later, the room was packed. Our tasting was in the giant fireplace room off to the side... Not having to elbow my way to the tasting bar turned out to be reason enough for taking the tour.
They have a mail order wine club where they'll pick and send you a bottle or two. There's no cost to join the club and they give you a 10-15% discount on the wine, which offsets the cost of shipping. If you sign up for the club and take the first shipment day of, they take the cost of the tour off of the first shipment (which you can pick up right then and there, or they'll ship it right away). We opted to join, so the $40 in tour was comped... the wine shipment was their ultra high end 2007 Pas De Nom, for $90.. Pricey, but they limited it to 5 barrels.
Their winery is state of the art, everything is gravity fed and they try to be as green as possible. The scenery is beautiful. They have a table or two outside overlooking the hills, and encourage you to byo picnic.
Overall their wine is nice. I can say some of it wasn't my favorite, but I think their Dussin pinot is great. Though pretty pricey too (as are many Oregon pinots though). -
Review from Jessica F.
Portland, OR
9/25/2010
Great views!!! Really nice tasting room and set up, I would definitely put this one on your list. They think their wines are top notch, but were not my favorite for the price point ($$$). That being said, they were decent. I would recommend this place, not for the wine, but for the great atmosphere and view that the winery offers. I would definitely put this on your winery tour list.
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Review from Dr X.
Portland, OR
8/22/2009
I don't mind paying $15 for tasting, but for that kind of money I expect my taste-buds entertained. It's more than a movie ticket. It was amazing how "pinch pennies can ruin a tasting". Isn't wine supposed to bring people together? Tasting room "karma" is terrible. But I went to this winery not for the tasting room karma but to taste wines, and I was not impressed. All their wines had this strong rotting bell pepper nose, "bitter palate backlash", alcohol on the nose and imbalance. I would not want a bottle. At an average of $50 per bottle I expected good wines. If you are reading this and are a full fledged pinot drinker I recommend skipping this and going for something good (check my other ratings).
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Review from ju C.
San Francisco, CA
4/14/2008
The winery has a nice tasting room/area and has some great views. The person serving us the wine knew what she was talking about and knew answers to our questions which is one of the most important part of the tasting experience. The wine itself is average and probably overpriced in my opinion so that's why it only deserves a 3 star - very average.
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Review from Gordon P.
Sherwood - Tualatin South, OR
5/16/2009 4 photos
Vineyard number two on our day in the sun was Penner-Ash Wine Cellars. Ron and Lynn Penner-Ash have a first rate winery here and it only keeps getting better such as a new sustainable, gravity-flow winery sited within their estate Dussin Vineyard completed in 2005, absolutely breathtaking. We were very fortunate to receive an invite to taste 15 or so of their wines plus wonderful hors d'oeuvres at no cost. We always think free is a very good price! We started on the main level with the 2007 Willamette Valley Riesling, 2008 Oregon Viognier and the 2008 Roseo; all are very well crafted wines by Lynn who is the winemaker. It was such a gorgeous day we sat out on their terrace with a glass of the Roseo. We then went to the lower lever, the heart of the operation to taste to taste their 2007 and 2008 Pinot Noirs. First up, 2007 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, 2007 Carabella Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2007 Palmer Vineyard Pinot, Noir, 2007 Dussin Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2007 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2007 Pas de Nom Pinot Noir and finally a 2006 Oregon Syrah. Then the barrel samples of their 2008. OK at this point I have misplaced the list of 2008s but I can tell you much like the other 2008 we tasted they are big wines and Lynn brings out the bigness in grand style. They have a tasting room, which is open Thursday - Sunday 11 am to 5pm and a breathtaking terrace with tables for a delightful vineyard picnic. Most vineyards don't seem to mind picnics but please "always" buy their wines for lunch they always have their wines by the bottle for sale.
We are so lucky here having vineyard country so close, just fantastic, it's like the Napa Valley back in the sixties. If you have never gone, get out and go it's one of our treasures.
