Our Favorite Main Street

Walk down Third Street in McMinnville and it’s easy to sense a universality in its charm and familiarity. One that extends far beyond the town, the Willamette Valley or even Oregon. Like other pioneers joining the Great Migration of 1843, William T. Newby was stricken with an adventurously optimistic outlook on what would betide in the faraway wilds of the Pacific Northwest. But he was also journeying thousands of miles from the place he knew best. So, like many towns dotting the Oregon Territory, he named his newly established land after his home—which happened to be McMinnville, Tennessee, itself named after a Revolutionary War veteran.

Since the early 20th century, Third Street has shifted from a hub of agriculture and industrial supply to a favorite place for locals and tourists to dine—with, of course, a glass of wine. Although the surrounding Willamette Valley is known globally for its enviable viticultural prowess, it’s in fact a fairly recent addition to McMinnville’s delightful reputation. The early vintners of the 1970s helped transform McMinnville yet again, this time into a destination for wine lovers worldwide. Now, the surrounding land alone boasts 220 wineries of the Willamette Valley’s nearly 600 total.

Maybe you won’t make it to all of them, but even a stroll down McMinnville’s main drag gives you the essence of what this beautiful valley has come to be known for.