Winter sunrise at Hagg Lake in Gaston, Oregon in the Tualatin Valley
What’s New in Tualatin Valley?

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What’s New in Tualatin Valley?

What’s New & Coming Soon to Tualatin Valley: 2021

New Wineries & Tasting Rooms

Amaterra Wines (opening 2021/2022) is located in the West Hills (also known as the Tualatin Mountains) that separate Portland from the Tualatin Valley, is opening a new, exciting new state-of-the-art winery, tasting room and restaurant in 2021. Amaterra–in the Tualatin Hills AVA–will be the closest estate winery to downtown Portland, and with its on-site restaurant, will be the first of its kind in Tualatin Valley. The restaurant will feature a full menu of locally sourced ingredients, promising a unique dining experience.

NOW OPEN: Sidereus Vineyard and Winery is a new boutique winery located in the farming community of Cornelius, Oregon, and situated in the Laurelwood District American Viticultural Area (AVA) of the Willamette Valley. The estate-grown vineyards produce Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Riesling.

NOW OPEN: Benza Vineyards, which has been growing winegrapes in Hillsboro since the early 2000s and producing wine for many vintages, opened its first tasting room. Also located in the Laurelwood District AVA, Benza crafts Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Rose, and Sparkling wines from its LIVE-certified, 12-acre estate vineyard.

NOW OPEN: Carpenter Creek Winery and Farm, located at the base of Oregon’s Coast Range, is a 25-acre farm, complete with a herd of Tennessee Walking horses. Carpenter Creek produces a variety of wines, including Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Malbec and Syrah. The winery is open for outdoor patio or indoor seating in the rustic, cozy tasting room.

NOW OPEN:  Barking Frog Winery has been producing small batches of handcrafted Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley as well as Syrah, Sangiovese, and Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington grapes since 2005. In 2021, this Sherwood-based winery opened its second tasting room, and its first in Old Town Sherwood. The new tasting room is open for open for to-go purchases and outside seated tastings.

NOW OPEN: Maloof Wines (now open by appointment only) is planning to open a tasting room at its estate winery on a legacy vineyard located outside of Forest Grove in the Tualatin Hills American viticultural area (AVA). Maloof Wines is owned by a husband-and-wife winery team and have been producing wine since 2015 and purchased the vineyard in 2020. Their vision is to produce single-vineyard wines of often overlooked or misunderstood white varieties, in addition to making both white and red Cuvées.

Lodging

NOW OPEN: Home2Suites Hillsboro, located in the Tanasbourne area, is a 153-suite hotel featuring spacious rooms, free WiFi, fitness center, indoor pool and more. The hotel, which opened July 2021, is conveniently situated off Highway 26 and is close to retail, restaurants and many of Tualatin Valley’s best-loved attractions.

NOW OPEN: Element by Westin Beaverton (opened late April 2021) is a 107-room hotel with a focus on sustainability. Element Hotels encourage a sense of well being through a nature-influenced environment that focuses on sustainability. The hotel reflects the smart design of urban residences with layouts that maximize the room space, and the spacious rooms include in-room kitchens. Amenities include complimentary breakfast, on-site laundry, fitness center, electric vehicle charging, bicycle rentals and more.

NOW OPEN: Hyatt House Beaverton opened in early February 2021, and boasts 125 rooms, including 25 suites with fully equipped kitchens. Located in central Beaverton, within walking distance to Beaverton’s best restaurants and food carts, the hotel is just steps away from the MAX light rail and is close to shopping, outdoor recreation and more.

COMING SOON: 

Cedartree Hotel (opening late-2021) is one of six new hotels slated to open in Tualatin Valley in the next 18-24 months. This unique hotel property will bring a Japanese-style experience with a saké bar, outdoor Onsen (soaking pool), as well as other amenities including an on-site restaurant.

Additional hotels opening in 2021 include:

Outdoor Recreation

After more than a decade of planning and preserving the land, Wapato Lake National Wildlife Refuge is now open to the public. This new national refuge features hiking trails and six hunting blinds (permits are required).

Scheduled to open later in 2021 is the Chehalem Ridge Nature Park, a1,250-acre nature park with 10 miles of trails for walking, off-road cycling and horseback riding. Three miles of accessible trails for all ages and abilities also will be featured. The park is home to multiple habitats, including upland forests, oak woodlands and wetlands, and boasts spectacular views of the Tualatin Valley.

2020 In Review

It’s no secret that 2020 was a tough year for all of us. However, in light of the trials and tribulations of the year, there were multiple bright spots for Tualatin Valley, including the designation of two new wine appellations and new hotel and restaurant openings.

Culinary

In the spring of 2020, two new American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) were established in Tualatin Valley: Laurelwood District and Tualatin Hills; Tualatin Valley currently has 30 estate wineries, with new estate wineries scheduled to open to the public in 2021.

Two acclaimed wineries in Sherwood have provided new experiences at their wineries:

  • Alloro Vineyards opened a new “Tasting House,” a gorgeous new tasting facility overlooking the vines and valley below. (Due to current restrictions, reservations are required and all tastings will be conducted outdoors)
  • Hawks View Winery opened its new members-only tasting room, an exquisite indoor tasting room with a rooftop terrace. (Due to current restrictions, Hawks View Winery’s tasting room is temporarily closed)

In 2020, Tualatin Valley welcomed a Great Notion Brewery, which selected Beaverton for its third taproom location. This acclaimed brewery is known for its culinary-inspired sours and stouts and hazy IPAs.

Downtown Beaverton is shaping up to be a culinary destination, which attracts locals, Portland diners and visitors alike. Beaverton’s “Restaurant Row” is a collection of dining and beverage establishments within a block radius, providing a global dining experience to this city of less than 100,000 residents. In 2020, a handful of new restaurants opened downtown:

  • Hip Tokyo export Afuri opened its newest Portland area location in downtown Beaverton in late spring 2020. Afuri, named by Eater as one of the best ramen shops in the Portland region, specializes in seasonal bowls made with local ingredients.
  • Owners of the popular Top Burmese concept opened its newest venture, Bistro Royale, in early 2020. The restaurant is known for its Green Leaf Tea Salad and other vegan Burmese dishes, as well as its meat dishes.
  • Koya Sushi (opened July 2020) is a high-end Japanese restaurant that uses fresh ingredients to create sushi, appetizers and classic Japanese dishes.

Lodging

My Tiny House Village is a “village” of tiny homes, nestled in the Sherwood Forest (in southern Tualatin Valley), close to wineries and farms. The village is relatively new and opened to visitors sometime in late-2019 or early-2020.

In addition to My Tiny House Village, a couple of new branded hotels also opened in Tualatin Valley: Hampton Inn Sherwood, the first-ever hotel in the small city of Sherwood, and Staybridgs Suites Orenco Station, an extended-stay hotel in Hillsboro.

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