Wine festivals all over the world celebrate various aspects of viticulture, but one niche has gone blatantly overlooked—queer wine. Remy Drabkin, the lesbian winemaker behind Remy Wines, was frustrated that her community was not being recognized for their contribution to wine culture, so she created the world’s first queer wine festival. Since 2022, Queer Wine Fest has been held in McMinnville, Oregon, annually on the last Sunday of June.
Drabkin was born and raised in McMinnville, where she serves as the first female and openly queer mayor. Even before launching the festival, Drabkin was making connections between wine and the LGBTQ2S+ community. In 2020, Drabkin co-founded the non-profit Wine Country Pride to bring visible allyship and LGBTQ2S+ representation to the wine industry. Many of Drabkin’s wines provide financial support to queer organizations through the non-profit.
While Oregon is often overshadowed by world-famous California wines, McMinnville wines are gaining in popularity. Oregon’s wine region is at a similar latitude as Burgundy, France, so it’s no surprise pinot noir and chardonnay are the region’s most popular wines. Notably, there’s a burgeoning queer wine scene there with over a dozen queer-led wineries, winemakers and growers.
“The queer wine community in Oregon is at its core collaborative and communal with one overarching theme—queers supporting queers,” Drabkin says. “We’re aiming to establish Oregon as the most vocal and seen queer wine industry.”
Attending the Queer Wine Fest is a joy for winemakers and wine drinkers alike. The festival is set up on the front lawn of Remy Wines, just across the road from sprawling farmland that thrives in the summer sunshine. Both LGBTQ2S+ and straight attendees mingle with passionate queer winemakers who are eager to share their stories as folks try their wines. There’s a buzz of excitement in the air as live music serenades the crowd of queer friends both new and old. Guests may sample as many wines as they’d like including white, red, rosé, and sparkling wines of many styles and varieties beyond the pinot noir and chardonnay wines most well-known in the region.
There are fantastic accommodation options within a 15-minute drive of the festival. If you’ve always wanted to try sleeping in an Airstream, book a spot at The Vintages Trailer Resort (16205 SE Kreder Rd., Dayton). If staying in McMinnville, consider The Atticus Hotel (375 NE Ford St., McMinnville) or the Tributary Hotel (610 NE 3rd St., McMinnville).
The Willamette Valley, where Queer Wine Fest is held, is featured in Bloomberg’s Where to Go in 2024. It’s easy to spend a long weekend in the region experiencing a variety of wines. Be sure to explore McMinnville’s celebrated dining scene while you’re there. Within Mac Market warehouse space (1140 NE Alpine Ave., McMinnville), you’ll find Hayward serving up farm-fresh dishes meant to share—be sure to try a fermented dish, Chef Kari’s speciality. The market is also home to a zero-waste shop, a bakery, a bar and more. Down the street in the Atticus Hotel is a fantastic Mediterranean restaurant, Cypress. Up for more local wines? Stop by the Pinot Vista Tasting Lounge to try a few more varieties.
