Salem, Ore. (Mar. 16, 2023) – TIME reveals the third annual list of the World's Greatest Places, highlighting 50 extraordinary travel destinations around the world, including Oregon's Willamette Valley.

To compile this list, TIME solicited nominations of places—including countries, regions, cities and towns—from its international network of correspondents and contributors, with an eye toward those offering new and exciting experiences.

The Willamette Valley, Oregon's famed wine country and known “pinot noir powerhouse,” has continued to transform throughout the years, and its placement on this year's list is recognition of that growth and progress.

“In the past two decades, the number of wineries in the state's first American Viticultural Area (AVA) has grown from 135 to more than 700 today,” writes Nicholas DeRenzo a contributing journalist at TIME. “In July, the eight-suite Tributary Hotel changed the game when it opened in a more-than-a-century-old former hardware store in downtown McMinnville, with celebrated chef Matthew Lightner—formerly of New York City's two Michelin-starred Atera—at the helm of its restaurant ōkta.” DeRenzo continued to highlight the new and exciting things happening in the area by spotlighting winemaker Remy Drabkin, known for her award-winning old-world Italian varietals,fighting for industry inclusivity with her organization Wine Country Pride and holding the position of the first female mayor in McMinnville's 140-year history.

A destination committed to protecting and nurturing the environment, the Willamette Valley upholds a regenerative philosophy aimed at protecting the valley's lush forests, countless waterfalls and oak forests surrounding wineries like Left Coast Cellars. Located just outside of Salem, the winery's tasting room is situated in the midst of a serene oak forest and is doing its part in helping steer the conversation around conservation and sustainability while producing world-class wines.

Read more here: www.time.com/collection/worlds-greatest-places-2023/6261537/willamette-valley-oregon/

About the Willamette Valley Visitors Association
The Willamette Valley, defined as the area between the crest of the Cascade Mountains and the crest of the Coast Range, from Newberg south to Cottage Grove, is the largest river valley in the Pacific Northwest. Willamette Valley Visitors Association (WVVA) is a private, nonprofit organization that supports travel and tourism in the Willamette Valley, Oregon's Wine Country. Comprising six destination marketing organizations, WVVA works to maintain the Willamette Valley as Oregon's premier travel destination, while also highlighting the culture, heritage and natural resources of the region. For more information, visit https://willamettevalley.org/