Being a half-hour drive from campus, Sweet Cheeks Winery is a great option for a visitor’s weekend itinerary in Eugene.
Sweet Cheeks is a wonderful place to visit on a fall or spring weekend. The rolling hills of the vineyard make for a lovely photo backdrop. After grabbing a glass, sit at a table outside or walk along the vineyards.
Winery General Manager Jessica Thomas’ grandfather, Dan Smith, built the winery almost two decades ago. Thomas, who had gone to school for event planning, began shadowing the events at the winery with her grandfather while finishing her degree at UO.
According to Thomas, wine production is split in half between its vineyard and partner vineyards in Southern Oregon. Winemakers at Sweet Cheeks look for the right sugar level of the grapes for each style of wine they make.
While the tasting room was built in 2005, the Vineyard was planted throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Thomas’ family background did not begin in wine, rather, Smith worked in refrigeration.
Smith had not intended to build a winery until he completed the vineyard in 2001. Once the vineyard was completed, Smith felt that he needed to share the experience of wine and family with others.
“Wine can be very intimidating to people, and we want to ensure that we can share the art of winemaking in a way that people want to relate to,” Thomas said.
Some of the varieties of wines grown at Sweet Cheeks include Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Riesling. Sweet Cheeks partners with wineries in Southern Oregon to purchase grapes to bring a variety to the Willamette Valley.
Thomas has worked with Quail Run and Pebblestone Vineyards, just a short drive down I-5 to bring in grapes that grow in warmer climates down south.
Eryk Puzon, a third-year student at the University of Oregon, organized his fraternity’s Mother’s Day weekend event at Sweet Cheeks. Puzon said that they chose the winery for their efficient booking services and panoramic scenery.
“We chose Sweet Cheeks for their beautiful scenery,” Puzon said. “We will definitely be returning in the future.”

Thomas explained that the climate in Lane County gets a bigger temperature shift than any other area of the Willamette Valley. Thomas says that they can get anywhere from an 80-degree day to high 40s at night.
Pinot Noir is a varietal that needs a very specific climate to grow. It needs enough sunlight to ripen but is sensitive to too much heat due to the grapes’ thin skin. Thomas says this allows Pinot Noir to thrive here in Eugene.
“We have more of those mild temperatures. We really don’t get as many heat spikes as they do down in Southern Oregon,” Thomas said.
The Winery has endured difficulties like wildfires, a pandemic and founder Dan Smith’s passing in 2018. Thomas says her favorite bottle ever produced is the 2021 reserve Pinot Noir.
“After a few years in a row of us having to really buckle down and embrace the challenges we were facing,” Thomas said. “That wine really captures us coming out of so many headwinds and challenges.”
Sweet Cheeks also hosts their part-time staff on a harvest day on the line with the winemakers to understand how a harvest works.
Thomas said she enjoyed taking around many visitors for the Ohio State football game during harvest season. Showing visitors the tractors coming in and grapes is all a part of why Thomas shares her passion for wine with others.
The family traditions of wine picking at Sweet Cheeks extend to the vineyard. Thomas’s six-year-old daughter, Olivia, has picked grapes with the winery’s first employee, Leo Gabica.
The two stand next to each other and Olivia tries the grapes first bin during a harvest. The grapes, which Thomas reiterates do not have alcohol in them, will get a thumbs up from her daughter if she enjoys them.
“That’s just a special thing to me because Dan did all this,” Thomas said. “For that to be Olivia and Leo’s tradition is really special.”