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Oregon Wine Tour Tips
7 Oregon Wine Tour Tips From A Guide - How To Get The Most Out Of Your Tasting Day In The Willamette Valley.
1. Plan For An Early Start -
I have this at the number 1 spot for a reason. With exceptions of course, the standard across the Willamette Valley is that most wineries will be closing up at 5pm and around 5:30pm will begin to politely shuffle out the lingering guests who don't want to go back home to reality. When to start? Well if you're coming from Portland, I'd recommend to leave by 10:30am. In general if you can make your first winery appointment by 11:00am you're in good shape to have a leisurely visit of 2 or 3 wineries, and most importantly - not be rushed through a tasting because you're next reservation is coming up. Unwinding at the vineyard is a huge part of the experience, and being pressed for time isn't gonna help. I'd also add that if you have a winery that is #1 on your list, make that your first appointment in the day, you're going to get more attention from the staff, and you'll get a better version of that winery before it gets slammed with guests who are 2 tastings in already.
3. Food -
Wine and food are meant to be together, and there are plethoras of wise quotes and corny anecdotes to that point. Plan to have some food along with your tastings, whether that's a restaurant pitstop, bringing snacks to a winery that allows it, or going to a winery that serves food as well. It's also worth considering looking for winery events with food - I've taken guests to many food and wine events to conclude their tour on a high (and full) note. This is especially relevant for folks planning to visit more than 2 wineries.
4. Include A Boutique Winery -
While there are plenty of reputable names and large tasting rooms in the Willamette Valley, what you see online and in the stores, does not always translate to the best experience in person. I always recommend tasting with the smaller boutique wineries. The intimate and ecclectic tasting rooms, the personable owners and winemaker who will likely be pouring the glass themselves, the phenomenal wine made in small quantities. Willamette Valley is peppered with these hidden gems, they are the soul of Oregon viticulture. Over and over again, I've found the less commercialized wineries leave the lasting impressions on guests. What often happens is guests will pick two of the more popular winery destinations (which are popular for good reasons), and then ask me to recommend a third stop, when I take them to a small boutique gem, that often ends up being their favorite winery of the day. In our Wineries page, we have a list with some of our recommendations.
5. How Many Wineries Should We Visit? -
Here's a fun question a get a lot - what's the most amount of wineries we can go to in a day? I believe 3 wineries with a lunch stop is the optimal experience, and I'll stand by that recommendation. You won't be rushed or hungry, and you'll get a comprehensive taste and feel for the Willamette wine scene and culture, along with a variety of soil sites, winemaking styles and tasting rooms. That being said, for those of you out there who are seasoned wine tasting veterans looking to buy bottles, you'll be able to handle 4 vineyards. In my opinion, I believe anything above 4 is going to cause diminishing returns, rush your day, and exhaust all participants involved who are gonna hit a wall around winery 3 or 4. It all depends on your goals, some folks want to see as much of the valley as possible, some folks go out to take their sweet time for a day at 1 or 2 wineries. If you are set on seeing way more than 4 wineries, I'd recommend getting lodging and dividing the winery stops over multiple days, not a bad way to spend a weekend.
6. Walk, Talk & Buy -
Being mindful of people's abilities and finances; Anyone can ask questions, so talk about wine at whatever level of knowledge you are at, and you're gonna get something out of it, from tidbits of info to cause for appreciation of the vintage in your glass. If you can, walk around the vineyard, go and observe the miracle. Many wineries are now incorporating walking tours with their tasting flights. As a tour driver, I spend a lot of my downtime during my guest's tastings by walking through the vineyards, and its one of the greatest joys of my job. Lastly, buy bottles and support from the wineries you enjoy, fill that cellar, and lay a case down to open in the years to come. Tell your friends the story of where you bought that bottle and meeting the winemaker as he poured you a glass from his back patio.
7. Transportation -
If you don't have a private driver, be sure to have a designated driver for your party. Currently there are over 1000+ wine tour and transportation providers in California, by contrast Oregon has around 40, so consider our service, with myself as the driver of a custom built wine tour luxury sprinter van. And even if you have your transportation figured out, feel free to shoot me an email and ask questions and pick my brain, where to go? where to eat? I've met so many amazing people in this job that I love to connect with people. Cheers and enjoy the Willamette!
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