What is your pickup area?
We will pick you up at your location anywhere in the downtown Portland area, Newberg, Dundee, McMinnville, and Carlton areas. Sorry, areas North of the downtown Portland area are out of our pickup zone. People staying near the airport or in Northeast Portland will need to meet us at a pre-arranged meetup point. (Convention Center area is OK) Sorry, we do not service Vancouver, Silverton, Eugene, or Coast areas. We will sometimes make exceptions for Salem pickups but please understand it must be at our discretion. We are happy to drop you off in a different location than your pickup if you like, within reason.
Which wineries do you go to?
We do not have a set route and every day is an adventure. We have a repertoire of about 30 wineries that we frequent. You can rest assured that they are all special and high quality in their own way. We tend to focus on the smaller boutique wineries that are off the beaten path – but we might take you to one of the big guys just so you can get a well-rounded look at what the Valley is doing. We will often include at least one stop at an “appointment-only” winery to give you a look at some of the more exclusive stuff. The overall focus is on high quality wines and friendly, informative staff.
How many wineries will we go to?
The average tour is three – sometimes four – winery stops. This allows for a leisurely pace, taking in all the valley has to offer. I do not recommend more than four wineries in one day, as “palate fatigue” will set in and the wines will all begin to taste the same. Remember, less is more. Giving yourself time to really soak it in and enjoy the great folks you will meet at each winery is so much better than sprinting from tasting bar to tasting bar.
How do you choose which wineries to go to each day?
There are several considerations we take into account when planning the itinerary for the day. If you state any preferences on style we will factor that in. If you have any specific requests on places to go we will try to accommodate those when possible. If you just leave it up to us, we will put together a well-rounded day with a focus on variety, scenery, quality wines, and interesting, educational experiences. Your best bet is to just sit back, relax, and let the day unfold and we will share our deep knowledge of the Willamette Valley with you.
What is the duration of the tour?
About 7 hours. But please understand, this is an estimate, not a guarantee. It may be more, it may be less – it really just depends on where we pick you up, your pace, and how the day goes. Most of the wineries are open from 11:00 AM until 4:00 PM and that is the time frame within which we structure our tours. We pick you up at 10:00 or 10:30AM and drop you off usually somewhere between 4:30 and 5:30PM. If you need to be back by a certain hour, please let the driver know and we will do our best.
Do you offer a half-day tour?
Sorry, all tours are full day only. There simply isn’t enough time in a half day to enjoy the breadth of wine country.
Do you combine us with other people?
When booking, you have two choices: Joinable Tour or Private Tour. The Joinable Tour option (for groups up to 4pp in size) is more economical, and you may be joined by another small group. In any case, we will not pack more than 8 participants in the van, as we still want to keep things intimate and personalized. The Private Tour option is just that: Private. Keep in mind, ANY group of 5 or more people will automatically be a Private Tour.
What’s the largest group size you can accommodate?
The short answer is 28, however in most cases we suggest keeping groups at 14 or under. Let me explain: We have 3 tour vans in our fleet – two of which fit 14 people and one which fits 6. If your group is 14 or under, we can fit you in one van. If your group is larger than 14, we will have to dispatch 2 vans for you and caravan. We prefer not caravan all 3 vans, as this starts to enter the category of “too large for us to do a good job.”
Why can’t I book a “Joinable” tour as a solo traveler?
Group dynamics, and logistical considerations including pickup locations make it so that we must screen potential solo travelers before we can commit. If you are traveling solo, you may book a “Private Tour” for yourself or, simply send us an email through our Contact form and tell us your preferred date & pickup location, and we’ll take it from there.
What Other Things Can We Do During our Stay in Portland?
Check out our list of recommendations here!
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