Oh the Willamette Valley! Wine is surely our favorite subject in this region, but with the cool, moist climate of the Willamette Valley, we boast over 170 different crops and livestock grown here. From grass, tree fruits and nuts, berries, vegetables, christmas trees, hazelnuts, wheat, oats, mint, hops and more – this region is ripe with opportunity. In recent decades, the valley has become a major wine producer, with multiple American Viticultural Areas of its own and world-wide recognition. With a cooler climate and gently rolling hills, the Willamette is home to some of the best Pinot Noir ..read more

WHY HIRE A TOUR GUIDE? For starters, this is our job and we’re really good at it. We do this every single day, and we’re happy to share our years of experience with you! There are many reasons why heading to wine country can simply be a better experience with a professional guide. Here are just a few reasons – We’re a-lot of fun and can curate a very personal day in wine country! We guarantee, we’ll make you laugh, afterall wine tasting should be a fun experience, not a stuffy one. Leave the driving to us, we’re your DUI insurance. We consider ourselves “edu-tainers,” and we’ll educate and ent ..read more

This photo from our friends at Stoller Family Estate shows a moment in the punch down process of their latest harvest of Pinot Noir. What is a punch down process? The term “punch down” means to push down the grapes throughout the wine fermentation process. The traditional methods of stomping grapes with people’s feet have now become grape punching with tools like this pictured. This process protects the juice against mold, while enriching the wines flavors and tannins. The post Punch Down Process appeared first on A Great Oregon Wine Tour ..read more

Veraison What is this term we call verasion? Veraison is the stage in the growing process when the grapes begin to soften and change color on the vine. This stage indicates the onset of ripening. It’s one of the most important moments in a grapevine’s annual lifecycle and currently in the Willamette Valley, we are seeing verasion everywhere due to a rather hot summer in the Northwest. Weather can be unpredictable here, and we never know when the temps could change or rain could begin. That’s the magic and mystery of grape-growing in this region. When will 2023 harvest begin? Only mother nature ..read more

Cheers and finally – it’s 2023 | IPNC week in Oregon! Every year the International Pinot Noir Celebration or IPNC brings world renowned wine makers, Pinot Noir obsessives, food lovers, journalists and more to our very own McMinnville, Oregon for one of the the finest wine festivals there are! This year from July 28th -30th, 2023 in McMinnville, Oregon, the IPNC will offer Pinot Noir consumers and industry members the chance to enjoy an unparalleled selections of Pinot Noir from around the world with a full schedule of seminars,  tastings, winery tours and unforgettable meals prepared by t ..read more

The Fourth of July is a big holiday that most rarely imagine “which wine will I drink?” It’s a day when people typically gather with family and friends to enjoy barbecues, parades, fireworks and more. Bases are usually covered when it comes to beer, seltzers, cocktails and such, but what if you want to celebrate with wine instead? Where to begin? Red, white, rosé and everything in between, that’s where! Let’s imagine a few of the foods you may be indulging in for the fourth and have some fun with pairing ideas. Barbecue. A Rosé is the perfect complement to the sweet, smoky, flavors of barbecue ..read more

Oh rosé – you had us at pink! On the heels of National Rosé Day, we thought it would be fun to explain a little history on how rosé is made, with a few details in between. Rosé happens when the skins of red grapes touch wine for a very short time in comparison to red wine, for example. Where some red wines ferment for weeks at a time on red grape skins, rosé wines are essentially ‘stained’ red for just a few hours. How fun for the winemaker who essentially gets to choose his favorite shade of pink. Nearly any red wine grape from Cabernet Sauvignon to Syrah can be used to make rosé, but there a ..read more

What is an amphora vessel? It is a two-handled storage jar that holds oil, wine, milk, grain or other various items. Amphora was also the term for a unit of measure. Amphoras were sometimes used as grave markers or as containers for funeral offerings or human remains. In the wine world and here in the Willamette Valley, there is a vineyard called the Beckham Estate. This Estate is likely, the only winery in the world where the production of the terra cotta #amphora vessels for fermenting and aging is on-site, and we find everything they do here fascinatingly brilliant! Upon moving onto the pro ..read more

May is OREGON WINE MONTH! Since 2012, the Oregon wine industry has celebrated Oregon Wine Month when Spring is springing and excitement in the air for wine tasting is palpable. Every month of year in the Oregon wine country is pretty fabulous but this is a spectacularly great time to see what Oregon wine is made of.  The purpose of the Oregon Wine Month is to encourage a time of increased support from winemakers, vineyards, wineries, tasting rooms, distributors, restaurants and retailers in the Pacific Northwest – the list goes on. It brings awareness to our vast wine ..read more

Chardonnay in the Willamette Valley? Yes, and it’s quite special. The WHY’S are frankly endless. For starters there are roughly only 2,200 acres of Chardonnay grapes planted. The wines produced in the Willamette Valley from those 2,200 acres are prized award-winning wines with exceptional quality. One of the prominent winemakers in the valley, Josh Bergström was asked about the rage for such small yield and he basically said, if you want more Chardonnay, you’re gonna have to plant it. Let’s just shout it from the rooftops because – THEY ARE! The Willamette Valley’s Chardonnay acreage totals ha ..read more