Oregon Wine Tour – Views & Vineyards

After enjoying a delicious breakfast, we depart to the Ponzi Winery where we hear the story of Dick and Nancy Ponzi, who moved their young family to the Willamette Valley in the late 1960s with a lot of spirit and passion for making world-class Pinot Noir. After many research trips to Burgundy and an extensive search for the ideal location, they purchased 20 acres on a small farm. It was a daring risk that was worth it. While here, we sample some of Ponzi’s award-winning wines. After enjoying these dry reds, we continue to a local favorite for lunch. Later today, we continue to Nate Klostermanns famous winery. Argyle Winery is recognized for making gentle yet complex sparkling wines as well as balanced Pinot Noirs. Learn how the cool climates of the Willamette Valley is perfectly suited for some of the best Pinot Noirs in the world. Tonight, we have some free time in McMinnville which offers one of the best “main streets” in all of Oregon. The street is filled with wine shops, boutiques, eateries, and more. We enjoy a vertical wine tasting at a local favorite and have time for dinner on own before returning to our hotel. Atticus Hotel McMinnville or similar.

After a fresh breakfast, we head south to Willamette Valley Vineyard. While here, we enjoy some of their wines including their Pinot Noir. Our next stop is Archery summit Tasting Room. When Gary Andrus was looking for land, he looked no further than Dundee Hills because of the land conditions and similarities to Burgundy, France. Over the years, he has become obsessed with Pinot Noir and has many award-winning wines. We then enjoy lunch at a local favorite restaurant before heading to our next tasting. This afternoon, we depart to the beautiful Domaine Drouhin. The family roots are from the one and only Burgundy, France. This family has brought first class Pinot Noir to the area and has been hand-crafting it for more than 30 years. We have dinner before returning to our hotel. Atticus Hotel McMinnville or similar.

For the early risers, an optional Hot Air Balloon Ride awaits you with breathtaking views of this beautiful countryside. Lifting off is dependent on weather conditions, includes brunch with champagne and lasts three hours. For those wanting to keep their feet on the ground, take a walk or simply relax at our hotel. After lunch on our own we depart for the Durant Vineyards at Red Ridge Farms for a winetasting. A founder in the Oregon wine industry, Durant Vineyards have focused on producing outstanding Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris fruit for some of the premier wineries in Oregon for forty years. Tonight, we are in for a treat. We drive to the beautiful Domaine Serene Winery established by Grace and Ken Evanstad in 1989. These long-time Pinot Noir lovers packed up their home in Minnesota and moved to Willamette Valley to pursue luxury wine making. Along with many award-winning wines, they are proud to say they were recognized by Wine Spector Magazine for the third best wine in the world in 2013. Throughout the years, this couple has always focused their attention on giving back to the community and high-quality wine. We end our day with a farewell dinner at the Joel Palmer House. Atticus Hotel McMinnville or similar.

After one last farm-to-table breakfast, we head to Maysara Winery to learn about their “nature to nature” approach by the founders, Moe and Flora Momtazi. We enjoy the beautiful 496 acres of beautiful vines. Later, we transfer to the Portland Airport for our flights home and enjoy time in downtown Portland (depending on flight times).