Oregon has eight official wine regions, with most of the wineries being generally small and family-owned. Most of Oregon's wine regions lie in valleys between the Coast and Cascade Mountain ranges. The Willamette Valley wine country is the largest wine region in Oregon, covering more than 3.5 million acres. See these wineries by embarking on an Oregon wine tour.
Instructions
1. Start your Willamette Valley wine tour in Portland at Oregon Wines on Broadway. You can sample more than 20 wines, and see which ones you prefer before starting on your tour.
2. Relax and let someone else do the driving. A number of companies organize wine tours for travelers and will pick you up at your hotel. There are also limousine services that offer private touring.
3. Consider taking several days and do the driving yourself, stopping and staying at various points along your tour. Most wineries are open from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. during the summer months.
4. Pick up maps of Oregon wine tours at tourist information areas. If you begin your tour in Portland, wineries start popping up once you head west and south from Portland. The main stretch of wineries are found between Newberg and Rickreal. Most wineries do not charge tasting fees.
5. Bike across Oregon wine country. You can join a fully-supported ride that takes cyclists through the scenic mid-Willamette Valley wine country.
6. Enjoy other special wine tours. Several holiday and seasonal wine tours can be arranged to include Valentine's dinner, St. Patrick's Day wine-makers dinner, Easter Brunch, Mother's Day and Father's Day brunches, Memorial Day open houses, Thanksgiving harvest festivals and Christmas concerts.
Tags: wine tours, Valley wine, wine country, your tour, more than