United States·2 - 8 June 2024

Pinots in Oregon

Explore the epicenter of Oregon's wine and farm-to-table food scene

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Overview

The Willamette Valley in Oregon (rhymes with "dammit") is known the world over for its Pinot Noir & Pinot Gris wines. It also boasts some of America’s best farm-to-table New American restaurants, complemented by exemplary cheeses and world-class breweries. Join us on THE gourmet tour for cooks, wine lovers, and anyone who appreciates food and its connection to nature. The fastest way to discover a region's culture and values is to explore its culinary fabric. In Oregon, you’ll find stunning state parks where you can chase waterfalls and capture photos of the boundless wildlife. Visit during the height of summer for water sports, hiking, and great outdoor strolls. Accompany Laurie Forster on a gastronomic romp through Willamette Valley, Oregon, where you can learn more about wine with someone who is not just a wine coach, but - wait for it – a stand-up comedian too! It's unlikely any other female sommelier can stake such a claim. Get ready for a week of fine wine, scrumptious food, good friends, and great laughs!

Highlights

Taste wine with some of the most important wine makers in the valley

Taste wine with some of the most important wine makers in the valley

Walk behind a waterfall in the Silver Falls State Parks

Walk behind a waterfall in the Silver Falls State Parks

Experience coffee tasting with an expert

Experience coffee tasting with an expert

Take ownership of your wine palate, knowing what it is that YOU love and trusting your taste in wine

Take ownership of your wine palate, knowing what it is that YOU love and trusting your taste in wine

Get your zen on at the Allison Spa

Get your zen on at the Allison Spa

Dine at a locavore eatery, carrier of the best restaurant in Oregon honors

Dine at a locavore eatery, carrier of the best restaurant in Oregon honors

Itinerary

Here's a day-by-day itinerary of the trip.

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Arrival Day

Day 1: Sunday, June 2nd, 2024

Arrive in Portland no later than 1:00 pm. Our Driver will pick you up at the airport at 1:30 pm or at the Dossier Hotel Portland and head off to the Atticus Hotel in McMinnville. The hotel emphasizes local artisans. Each of the luxury rooms is creatively different and defined by a deep-seated knowledge that true luxury is defined by the intent behind every decision. Revel in the wine country lifestyle.

Around 6 p.m., we’ll meet and greet with drinks at the hotel bar. Then, we’ll dine in style at Cypress in the hotel. Our wine guide for the week, Laurie Forster of The Wine Coach®, will show us how to properly taste and evaluate wine as we enjoy our meal.

Included

Dinner

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Carlton

Day 2: Monday, June 3rd, 2024

After breakfast, we’ll have time to explore our immediate surroundings, with downtime to shop and stroll around town.

After driving for approximately 30 minutes, we'll embark on a tour and indulge in wine tasting before having lunch. Our destination is the Soter Vineyards, a family-owned winery crafting Pinot Noir wines in the Willamette Valley since 1994. Their vineyards are in some of Oregon's most prestigious wine-growing appellations. Later, we will stop for lunch at the Mac Market and then return to our hotel.

As the day winds down, we’ll have free time to walk back to the hotel, taste more, shop, or rest before dinner. Should you want to taste more on your own this afternoon, you can head over to Furioso Vineyards or R. Stuart & Co. Winery

Dinner tonight is at La Rambla, a Spanish restaurant & bar offering tapas, paella & a large wine list in an 1884 brick building.


Included

All meals

Tastings

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Wine Making

Day 3: Tuesday, June 4th, 2024

After having breakfast, we will have some free time to explore and go shopping. 

Then we’re off to a fantastic experience at Willamette Valley Vineyards. We'll meet the owner or the winery director for a facility tour. Then, we'll try our hand at blending. We'll mix and taste four pinots, then make two of our own. We'll sit back and enjoy a lovely catered lunch on the premises after all the excitement. 

We'll have free time after lunch to stroll the beautiful property.

Tonight, we’ll sit back and savor a true gourmet treat at Thistle, a hot spot that recently won Oregon's restaurant of the year. With a small menu, a careful and considerate chef, and local oysters, this place brings new meaning to the term new American cuisine.

Included

All meals

Blending Experience

Tastings

Tours

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Spa Time

Day 4: Wednesday, June 5th, 2024

We will have breakfast at the hotel and at 10 a.m., we'll head to Stoller Family Estate Vineyard for a tour and tasting.

The winery was started by Bill Stoller and we are thrilled to have Melissa Burr, one of the region’s top winemakers, join us for lunch and a tasting, of course!

This afternoon, we’ll have the opportunity to luxuriate at the Allison Resort & Spa. Indulge in the Himalayan salt therapy room, experience the zen garden massage, or enjoy a wine facial. This is your time to relax and indulge (one treatment included).

We’ll return to our hotel for a rest in the afternoon.

We'll meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Conservatory Bar for cocktails. And when you're ready you get to choose where to have dinner tonight. Feel free to savor your meal at your own pace and convenience. For those seeking delicious dining options, we may recommend checking out either Capo Pizza or Pura Vida.

Included

Spa Treatment

Tastings

Breakfast

Lunch

Not Included

Dinner

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Olive Oil

Day 5: Thursday, June 6th, 2024

We'll start our day with a visit to Durant at Red Ridge Farms. It houses an olive mill, a garden, and a nursery, as well as a winery. This place has it all! We’ll learn all about olive oil production and enjoy an olive oil tasting.

At 11:30 a.m., we’ll transfer to lunch at the Carlton Winemakers Studio and enjoy both a wine tasting and a charcuterie board. 

The afternoon is yours to enjoy wandering, resting, reading, or shopping.

Exciting news wine enthusiasts! Prepare your palates for another delightful wine tasting adventure! Later this afternoon, we'll embark on a captivating journey to the renowned boutique winery, Domaine Willamette in Turner. We'll sip some bubbles made in the méthode traditionnelle while learning about the process.

Dinner tonight will be at a nice restaurant near the hotel Pinch Mac. It is going to be amazing.

Included

Olive Oil Tasting

Breakfast

Lunch

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Silver Falls State Park

Day 6: Friday, June 7th, 2024

One can’t live on wine alone. I don’t know about you, but I need coffee every day. Like everything else in the Northwestern part of the country, the people of Oregon have taken things to another level. This morning, we’ll stop at Flag & Wire Roastery, where the owner will lead us through a coffee tasting. We will carefully consider the various flavors and aromas like you might do with wine or beer, at which we are now experts. You’ll walk away with a new appreciation of the nuances and layers of this ubiquitous beverage.

After fueling up, we'll try forest bathing* and waterfall hunting at Silver Falls State Park. Where else can you walk behind a waterfall?

Lunch today is at the Red Hills Market, a charming country-style market in Dundee that offers a delightful selection of wood-fired, seasonal, and locally sourced dishes.

Our afternoon tasting will be at Adelsheim Vineyards, one of the Valley’s oldest (just turned 50!) and most esteemed vineyards. After lunch, we'll read back to our hotel and enjoy some free time. 

We’ll spend our final evening dining at Yamhill Vineyards, a renowned winery established in 1983, known for its exceptional Pinot Noirs, estate-grown wines, and sustainable practices. Their wines showcase the Willamette Valley's signature flavors and are crafted with precision, making them a must-visit destination for wine enthusiasts.

*Forest bathing as described by the Global Wellness Institute: “Forest bathing and forest therapy (or shinrin-yoku) broadly mean taking in the forest atmosphere with all your senses. It's not just a walk in the woods, but the conscious and contemplative practice of being immersed in the sights, sounds, and smells of the forest.”

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Departure Day

Day 7: Saturday, June 8th, 2024

All good things must come to an end. Today, we must return home to our “normal lives”, but we’ll savor all the great wines, good laughs, and new friendships to last a lifetime.

After breakfast, plan to depart at 5:00 am or 12:00 p.m. We will have two shuttles back to the Portland International Airport, a 1-hour drive. 

Included

Breakfast

You'll Be Staying Here

Atticus Hotel

Atticus Hotel

The Atticus Hotel is a luxury lifestyle hotel in Historic Downtown McMinnville – the heart of Oregon Wine Country.

Hosts

Laurie Forster

Laurie Forster

Laurie Forster is one of America’s leading wine experts and author of the award-winning book The Sipping Point: A Crash Course in Wine. Laurie is a Certified Sommelier, National Speaker, and TV personality who is not afraid to tell you her first wine came from a box. Her edgy approach to demystifying wine caught the eye of major networks and led her to guest appearances on The Dr Oz Show, FOX Morning News, Martha Stewart Living Today, and ABC News at Noon.

Add Ons

Arrive one day early to Portland

Arrive one day early to Portland

Includes one night at the Dossier Hotel Portland

PRICE$280.00

"Oregon's wine country"

Willamette Valley

The beautiful Willamette Valley wine region in the northwest corner of Oregon is a popular destination and a hub for diverse wines from the United States. The Willamette Valley is an incredibly beautiful area with rolling hills, mysterious forests, and majestic volcanoes. It's also one of the world's premier wine regions, producing some of the finest Pinot Noir thanks to its unique soil and climate. It's a must-visit for any wine lover. 

Willamette Valley

What's Included

What's Included

Everything stated in itinerary above including all meals plus wine or beer with dinner

Lodging at unique hotels

All guides, experts and entry fees

One spa treatment

All wine tastings

Guided Hike to the Waterfalls

Mixology Class

Roundtrip airfare to Portland, Oregon

Trip and Medical insurance (required)

Additional Alcohol not stated in the itinerary

FAQs

The trip officially starts early afternoon on June 2nd around 1:00pm.If you don't want to rush or prefer to enjoy Portland for an extra day I suggest flying in a day early. If you do decide to arrive early you can book a night at the Dosssier Hotel in Portland directly from the website and we will take care of the booking arrangements for you. 

Fly into Portland International Airport.

Throughout the month of June daytime temperatures will generally reach highs of around 75°F. At night, the average minimum temperature drops down to around 53°F. 

We will have a zoom call about 6 weeks before the trip starts to discuss all that information and give you a packing list. Here is a great website that we love that will help you with packing and travel trips.

Inquire about this trip

Pinots in Oregon

United States· 2 - 8 June 2024· 6 nights