Pinots in Oregon

Arrive in Portland no later than 1:00 pm. Make your way to the Dossier Hotel. Our driver will pick the group up at the hotel at 2:00 pm for an hour's drive to McMinnville in the heart of the Willamette Valley. This is our headquarters for the week.

We’ll stay at the lovely and luxurious Atticus Hotel in the heart of one of Oregon’s most historic towns. The hotel places an emphasis on 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 6:30 pm we’ll meet and greet with drinks at the hotel bar. Then we’ll dine in style at Cypress. It's conveniently located 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.

Today we’ll focus on hyper-local wines as we explore our immediate surroundings, with downtime to shop and stroll around town.

We’ll be hitting up the Carlton Winemakers Studio in Carlton just a short ride away. Carlton Winemakers Studio is a winery collective where 16 vintners craft premium Oregon wines in a shared space. We’ll enjoy both a wine and a charcuterie tasting at the studio.

Should you want to taste more on your own this afternoon, you can head over to Elizabeth Chambers or Eyrie. You’ll have free time as the day winds down to walk back to the hotel, taste more, shop or simply rest before dinner.

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 is the kind of place that brings new meaning to the term new American cuisine.

Today we’ll get our creative juices going by visiting the Hallie Ford Museum of Art at the Willamette University. While there are always interesting traveling exhibits, the permanent collection boasts contemporary and modernist art by well-known prominent Northwestern artists, contemporary work by Native Americans as well as works on paper.

Following that, we’re off to an amazing experience at Willamette Valley Vineyards. We will meet the owner or the winery director for a facility tour. Then we will 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. 

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

Dinner tonight after a welcome rest at our hotel is at Tina’s, a charming restaurant that specializes in “wine cuisine”. Save some space for their delicious dessert cocktails.

Today, we are headed to Alexana for a tour and tasting. The estate is owned by renowned cardiac surgeon Dr. Madaiah Revana who puts a renewed emphasis on cardiac science, proving that wine is good for heart health!

For lunch, we’ll amble over to the Stoller Family Estate started by Bill Stoller. 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.

Spanish tapas are on the menu for dinner tonight at the award-winning La Rambla. Their lamb nachos are to die for!

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.

Today, we’ll relish a real farm-to-table lunch at the Mac Market, a community-driven artisanal establishment, housed in an old factory. You'll find a myriad of food purveyors on site as well as some foodie souvenirs.

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

Tonight, we’ll enjoy a mixology class with the one and only Prairie Rose aka Bit by a Fox. Coincidentally both Doni (GG2W founder) & Laurie know her, so it seemed like kismet that we meet up and take part in her traveling speakeasy. As someone who wrote a book on cocktails, let me tell you this gal is a real expert!

Dinner tonight is on your own. Our suggested stop is Pizza Capo for proper pies fired up in a wood-burning oven.

One can’t live on wine alone. I don’t know about you, but every day I need my coffee. 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 into Flag & Wire roastery where the owner will lead us through a coffee tasting. We will carefully consider the various flavors and aromas much 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 important yet ubiquitous beverage.

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

Lunch today, will be at the Xicha Brewing Company. Not only do they brew their own beers, but their authentic Mexican Comida will also be a welcome change of pace.

Our afternoon tasting will be at Adelsheim Vineyards one of the Valley’s oldest (just turned 50!) and most esteemed vineyards.

We’ll spend our final evening dining at Maysara Winery home to the American (wine) dream for the Momtazi family. Moe & Flora Momtazi escaped Iran and fled to the US after the Shah was overthrown. Moe was an engineer by trade, but his dream was to have a winery. He realized his dream with his purchase of 496 acres in McMinnville in 1997. He, along with his wife and three daughters, biodynamically farms this land, creating amazing wines. 

*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 of one's senses. It's not just a walk in the woods, it is the conscious and contemplative practice of being immersed in the sights, sounds, and smells of the forest.”

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 formed for many years to come.

After breakfast plan to depart at either 6:30 am or 9:00 am. We will have two shuttles back to the Portland International Airport, a 1-hour drive.