Oregon's Pinot Noir Experience

The new kid on the wine block is all grown up and ready to serve up sophisticated wine-themed vacations

Oregon's reputation as a world-class wine region has truly matured, making it a real option for those clients who like to visit vineyards and enjoy the natural outdoors.

The Willamette Valley in northwest Oregon is home to more than 200 wineries and also has been recognized as one of the premier Pinot Noir-producing areas in the world.

If clients need another reason to travel to Oregon to taste its wine, they should consider visiting this summer, when the 22nd Annual International Pinot Noir Celebration will be held in McMinnville July 25-27. The event, which now draws Pinot Noir aficionados from all over the world, combines a series of festivities with educational programs. McMinnville, which is often compared to the wine regions of France and Germany, offers visitors plenty to do; its downtown historic district has been recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is filled with interesting restaurants and shops. Additionally, during the spring and summer growing seasons, the Willamette Valley is dotted with roadside stands and farmers' markets providing the best of the state's agricultural offerings. 

Where to Stay

There are many bed-and-breakfast options in the wine region; however, your first-time client to the area may want to stay in Portland, which is a 45-minute to two-hour drive to the Willamette Valley vineyards.

The Hotel Vintage Plaza is the ideal place to suggest to clients who want a wine-themed vacation, since the property's aesthetic centers on the Oregon wine story. The key conduit to that strategy is Wine Concierge Cindi Marconi (cindi.marconi@vintageplaza.com, 503-228-1212), who can arrange private tours to wine country either by limo or with Grape Escape Winery Tours. She can also assist in tailoring stops in the Northern Willamette Valley, which is about an hour from downtown Portland.

Marconi's wine programs at The Hotel Vintage Plaza include a daily complimentary wine tasting in the lobby, as well as a weekly "Wine Wednesday" educational session with local guest winemakers or sommeliers.

The hotel, which is run by General Manager Jeri Riggs, has also launched a "Pinot in Portland" program, which is a personalized, self-guided wine-immersion package designed to appeal to the consumer as "the urban alternative to a traditional wine-country vacation."

The "Pinot in Portland" experience includes a welcome bottle of the hotel's private-label Pinot Noir (from Oregon, of course), two Riedel Oregon Pinot Noir glasses (these are designed to specifically enhance the aromas, flavors and appearance of Oregon-produced Pinots) and a wine journal.

1 2 3