We hope you are looking forward to your upcoming adventures to Chehalem Ridge B&B and Oregon Wine Country. If your visit includes going wine tasting, we’d like to let you know that things have changed a bit from past years. Oregon wineries are requiring masks to be worn by all who are not seated at their tasting table. Easy, peasy! Also, due to social distancing, wineries have less capacity and most require reservations for tastings. Still easy, but a bit more effort. We want to help take the effort out of your winery reservation planning. If you know which wineries you’d like to visit, we highly suggest taking time now to make your reservations with them.
But we know that making winery reservations can be a daunting task as there are more than 600 wineries in the Willamette Valley. To help you out, we now offer a Winery Itinerary Service for a $40 fee per itinerary. Let the area experts at Chehalem Ridge B&B arrange your day of wine tasting. We have set up eight unique itineraries with some of our favorite, smaller wineries. After you choose an itinerary (one per tasting day) and we’ll set up your day of tasting at 3 unique wineries of the Willamette Valley. With most itineraries, we preorder a cheese and charcuterie tray at one winery for you to snack on so you don’t have to worry about lunch.
Transportation, charcuterie and cheese tray (average cost $30), tasting fees (between $30-$45 per person for each tasting, often waived with purchase) and purchases are the responsibility of the guest and this service is best for guests who will drive themselves to tastings.
Please note: while we can set these reservations up after you arrive at the B&B, the fee for this service at that point will be $55.
Available Preset Itineraries
The good news is: they are all good choices!
- Artisan & Boutique Winery Itinerary – Our bountiful valley has 9 American Viticulture Areas (AVAs), which are small areas where vineyards are unified by geography and geology. This itinerary includes a mix of smaller, Pinot Noir-focused wineries from among these AVAs. You’ll have a great experience tasting fine, small production wines at the wineries and vineyards in this itinerary.
- Carlton Downtown Walking Itinerary – Drive 25 minutes to Carlton – a small farming town with most wineries per capita in the U.S. – and enjoy a bustling downtown where you can walk to all the tasting rooms and have lunch without driving between wineries. These wineries pour Pinot Noir and other grape varietals. (Grab lunch in town for this tour.)
- “More White Wines Please” (and Pinot Noir) Itinerary – White Wine lovers, here’s your chance to taste the Willamette Valley’s other grapes, although each of these wineries also produce Pinot Noir, so everybody can find their favorite wine. You might find some French-style Chardonnay, dry Riesling, Pinot Gris, a few sweeter wines and more unique white varietals.
- Big Reds & Pinot Noir Itinerary – Big red wine grapes like Cabernet and Merlot don’t really grow that well in the Willamette Valley, but we have Oregon winemakers making great big reds, usually from grapes grown in Eastern Washington or Southern Oregon. We’ll send you to wineries where you can compare and contrast those bolder wines with the Pinot Noirs we are known for here.
- “Behind the Wine” – Your experience at these wineries will be more personalized and often with winemakers, wine educators, or key staff involved in the day-to-day business of running an artisan winery. These men and women are passionate about their vineyards, wines and businesses and love to share their passion with our guests. Please note, the tasting fees for these winery experiences are a little higher than our other itineraries.
- Beans, Brews and Boutique Itinerary – Want more than wine? Experience a variety of great drinks produced by local artisans who happen to be our neighbors. Start with a handcrafted coffee flight at coffee roaster Caravan Coffee. Try out the vast array of beers produced by beer-geek Paul Long at his microbrewery, LONG Brewing (not a brewpub!). Finish up with your private wine tasting with a winemaker at a boutique winery. (Grab lunch in town for this itinerary.)
*Transformation information: This itinerary service is best for guests who plan on driving themselves. Lyft and Uber are not consistently reliable in this area. Alternatively, wine touring companies are available to drive but this also includes arranging your day with a tour guide – you will not need our itinerary service. Rates for these touring companies can run anywhere from $75 – $100/hour, usually 4-6 hours; please let us know if you would like recommendations.
You can easily add the Winery Itinerary Service when you make your reservation online. If you already have your reservation made, email us or give us a call to let us know which Itineraries you’d like us to arrange for you.
Need more customized assistance?
If you need a customized itinerary, we are happy to help, or you can reach out to Paul Beck of Willamette Wine Concierge who will consult with you and plan a trip based on your specific needs and preferences.
