Gallery: Willamette Valley À la Carte

Tasting at Adelsheim.

À la Carte Travel — for those who want flexibility and personal time in addition to a Flying Grape immersive experience.

We had five full days of touring planned, each day with a specific theme. Our base would be the town of McMinnville, and our only requirement is that all guests stay within walking distance of the main drag, 3rd Avenue (home of all the best hotels, restaurants, wine bars, and shopping … it’s where you want to be anyway). How the guests got there, where they stayed, and what tour days they joined us were totally up to them. That’s the beauty of our “à la carte” tours.

Some couples came in for a three-day weekend. Some joined us every day of the tours. One couple skipped a tour day in the middle and enjoyed private time on the coast. Flexibility was the goal. The only requirement we had was that they stay on or near 3rd Avenue in McMinnville (which is where you want to stay anyway for the best variety of hotels and restaurants in walking distance).

We covered a lot of ground that week, including private vineyard tours with Johan, Left Coast, and Björnson Vineyards. Ben Casteel, legendary winemaker at Bethel Heights, led our tasting at their beautiful winery. We had a private immersion into the terroir of Willamette Valley at Lavinea, plus a tasting of historic gems at Eyrie Vineyards. Oh, and don’t forget lunch at Knudsen Vineyard, and tastings at Domaine Drouhin Oregon!

À la Carte tours are great fun and give our guests flexibility and private time. If you enjoy the idea of a tour without being “stuck with the group,” keep an eye out for future tours of this style.

  • Carbanaa for lunch!
  • Tasting at La Cadeau
  • On the terrace high up in the Dundee Hills
  • Exploring terroir at La Cadeau
  • Mapping out the vineyards at La Cadeau
  • The extreme geology of Willamette Valley.
  • Sunset over the Dundee Hills.
  • Raising a glass with the owners of La Cadeau.
  • February blooms!
  • Pinot Noir immersion at Roco.
  • Chardonnay immersion at Roco.
  • Barrel room at Ponzi.
  • Domaine Drouhin Oregon
  • Great lunch from Red Hills.
  • Ponzi barrels.
  • A great visit to Ponzi.
  • Old Ponzi bottle on display.
  • Tasting at Adelsheim.
  • Look who joined us! David Adelsheim himself.
  • Group at Adelsheim.
  • Argyle sparkling component tasting.
  • Argyle Knudsen Vineyard bubbly.
  • Old bottles at Knudsen Vineyard.
  • On the terrace of Bethel Heights.
  • Private tasting in the Knudsen family cabin.
  • Say Argyle!