Many people ask, Why take a wine tour? Can’t I just drive myself? With 80+ registered wineries throughout the Southern Oregon AVA (American Viticultural Area), the better question to ask is, Where do I want to go and who do I trust to get me there and back? A designated driver is always a good idea…a winery tour may be even better!
Southern Oregon produces not only diverse wines but custom tours to gratify your palate and pleasure. Most companies offer winery tours for both small and large groups, cater to weddings, special events and holidays, and are here to fill your glass with distinctive wines and tasting experiences that only Southern Oregon offers. Tours are affordable, can be customized, may include special perks and prices at wineries, and best of all, you can be social and simply enjoy the ride.
As Brad Niva, owner of Wine Hopper Tours highlights, “We like to slow everything down.” He emphasizes the tours are not just for tourists but special for locals, as well. “Many local people don’t realize what is here. But they can see the beauty and learn about the wine and wine country on a guided tour. We are ambassadors and our job is to pull people out of the valley and up into the wine lands of Southern Oregon.”
On tours, people of the region and beyond can learn the importance of living within a vinicultural community. They become more aware of the potential the wine industry can bring to a community. People don’t always understand what a wine culture is, that wine is not just for a party, but is a business, an industry, and a lifestyle. In our shift from timber to tourism, the beauty of our area and the distinguishing features of our diverse wines have already put us on the map.
Recently, “Into the Vineyard,” an international wine touring company featuring luxury tours to the finest wine regions on the planet added a new tour area—Southern Oregon!
Wine tours are hot these days. They give you the opportunity to unwind, enjoy the scenery… and stay legal. So here’s how to get your wine on—Rogue-style—with the ambassadors of Southern Oregon wine touring.
Wine Hopper Tours is now in their 5th season. The service was prompted by requests from local hotels looking for a way to support the growing wine industry while offering safety and high-quality service to their guests. Niva says their number of tours has doubled every year since. Wine Hopper Tours are wine-industry friendly, education-based programs with no drinking on-board the vans but with plenty of room to bring wine back with you. As Brad Niva reiterates, “We are a developed type of tour and not a booze cruise.” Wine Hopper considers themselves as guests visiting the wineries and strives to be good guests by embracing the wine industry as a whole, not just the wines. Within the tour, guests are treated as wine club members for the day, with discounts applying. They serve-up locally-sourced food at every stop and are conscious of specific dietary needs. Wine Hopper’s goal is to help people understand and appreciate the wine lands of Southern Oregon. “We aim to share what we have here and inspire people to take some Southern Oregon wine home with them,” says Niva.
Contact Wine Hopper Tours at winehoppertours.com or 855-550-WINE.
Excerpted from the Summer 2015 issue of Southern Oregon Wine Scene magazine.
