Oregon Wine Country Tours

by H Bruce Smith
(Roseburg,OR)

While Pinot Noir made Oregon famous, we here in the Umpqua Valley are so much different than our neighbors to the North. Our climate is much more diverse, meaning we grow Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, and a host of other grapes that are unable to grow in the Willamette Valley.

Pinot Noir has made Oregon wine famous, but did you know that the very first bottle of Pinot Noir was estate grown in the Umpqua Valley AVA, at HillCrest Vineyard. Our wineries have also pioneered such varietals as Tempranillo and Gruner Veltliner. It is the diversity of soils and climate that makes Umpqua Valley unique. We are the "baby bear" of wine regions; not too hot, not too cold, just right. The "Hundred Valleys of the Umpqua" allow for nearly every variety of grape to grow here.

The Umpqua Valley AVA is the focus of the Southern Oregon Wine Institute and its soon to be constructed $7 million state-of-the-art oenology and viticulture school on the campus of Umpqua Community College, Roseburg, Oregon. Along with the school, a very prestigious wine lab, ETS Laboratory, will be offering their services to local growers.

Currently (Sept 2010) there are 24 tasting rooms in the Umpqua Valley, all of which are family owned. Here you can still find the winemaker behind the tasting bar.

We at Oregon Wine Country Tours offer fun and educational wine tours of the Umpqua Valley AVA. These wineries are very spread out. Leave the driving to us while you enjoy visiting 4 wineries. Our tours include a gourmet lunch and all tasting fees waived.