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About Applegater. (Jacksonville, OR) 2008-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2016)
Applegater Summer 2016 17 GRAPE TALK Tasting tours are a fun and safe way to enjoy Applegate Valley wines BY DEBBIE TOLLEFSON My husband Don and I just returned from a great trip to Portland and the Oregon coast. We stayed in the wonderful Allison Inn and Spa in Newberg, which is in the middle of a vineyard in the center of the northern portion of the Willamette Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA). After some wine tasting and little food, I realized that I should not be driving. The solution to this dilemma is to have a designated driver, of course, but that driver can’t enjoy the great wines with me. This problem of wine tasting and driving got me thinking about what kind of tours might be available in the Applegate Valley so that everyone can join in on the fun. I discovered that there are all kinds of tours for Applegate Valley wine tasting that allow you to enjoy the wines and not endanger yourself or others by driving. There are trolleys and limos and small buses and large buses, tours that include picnic lunches and snacks, and even chauffeured tours with wine experts to enlighten you along the way. Be sure to ask if tasting fees and gratuities are included in tour prices. Allaboard Trolley Tours (www. allaboardtrolley.com) offers a five-hour tour of four wineries at $40 per person with a maximum of 15 passengers. The trolley looks like a fun way to take in the wonderful scenery, too. This year Allaboard Trolley is adding a second trolley, so now they have “Molly” and “Dolly” as fun possibilities for tasting transportation. Bacchus Wine Tours (www. bacchuswinerytours.com) has a featured tour for 2016 that includes stops at Valley View Winery, Wooldridge Creek Vineyards, and South Stage Cellars. Another tour is the Haunted History Wine Tour, and you can also design your own tour. Bacchus’s knowledgeable chauffeur will give you some wine-tasting hints to enhance your tasting experience. Prices start at $40 per person. S o u t h e r n O r e g o n To w n C a r a n d L i m o u s i n e ( w w w. southernoregontowncar.com) will tour four wineries with six people at $70 per hour plus gratuity; their Lincoln Town Car stretch limousine accommodates 10 people at $80 per hour. They also have a 14-passenger bus for $90 per hour. There is even a party bus that holds 25 of your closest friends for $120 per hour plus gratuity. This would be fun for special birthdays, showers, and family reunions. Wine Hopper Tours (www. winehoppertours.com) includes some unique wine experiences with the Twilight Wine Float on the Rogue River. For $110 per person from May to August, the Wine Hopper bus transports guests from Merlin to the Rogue River at 5 pm. Guests enjoy a light meal and wine while floating down the Rogue, returning to Merlin at 9 pm. September and October trips start at 3 pm and end at 7 pm. Sounds like a really fun trip guaranteed to make some unforgettable family memories. Wine Hopper also has private chauffeured vans for 13 people maximum at $600 per day plus gratuity. And they have a larger bus that accommodates from 14 to 40 people on a custom Applegate Valley Wine tour. Other limo companies that do wine tours are Platinum Xcursions at www.platinumxcursions.com and Taste of Honey Limousine at www.tasteofhoneylimo.com. Express Limousine Service at www.limowine. com has a number of offerings to almost every winery in the valley. Visit these tour company websites for more information and prices. Troon Vineyard has added a new enhancement to their tasting- room experience with their Grape Expedition tour that runs from April through harvest on Fridays through Sundays at 12, 2 and 4 pm. Reservations are required. The tour provides special access to their wine- making team, so make sure you book early for limited spots Debbie Tollefson by emailing tastingroom@troonvineyard.com. So gather some family and friends together and plan a fun day of tasting in the Applegate Valley the safe way with the wine tour of your choice. Have a fun wine-filled summer! Debbie Tollefson debbie.avrealty@gmail.com Bacchus Winery Tours provides a 2014 Springer that can seat up to 10 persons. Allaboard Trolleys “Molly” and “Dolly” hold 15 passengers and can be reserved for your friends and family.
