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.