THE BEST WAYS TO ENJOY OREGON WINE MONTH IN SOUTHERN OREGON
As we all know, May is Oregon wine month and what better place to be than in Southern Oregon?! Did you know that in Southern Oregon we have more than 50 wineries? Well, if you love wine and want to experience more than one or two, I would highly suggest participating in one of the self-guided tours that are offered this month.
I personally have participated in both spring and fall Uncorked on the Applegate Wine Trail and it’s truly a fantastic experience that allows you to tour through all 19 wineries in the Applegate.
To start out you pick-up your wine glass at a winery of your choice that you use for your tasting. At each winery you get a taste of wine directly from the barrel when it is not quite ready for bottling, and then you get a taste of the bottled equivalent and a bite of food to compliment it. The wine is of course always wonderful and the food is quite tasty, sometimes it’s catered, other times the vintners have cooked up their own scrumptious delights. What’s really special is that you get to visit so many different places in one day, from the tiniest tasting room in a barn, on the winemaker’s home property, to the beautifully vast vineyard's that make you feel like you are in the Napa Valley. Plus, you usually get to speak directly to the winemaker’s, some whom have been making wine for decades or others who are still in school learning the ropes and have that special gift. It truly is an experience you will remember forever and you will want to do it year after year.
Spring Uncorked will be Saturday, May 18th, 2019 at 11am. Get your tickets HERE.
Barrel tasting at Serra Vineyards
If you are interested in trying one of the tours there are a few others this month.
Saturday, May 4th, 10am-4pm is the Upper Rogue Valley Wine Trail, Roam the Rogue. This is a self-guided tour and there are six participating venues. Tickets are $39 per person and $10 for a designated driver; included are appetizers and non-alcoholic beverage. For tickets go HERE. For our Roam the Rogue experience read our blog about our great experience here.
View from John Michael Champagne
Caprice Vineyards
Pebblestone Vineyards
To visit the Bear Creek Wine Trail they offer a Trail Passport for only $30. You can pickup a passport at any of the 13 wineries where you can get 3 tastes aft each winery and it is good for one year from the date of purchase! For more information visit Bear Creek Wineries. Watch out for the 2018 passport release!
Saturday, May 4th, 2019 the Umpqua Valley Barrel Tour offers four, different tours in North Umpqua, Central Umpqua, Umpqua & South Umpqua tour. You tour the wineries by bus sampling wines so you don't have to worry about your own transportation. Tickets are $50. You can get them HERE.
Sunday, May 190th, 2019, Noon-6pm is the Jacksonville Wine Cruise. Enjoy five different wineries with three wine tastes and a pairing at each! Tickets are $39and you can get them HERE.
If you would rather go to one spot and taste a lot of different wines there are a lot of events going on. From winemaker dinners to festivals there is something to surely satisfy your taste for wine! Just visit our Wine Event spotlight page and we have a whole list of what to do all over Southern Oregon including at the coast. Happy Oregon Wine Month!