The first time I went on a Willamette Valley wine tour, it actually wasn’t planned at all! I was driving from Seattle down to Boise by way of Oregon, and kept seeing signs for wine country – I wanted to take a little break and figured that would be the best way to do so!

However, if you want the best experience possible, I highly recommend opting for one of the top Willamette Valley wine tours! I’ve detailed my favorite tours that will show you the best wine and plenty of hidden gems in the region, with a professional guide to lead the way. Let’s jump right in!

Best Willamette Valley Wine Tours

	Willamette Valley Wine Tour with Lunch	Willamette Valley Wine Tour (Tasting Fees Included)	Private Customized Willamette Valley Wine Maker Tour with lunch
Meeting Location:	Hotel pickup and drop-off available	Hotel pickup and drop-off available	Hotel pickup and drop-off available
Tour Length:	7.5 hours	5 hours	8 hours
Start Time(s):	9:00 AM	9:00 AM	10:00 AM
What’s Included:	All day Willamette Valley Wine Tour, Door to Door service, Wine country picnic-style lunch at a winery, bottled water	Wine Tasting Fees at 3 Vineyards, Local Guide, Pick-up & Drop-off At Downtown Portland Hotels, Transport by Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van	Private transportation, Lunch, Expert wine/vineyard/cellar guide, Air-conditioned vehicle, Bottled water, Photography of your day
	Check Tour Availability	Check Tour Availability	Check Tour Availability

Our 7 Top Picks For The Best Willamette Valley Wine Tours

1. Willamette Valley Wine Tour with Lunch
2. Willamette Valley Wine Tour (Tasting Fees Included)
3. Private Customized Willamette Valley Wine Maker Tour with lunch
4. Willamette Valley Wine Tasting Tour from Portland
5. Small Group: Willamette Valley Wine Tour From Portland (Tasting Fees Included)
6. Explore the Wines of Oregon’s Willamette Valley
7. Willamette Valley Character Winery Tour

Best Willamette Valley Wine Tour Reviews

1. Willamette Valley Wine Tour with Lunch

What to Expect on the Tour

With a convenient hotel pickup and drop-off service available, you’ll be able to see some of the very best the Willamette Valley has to offer while staying in Portland. There’s no need to drive between the 3 different wineries you’ll visit, so feel free to fully enjoy the wine without worry.

The group will be relatively small, with your guide there to create a custom itinerary based on all of your interests. Sample delicious wine, tour the facilities (including some areas most guests don’t get to see!), and learn all about each location’s specific wine production methods and background!

Something to note is that the tasting fees are not included, though you will be able to enjoy a gourmet wine country-style lunch out in the fresh air surrounded by beautiful scenery. Whether you’re looking to up your wine expertise or simply want to explore this wonderful region, this tour is fantastic!

What Makes This Tour Great

If you’re looking for a relaxing day outside of the city, this tour is a wonderful option. Get away from the hustle and bustle and head out through the rolling hills adorned with picturesque vineyards as your guide regales you with interesting stories and historical info about the region.

Offering a curated selection of tastings at boutique wineries, you’ll try some of the best wines in the region, paired with artisanal cheeses. Each stop offers insight into the distinct terroir which holds influence over each type of wine, while also learning about each location’s winemaking process and background.

Beyond the wine itself, you’ll have a delicious picnic lunch while soaking up the lovely environment. It’s a great way to enjoy time with friends, family, or even on your own, and is perfect for complete newbies as well as wine aficionados!

Reserve Tour Now and Pay Later / Free Cancellation Within 24 Hours of Tour Start Time

2. Willamette Valley Wine Tour (Tasting Fees Included)

What to Expect on the Tour

Clocking in around 5 to 6 hours, this tour is a bit shorter than the previous one, but still draws many similarities. For example, this tour includes a wine tasting at 3 wineries in the renowned Willamette Valley, with a knowledgeable local guide to keep you informed on the local wine and region’s history.

If that sounds interesting to you, I highly encourage you to check out the Willamette Valley Wine Tour (Tasting Fees Included)! With convenient door-to-door transportation service, you don’t have to worry about driving or booking separate transportation.

Simply sit back and enjoy the view as you cruise along, while your guide tells you and the rest of your small group about the history of the area. If you’re a Pinot Noir fan, you’re definitely going to love these! You’ll not only visit the tasting rooms but will even get to see some behind-the-scenes stuff!

What Makes This Tour Great

The Willamette Valley has become on of North America’s top cool-climate varietal producers, thanks to its perfectly balanced earth containing volcanic soils, along with the specific elevation and micro-climates.

Your roundtrip transportation for the day is a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van that will pick you up at your hotel and take you back at the end of the tour. The views are absolutely stunning, with views of the vineyards and mountains in the distance!

The visits we took to the 3 different wineries were as fun as they were educational, with our guide and the staff sharing interesting information on each wine to gain a deeper understanding.

I found that the 3 locations were perfectly selected, with each one different from the rest, just like their wines. It kept things from being redundant and maximized the time we spent out there, enjoying the pristine outdoors and amazing company.

Reserve Tour Now and Pay Later / Free Cancellation Within 24 Hours of Tour Start Time

3. Private Customized Willamette Valley Wine Maker Tour with lunch

What to Expect on the Tour

Sure, you could come up with your own itinerary and drive yourself around Willamette Valley. However, it’s not the smartest idea when you’ve been sampling wine, and it’s just not as relaxing.

With the Private Customized Willamette Valley Wine Maker Tour with Lunch experience, all that’s resolved for you. Sit back and relax as you cruise from winery to winery based on you and your private group’s specific interests, complete with hotel pickup and drop-off service!

Expect a professional, expert wine guide to curate a fantastic tour experience filled with top-notch wineries that suit your specific preferences. You’ll explore the rolling vineyards, historic cellars, and gorgeous tasting rooms as you learn about the different types of wine.

About halfway through the adventure, stop for a mouthwatering gourmet lunch in the middle of a breathtaking vineyard so you can really soak in the beautiful environment.

What Makes This Tour Great

It’s really nice being able to sit back and know that you’re going to the best wineries for your interests, with a professional guide who knows them all like the back of their hand.

Instead of doing the guesswork or trying to figure things out yourself, they have everything covered! This wine tour is a nice balance of education, indulgence, natural beauty, and a ton of fun!

You’ll learn not only about the different wines and tasting notes, you’ll gain insight to the local terroir and the passionate craftsmanship that goes into each bottle.

Enjoy curated tastings of fine wines, all while enjoying the wonderful views of lush vineyards and the Cascades in the distance.

The experience is further elevated with a gourmet picnic lunch to keep you energized and well-paced for a full-day tour that just flies by!

Reserve Tour Now and Pay Later / Free Cancellation Within 24 Hours of Tour Start Time

4. Willamette Valley Wine Tasting Tour from Portland

What to Expect on the Tour

While this tour offers quite a few similarities to the others I’ve reviewed, the Willamette Valley Wine Tasting Tour from Portland seemed to focus a bit more on the nature aspect of the experience.

While Portland definitely isn’t lacking in the natural beauty department, the valley is definitely a more serene atmosphere, with no city noise nor concrete jungles to speak of.

You’ll just be enjoying picturesque vistas as your guide takes you and your group through while regaling you with plenty of fun and interesting historical and wine-related facts.

Visit 3 top wineries, where you’ll have in-depth conversations about each wine’s unique flavor profile, each winery’s unique viticulture, and of course, plenty of wine tastings.

While you’ll surely sample incredible pinot noirs, I’m sure you’re going to love their oaky chardonnay and intense cabernets just as much as I did!

Our guide only made our tour that much more fun, answering all of our questions and adding to the already valuable information the staff gave us.

What Makes This Tour Great

I used to think that the big, corporate wineries were the best because their names were the most recognizable for me. However, after this tour is when I realized that some of the best experiences and most delicious wine was a product of the boutique wineries.

A relaxing mini-coach ride is all you need to head out into the rolling hills, with views of orchards, and plenty of vineyards. We learned about the 6 different sub-appellations of the region, with 3 different winery visits that represent each one well.

They’re quite generous with the wine tastings, so I appreciated the free bottled water and the attention to timing between each visit. I highly recommend purchasing a few bottles to take (or ship!) home, as there are surely some you’ll fall in love with.

Reserve Tour Now and Pay Later / Free Cancellation Within 24 Hours of Tour Start Time

5. Small Group: Willamette Valley Wine Tour From Portland (Tasting Fees Included)

What to Expect on the Tour

Everything about the Small Group: Willamette Valley Wine Tour from Portland (Tasting Fees Included) feels just a bit more upscale. First off, you won’t be dealing with a horde of people so you can expect more personalized attention from your guide.

I think wineries are meant to be experienced with fewer people in a place like this, where you can really just savor the incredible wine and natural beauty around you.

Your transportation for the day is a bit more “luxury” in a custom-equipped 4×4 Mercedes-Benz vehicle (depending on the size of your group). With a professional expert guide to lead the way, you’ll learn and see much more than you would if you went it alone!

The hospitality is top-notch, and with all wine tasting fees included, you don’t have to worry about spending anything more while on your day-long trip.

What Makes This Tour Great

Whether you’re a complete newbie or wine aficionado, you’re sure to love this enchanting wine tour through the Willamette Valley with a small group.

We visited one of the majors and 2 boutique wineries, which offers a nice contrast between the different production methods, operations, histories, and more.

Our small group was a ton of fun, and our guide did a great job sharing their knowledge of the area, as well as the geography, growing methods, and other fun facts.

The van was very comfortable, with big windows for prime viewing of the rolling hills and orchards around us, making it hard not to fall asleep on the way back!

On our tour, we met with one of the winery owners, where we learned about the way they make wine, before we all went to the beautiful vineyard to have a delicious lunch. You’ll be back in time for dinner, so if you have evening plans, there’s no need to worry!

Reserve Tour Now and Pay Later / Free Cancellation Within 24 Hours of Tour Start Time

6. Explore the Wines of Oregon’s Willamette Valley

What to Expect on the Tour

This is quite possibly the most luxurious of any Willamette Wine Valley tour I’ve experienced! Given the relative price, if you highly prefer a completely private tour, you truly can’t go wrong with this gem.

The Explore the Wines of Oregon’s Willamette Valley tour is a safe, educational, enriching day out in the fresh air with great wine.

However, it sets itself apart from most others with the fact that it’s completely private and customizable, so you and your party get a tailored tour with your tastes in mind. Perhaps you’re really curious about boutique chardonnay wineries, but don’t know which are worth it.

Your expert guide will be there to curate the selection for you, ensuring you’re completely satisfied with the wines and the entire experience. With roundtrip, door-to-door transport, you don’t have to deal with booking separate transport or driving yourself, which is particularly important when alcoholic beverages are involved.

There are multiple start times available, depending on your needs, making it that much easier to fit into your schedule!

What Makes This Tour Great

It’s impressive the amount of artistry and attention to detail that goes into creating such wonderful wines, and you’ll get to see it all on this tour. Learn about the intricacies of winemaking while soaking up breathtaking landscapes, adorned with renowned vineyards.

With a focus on mostly small-batch wineries, you’ll get to try exceptional Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and plenty of other delicious varietals!

Something about this experience was quite romantic to me, and seeing as it is a completely private tour, I highly recommend taking the tour for a special occasion, like an anniversary or birthday.

You’ll have either one or two guides to lead the way, planning a day of boutique winery visits with amazing views and equally as incredible wine! With gracious hosts, welcoming atmosphere, and a great way to see Oregon outside of Portland.

Reserve Tour Now and Pay Later / Free Cancellation Within 24 Hours of Tour Start Time

7. Willamette Valley Character Winery Tour

What to Expect on the Tour

The Willamette Valley Character Winery Tour is another interesting choice if you’re looking for a small-group experience that focuses just a bit more on touring the valley, itself. Of course, you’ll be able to see plenty of wineries and sample their products with visits to 3 different locations.

If it’s your first time trying this region’s wine, you’re going to be pleasantly surprised as it’s just as good (if not better in some ways!) than those from the esteemed Napa Valley!

Starting off with a convenient hotel pickup at 10am, you’ll have some time to sleep in before making a relaxing journey out to the Willamette Valley. The vehicle is nice and comfortable, with bottled water offered onboard, as well.

Your professional guide will make sure you get around safely, so you can rest easy knowing the wine tastings aren’t going to affect your driving – after all, you have a driver for the day!

What Makes This Tour Great

We spent a bit of extra time touring around the valley, getting to see all of the pristine natural beauty it has to offer. It was a nice little respite from the bustling city of Portland, which I love as well, but is quite different than this region.

I found it to be a wonderful experience with a significant other, the entire family, or a friend group, while still keeping things more brief than most other tours of this type.

We had a great time visiting the varied wineries, learning about each’s specialties and how they make their wines, followed by a comprehensive tasting.

Along the way, we had plenty of snacks and stopped for a delicious and filling lunch to keep us energized and with our heads on right. What more could you ask for?!

Reserve Tour Now and Pay Later / Free Cancellation Within 24 Hours of Tour Start Time

Shayanne DeCastro

Shayanne is a freelance writer, wine snob and marketer based in LA, California. Describing herself as a nomad, she has lived in many different cities including Boise, Idaho and Seattle, Washington as well as Guadalajara, Mexico. She is forever on the move.

Being an extremely active person, she loves to snowboard, skateboard, and ski. She enjoys sharing her love for active sports with others through her “how to” sports guides as well as food and wine reviews. Her love for wine and good food shines through every paragraph. While she travels, Shayanne loves to try new restaurants and wineries.  If there is a wineries or good restaurant in your town, you will probably meet her one day.