Wine Tours from Eugene
A private vehicle and driver for a day in Willamette Valley wine country, booked by the hour.
The valley
Eugene is at one end of the wine country
The Willamette Valley AVA, established in 1983, runs, in the words of the Willamette Valley Wineries Association, "from Portland in the north to Eugene in the south." Eugene sits at its southern tip.
Inside it are smaller AVAs, each defined by its own soils, elevation and weather. Most of them are at the northern end, closer to Portland. One — Lower Long Tom — is on Eugene's doorstep.
Pinot noir is the valley's grape: the association puts it at 70% of plantings, ahead of Pinot gris and Chardonnay.
From the association's figures
- Willamette Valley AVA
- Established 1983.
- Extent
- Portland in the north to Eugene in the south.
- Main grape
- Pinot noir, 70% of plantings.
Nearby
The Lower Long Tom AVA lies between Eugene and Corvallis, on the west side of the Long Tom River's watershed. Measured to the town of Monroe, it is 23 miles from downtown Eugene, about 40 min without traffic.
It is also one of the newest AVAs in the valley, established in November 2021. The association describes vineyards on ridge lines running east to west, on clay-loam soils over sandstone, with the Coast Range to the west cutting the rainfall.
For a Eugene group this is the natural half-day: short enough that a four-hour booking is mostly spent at the wineries, not on the road.
Lower Long Tom, per the association
- Established
- November 2021
- Area
- 25,000 acres, 575 of them planted
- Growers
- 12 wineries and 24 vineyards
Further north
The names most people know — Dundee Hills, the McMinnville area, Yamhill-Carlton, Eola-Amity Hills — are in the northern half of the valley. From Eugene they are a long drive up I-5, around two hours each way.
That makes them a full day, not an afternoon. It is a good day, but it should be booked as one.
| AVA | Measured to | Where | Miles | Drive time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Long Tom | Monroe | Benton and Lane Counties, between Eugene and Corvallis | 23.0 | about 40 min |
| Eola-Amity Hills | Amity | West of Salem, in the mid-valley | 83.4 | about 1 hr 50 |
| McMinnville | McMinnville | The north valley, around the town it is named for | 90.4 | about 2 hr |
| Dundee Hills | Dundee | The north valley, above the town of Dundee | 93.9 | about 2 hr |
| Yamhill-Carlton | Carlton | The north valley, around Yamhill and Carlton | 98.5 | about 2 hr 10 |
The day
Wine tours are booked by the hour, with a four-hour minimum, and the clock runs from pickup to drop-off. The drive to the wineries counts, so how far you go decides how much of the booking is tasting time.
The table below does the arithmetic. For Lower Long Tom, a four-hour booking leaves most of it at the wineries. For Dundee Hills, four hours is spent entirely on the road — plan on eight or more.
| Hours booked | Lower Long Tom | Dundee Hills |
|---|---|---|
| 4 hours | About 2 hr 45 min | None — the booking is all driving |
| 6 hours | About 4 hr 45 min | About 1 hr 55 min |
| 8 hours | About 6 hr 45 min | About 3 hr 55 min |
| 10 hours | About 8 hr 45 min | About 5 hr 55 min |
Prices
What a wine tour costs
The price is per vehicle, not per person, so a full vehicle is the economical way to do it. Tasting fees are paid at the wineries and are not part of our price.
| Vehicle | Seats | Per hour | 4-hour minimum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium SUV | Up to 5 | $145 | $580 |
| Executive SUV | Up to 5 | $155 | $620 |
| Sprinter Executive | Up to 12 | $215 | $860 |
| Sprinter Coach | Up to 14 | $215 | $860 |
A naming trap
Eugene has its own Mount Pisgah, the hill with the arboretum just southeast of Springfield. The valley also has an AVA called Mount Pisgah, Polk County, Oregon — and the full name matters, because it is in Polk County, west of Salem, and nowhere near Eugene's.
If a winery list mentions "Mount Pisgah", check which one before planning a short afternoon around it.
Planning
You choose the wineries; we drive. We have no arrangement with any winery and do not steer groups toward any of them.
Check each winery's own tasting hours, and whether it takes reservations, before the day. Send us the list in order and we will tell you whether it fits the hours booked, and suggest a pickup time.
The Willamette Valley Wineries Association lists Memorial Weekend and Wine Country Thanksgiving among its annual events. Dates are on its site. Book early for those weekends.
Send us, when you book
- The wineries, in order, and any tasting reservation times.
- The pickup and drop-off addresses.
- The number of people.
- The hours you want — 4 at least.
Nearby
The city hub and the rest of a Eugene trip.
Booking
The vehicle, the driver and the fuel for the hours booked. Tips are not included and are at your discretion. Canceling is free up to 24 hours before pickup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Lower Long Tom, between Eugene and Corvallis — 23 miles to Monroe, about 40 min without traffic.
About two hours each way up I-5. Plan a full day of eight hours or more.
Yes, 4 hours. The clock runs from pickup to drop-off, including the drive.
No. Tasting fees are paid at the wineries. Our price is for the vehicle and driver.
We do not steer groups to particular wineries and have no arrangement with any. Choose your own and we will check the plan fits the hours.
No, per vehicle, for everyone who fits in it.
Yes. The hours start at pickup, wherever it is.