Summer is a glorious time here in Oregon with blue skies, green trees and an abundance of hiking trails and waterfalls. One of our favorite summer things to do is to tour the many wineries that dot the Willamette Valley landscape. There are over six hundred wineries and vineyards in Oregon. From our home in Junction City, there are 20 wineries within an hour’s drive. The only problem is, after you’ve been to a couple of them, you have to have the debate about who is going to drive on to the next one? Who’s going to be your designated driver? Here at Guaranty RV, we’ve come up with a solution. Leave the driving to us. Join us for a winery tour where we do the driving and you ride in style in a comfortable RV.
Wineries around Eugene
There are several great wineries around Eugene. You could make a day of it. Start at Sweet Cheeks Winery and enjoy their award winning pinot gris. Just up the road is the excellent Sylvan Ridge Winery. Then hop back on your luxurious RV to ride in style to King Estate Winery. Enjoy their pinot noir and grab lunch from the restaurant which aims to pair local wines with local ingredients from the estate gardens. You can also try one of the small batch wines from their vineyard in the Rogue River Valley. And be sure and stop by J. Scott Cellars new urban winery in the city of Eugene itself. If you like what they’re serving, you can pick up a bottle or two in our Travel Center.
Salem Wineries
Or if you are up for a bit more of a drive you can visit wineries around Salem, OR. There are a few wineries and vineyards with some of the most beautiful scenery in the Northwest. Treos Wine in Monmouth (about a 20 minute drive outside Salem) has the rolling hills and river views that you look for in a great winery. They have award winning pinots, both red and white, and their selection of white wines is outstanding. Also in Monmouth is Emerson Vineyards. Famous for their pinot noir. Emerson Vineyards is a beautiful place to walk around and get lost in the vineyard. Namaste Vineyards in Dallas, OR (14 miles west of Salem) has a great selection of outstanding red wines. The tasting room is located just outside of Dallas on Hwy 99 in Independence, OR.
RV Luxury
The great thing about riding around in an RV, apart from having your own bathroom on board, is having a kitchen. Each RV comes with a fridge, sink, range and microwave so you can bring your own food and whip up a lovely meal to eat overlooking the splendor of the Willamette Valley. Just ask your driver to stop at one of the many scenic viewpoints along the way and enjoy a meal tailored to your tastes because you were able to make it just how you like it. Each tour comes with bottled water, coffee and a snack tray. So grab your best girlfriends and make a day of laughter and memories, or invite a few couples and make a fun day trip that you’ll never forget, or just take your special someone on a romantic wine tasting tour.
Photo: Jim Fischer
