Oregon Wine Industry Comes Together to Support Active Wine Tourism

The five-day tour is unique because it gets people out of their cars, away from tasting rooms, and into the vineyards themselves.

Salem-News.com Business Report

(EUGENE, Ore.) - Wineries, wine-related businesses, and tourism associations in Oregon have rallied behind a new effort to promote active wine tourism in the Oregon wine country. So far, 14 organizations have signed up to sponsor the Oregon Wine Adventure, a new multisport wine tour in the area.

"This is a brand new concept in Oregon and, as far as we can tell, in the wine industry worldwide," explains Jeannine Heidenreich of the Convention & Visitors Association of Lane County, one of the original supporters of the concept. "Our goal is to get more people to visit Oregon and Lane County and the Wine Adventure is a perfect pairing between Oregon's recreation wonderland and rich wine culture."

The first-ever Oregon Multi-Sport Wine Adventure will consist of five days of activities, education, and wine tasting from August 10-14, 2008. A maximum of 20 participants will hike, bike, and paddle canoes on, through, and near Oregon's vineyards. The tour costs $1900 per person and includes meals, lodging, local transportation, activities, wine tastings, and professional guides.

Zephyr Adventures, a worldwide adventure travel company, is the organizer of the Oregon tour. While the company offers active wine tours in seven locations around the globe, management says there is something unique about the tour in Oregon.

"We love working with our partners in Oregon because they are so willing to promote the common good, knowing it will also help each individual business," says Zephyr Adventures owner Allan Wright. "The goal is to promote Oregon, Oregon wines, and our Oregon Wine Adventure -- all of which are special."

The five-day tour is unique because it gets people out of their cars, away from tasting rooms, and into the vineyards themselves. For example, participants taste wines at Bethel Heights Vineyard in the Eola Hills area before taking a two-mile hike with owner Pat Dudley over the hill to Cristom Vineyards. On another day, participants will canoe on the Willamette River with a lunch stop at VX Vineyards.

"We are very pleased to be supporting the Oregon Wine Adventure," says Travel Trade Manager Lisa Itel of Travel Oregon. "We all work well together here in Oregon and this group of supporters is just another example of that."

For more information on the Oregon Wine Adventure, visit oregonwineadventure.com/. Sponsoring organizations include wineries Bethel Heights, Iris Vineyards, Sokol Blosser, Willamette Valley Vineyards, Wy'East Vineyards, and VX Vineyards; tourism promotion agencies The Convention & Visitors Association of Lane County Oregon, Oregon Wine Country, Salem Convention & Visitors Association, and Travel Oregon; plus the Carlton Winemakers Studio, Oregon Wine Services and Storage, the Phoenix Grand Hotel, and Red Ridge Farms.

Source: Zephyr Adventures