Still working as a wine country tour guide in Oregon and Washington state.
If you've ever looked at my Profile Page, you'll have noticed I've been part of the Taste Vacations team since 2018.
As a tour guide I have the privilege of showcasing the best wineries, restaurants and establishments the area has to offer. I’m responsible for my guests and I want them to have the best experiences they can take back home and share with their friends. Plus, I love having a captive audience. They’ve never heard my stories.
You are the most interesting person I’ve met all year.
This month I had two couples from Florida as my guests. We spent a week together in Oregon, with me as driver and tour guide. Their accommodation was deluxe with outdoor fire pit and sauna, just two blocks from downtown McMinville, Oregon. I had an easy walk of 10 minutes, so I got my steps in every day and opportunities to chat with the locals.
What’s lingering with me after my time in McMinville, Oregon this month would be the people I met who seemed familiar. I was even asked, "Do I know you?" I was wondering the same. "Do I know you?"
After 20 years of working in and writing about wine, I've met thousands of people. I've poured for them, answered questions, provided wine education and made some of them laugh. I don't remember many faces or names. Just the feelings.
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| Rodeo Hills winemaker Jared Etzel |
Among them, winemaker David Paige, Zoey at R. Stuart wine bar, Rodeo Hills winemaker Jared Etzel, the barista at Pioneer Joe and especially, my group from Florida. They all seemed like friends I had met before, and we were now meeting again.
"Have we met?"
We could have met at Barnard Griffin winery, or Wautoma Springs winery or Col Solare winery or at the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center. Or perhaps at one of the Wine Blogger Conferences I attended in Walla Walla, Oregon, Virginia or Penticton, B.C. Over the last two decades I've met so many people and spoken with so many groups, you'll have to tell me.
But why was this feeling so strong in McMinville?
People in this little tourist town are friendly. Friendlier than where I live I have to admit. It was easy to strike up conversations with strangers. And cars will unexpectedly stop in the middle of the road so you can walk across. They don’t do that where I live. And traffic will often slow down and open up so you can change lanes. That does not happen where I live. I toned down my microaggressions and began doing the same.
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| The Bitter Monk Pub. Good beer on tap. |
The Willamette valley is beautiful. Yamhill-Carlton, Dundee Hills, Ribbon Ridge, the countryside where magnificent Pinot Noir and delectable Chardonnay are grown. The terroir, the place, the climate are so unlike Eastern Washington state where I live. Green forests, winding narrow roads through the hillsides, and rolling picturesque vineyards at elevation. Stunning views. A photograph waiting around every curve of the road. We ooh’d and aah’d daily at the views.
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| Rodeo Hills Winery - cool space - amazing light. |
And I met and hung with younger people who are passionate about wine as well. Which I needed. I need to remain hopeful in this time of declining wine sales. Those I met get it. They love wine and want to know more too. Like me. I honestly needed to experience that, to see younger people appreciating and understanding wine.
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| HiFi Wine Bar. I have this album on order. |
One of the coolest venues I and my guests enjoyed was Hi-Fi Wine Bar. Music is spun on vinyl while you taste and eat, not just any music, curated, hip, cool, music spanning the decades. When I walked in a smile was instantly on my face. Then the wine list. A delectable panoply of curated, cherry picked, wines from the world. By the glass or the bottle. And when you interface with the owner, on music or wine, be prepared. He is intense and goes deep into both subjects. There’s that smile again. And the appetizers on the menu are equally up to the challenge of sensory delights. And the customers are all ages, from early 20’s to 70’s. Love that! Everyone was having a great time, the music, the wine, the food. Everyone was engaged, experiencing three of my favorite joys... and learning. And wanting more. Like me.
Next year I hope to be back in McMinville, Oregon with another group that wants to experience the best that Oregon has to offer. We had a marvelous time. And I want more.
As one of my guests said, “You are the most interesting person I’ve met all year.”
If you are curious about the company I work for, they are Taste Vacations. Wine tours are offered all over the world, as well as Oregon and Washington.
William