Andréa Johnson and Robert Holmes have unparalleled expertise in the Willamette Valley, giving exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the premier wineries, winemakers , farmers, and chefs in Oregon. They have worked in the Willamette Valley for over 20 years building relationships within the industry available to very few people. Andréa and Bob photographed the coffee table book Passion for Pinot (2008), and in addition Andréa has photographed Essential Wineries of the Pacific Northwest (2012) and Spectacular Wineries of Oregon (2014) books, hundreds of photos for the industry’s leading wine magazines including Wine Spectator’s feature stories on Oregon during the past decade, and worked extensively with the owners of each location featured for in depth story telling photographs.

We will spend our time photographing scenic vineyards, farms, & renowned boutique wineries, while enjoying gourmet private wine tastings and food pairings with leading winemakers and chefs. The Willamette Valley is renowned for hospitably – we are fortunate that everyone featured in this tour are personal friends.

In addition to the intimate, private custom wine tour experiences, we will also explore custom itineraries for aerial perspectives. A private helicopter will transport us above the Valley giving us the opportunity to photograph the landscape from the air and whisk us between wineries, and drones will be available to explore techniques to create dramatic aerial photographs. We will also tour through vineyards by horseback for unique angles and will have ‘real people’ models at several locations.

If you love photography and love wine, this “insider” tour combines absolutely the best of both.

Eric Asmov, Chief Wine Critic of The New York Times, one of the most respected wine journalists, recently wrote: “Oregon is right now the single most exciting winemaking area in the United States. . . . Part of what I love about Oregon, and the Willamette Valley in particular, is the small scale. Most Willamette wineries are family operations, and the business of the valley is clearly agriculture, not tourism. It has yet to see the large-scale hotels, fancy restaurants and extravagant winery structures that make, say, Napa Valley seem more Disney than farmland.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/14/dining/oregon-wine.html

Overview

4 nights, 5 days tour from Portland through Willamette Valley wine regions.

Dates & Pricing

• Tue, July 30 – Sat, Aug 3
• $4448 per person
• Tour limited to 6 participants for intimate, exclusive access

What’s included

• All lodging at luxury resorts
• All meals except one a la carte dinner at the Allison Inn, including private winemaker dinners from renowned restaurants with local farm to table sourced ingredients
• All transportation
• All activities including private wine tastings, helicopter and horseback riding
• Photography instruction – both Andréa and Bob will be available to assist with any photography questions or skills throughout the tour, provide initial photo tips presentation at beginning of tour, and individual consultation and review of photos at the end of the tour
• A custom hard-cover book of our tour with photographs from all participants will be provided after the end of the tour

What’s not included

• Incidentals not listed and travel insurance
• Wine purchases, but access will be provided to purchase limited availability wines and free wine shipments for qualified purchases.

 

Maps to be inserted for Willamette Valley wine regions

 

Detailed itinerary

Tue, July 30: Arrive in Portland

• Fly into PDX to arrive by late afternoon
• Group meet up 5pm lobby lounge reserved room
• 6pm: Walk to Imperial restaurant for private tour
• 7pm: Winemaker dinner at Imperial restaurant with Lynn & Ron Penner-Ash
  • Custom chef wine pairing and immersion course – how to pair wine with each dish at Imperial with James beard award winning chef Vitaley Palely, and renowned winemaker Lynn Penner-Ash. Dinner to follow in private room at Imperial with Lynn & Ron Penner-Ash.
• Late night: optional late night at the Nine’s hotel bar, Departure, with outside deck & views of downtown
• Overnight at the Nine’s hotel

Wed, July 31

• 7:30am: Ken Forkish – bakery private tour & photoshoot
• 8:30am: Breakfast – Urban Farmer at 9’s hotel
• 10am: Drive 40 minutes to the Allison Inn & Spa in Willamette Valley
• 11am: Photography presentation in conference room – overview of itinerary, tips for helicopter aerials, landscape, shooting lifestyle food & wine, storytelling series of photos
• 11:45am: Check in at Allison Inn & Spa
• 12:30pm: Briar Rose creamery private tour and photoshoot of cheesemaking
• 1:30pm – 6pm: Custom Helicopter Wine Tour & photoshoot (2.5 hours)
  • Meet at Red Hills market for champagne welcome & safety overview

Helicopter tour winery visits:

Alexana

• 2-3:15pm: private tour & lunch outdoor patio
• Fly around Dundee Hills wineries

Brick house

• 3:30-4:45pm: private tour and tasting with owner Doug Tunnell
• Fly around Ribbon Ridge wineries

Penner Ash

• After hours access 5pm – 6pm: private barrel tasting with Lynn Penner-Ash
• Access to patio views over garden, vineyard, and Mt. Hood
• 6-7:30pm: Drive back to Allison Inn, option to stop along way for dusk vineyard landscape photos
• 8pm: Dinner Allison Inn’s Jory restaurant (inside or outdoor patio)

Thurs, Aug 1: Yamhill Valley AVA wine tours

• 6:30-7am: Breakfast at the Allison Inn’s Jory restaurant
• 7:30am-9am: Three options depending on interest of group:
  1. Yoga at Allison Inn with Jill Knouse
  2. Raindance Vineyards private tour – llamas & classic cars
  3. Allison Inn chef’s garden tour & photoshoot
• 9:30am: Soter Vineyards
  • private tour & photoshoot through farm & garden with viticulturist
  • Drone flying demos on property
• 11:30am – 1pm:
  • Soter MSR Provisions lunch from biodynamic garden and wine pairing
• 2-4pm: Big table farm
  • Farm tour & lifestyle photos
• 5-6pm: Wine country landscape photos
• 6pm-9pm: Saffron Fields Vineyard
  • Art & Japanese Garden tour
  • Private patio dinner with winery owners on patio overlooking Japanese Garden and vineyard, catered on site by Valley Commissary

Fri, Aug 2: Eola Hills AVA wine tours

• 7:30-800am: Meet Sarah Hahn at barn – horse prep photos
• 8:00-8:30am: Drive through wine country to Cristom Vineyards
• 8:30-9:30am: Horseback riding photos through Cristom Vineyards
  • Option for drone photos over Sarah riding horseback
• 9:30-11:30am: Cristom Winery
  • Winery tour and private tasting
• 11:30am-12:30pm: Horseback ride through Cristom vineyards over Eola Hills to Bethlel Heights Vineyards
  • (optional car shuttle for those who don’t want to horseback ride, horses are very mellow and gentle)
• 12:30-2:30pm: Bethel Heights Winery
  • Private tasting room & wine pairing with owner Pat Dudley
• 2:30-4pm: 2 options depending on interest of group
  • Willamette Valley Cheese Co behind the scenes tour
  • Private tour with Erica Landon of Walter Scott winery through their vineyards
• 4:30-8pm: Brooks winery 
  • biodynamic garden tour
  • Private tasting and tour with owner Janie Heuck
  • Private dinner from Chef Abby with wine pairing, vegetables from garden and locally sourced farms
  • Sunset photos from deck of Brooks overlooking vineyards & Mt. Hood
• 8:30pm: Return to Allison Inn, option for drinks on patio outside

Sat, Aug 4

• Breakfast at Allison Inn & Spa restaurant Jory
• Slideshow presentation of participants photos review
• Optional time for
  • individual photography consultations
  • optional spa services at Allison Inn & Spa
• Transportation back to Portland at noon

Additional photos from actual locations visited on tour: