Backcountry Wine Tours — Local services in Portland

On June 20, 2025, my partner and I took a winery tour in Oregon’s Willamette Valley with Backcountry Wine Tours. We’ve both been on many wine tours, domestic and international. We know what works. I wouldn’t say we are demanding, but I will say that we have some expectations. Among these: we would like to experience (but not exclusively) newer and more experimental wineries doing interesting things and producing memorable tasting experiences; we want a small group – no more than eight; a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide; something appropriate for lunch; and, it goes without saying, fun. And we want to continue to learn about wine, wine-making, and the considerations of terrain, soil, climate, and local wine-making history. Backcountry more than fit the bill. Our guide, Dillon, took four of us to three wineries in the Willamette Valley: Hazelfern, Granville, and Compris. All three provided memorable experiences. The tour lasted seven hours, which provided flexibility.

Of course, we did not know any of this as we set out to find a good tour. What convinced us to take a chance with Backcountry is that their management took the time – a lot of it, I would say – to explain their approach, including links to documentation, and to answer all of our questions. The passion showed through, and not just because they said so. It was apparent. They didn’t disappoint.

I should say here that I am not a wine expert, and don’t really ever expect to be so at my age, so I won’t give a run-down of the wineries or wines. Suffice to say that we liked them all and found the tasting staff very informative and helpful and the wines often bright and delicious. It was a worthy continuation of our wine appreciation journey. Experts or not, we certainly learned from the experience. We’ll be back but, also as we journey the world making wine a component of our travel experience, we will look for Backcountry’s local counterpart.

Thank you Dillon and Backcountry Wine Tours.

Yours, William C. Sterling...

Beautiful Country, Fine Wine, and a Great Guide

Our guide was Jeffery. He picked us up at our home and chauffeured us for the day. Our ride was a comfortable Ford Transit Van. At our first stop Jeffery had arranged a private tasting. We were met at the door with a glass of wine to sip, as we toured the production facilities and adjacent vineyard. When the tour was done we had three different Pinots to sample. We continued on to three other wineries which were just tastings. Each winery handles their tastings a little differently than the next. But the basics are the same. Each day they have a menu of three to six featured wines, which you can sample for a small fee; $15 to $30. The tasting pours were all generous amounts. If you purchase a bottle then the tasting fee is generally waived. In between the second and third stops, we had lunch at a wonderful sandwich place in Carlton, The Horse Radish. Lunch was included in the price of the tour. While initially, the price of the tour seemed high, the education we received from our guide and the tasting room folks was worth the price. Tasting room fees are not included in the tour price, but generally buying one bottle will cover the cost. And even if you don’t buy something, $15 to $30 is reasonable to try several different wines. Finally, we could have gone to each of these tasting rooms on our own. But I doubt we could have arranged the production facility tour. And certainly after sampling 12 to 15 different wines, driving yourself would be out of the question. If you’re interested in wine then this tour...

I can't say enough good things about Backcountry Wine Tours and the experience they provided for myself and my husband. We booked the Joinable Tour, which was at the top of my budget for the wine tasting day we wanted to do, but I heard really good things about this company, so I decided to make the investment. I am so, so glad I did!!

The experience: We visited three wineries hand-selected for us based on the detailed questionnaire I filled out when booking. Our guide, Dillon, was incredibly knowledgeable about the region and the wineries, very friendly and easy going, and because it worked out that the day wasn't very busy with bookings, we ended up having a PRIVATE tour of beautiful boutique wineries that aligned perfectly with the type of tastings and experience we wanted. The lunch was perfectly timed and delicious, a hearty sandwich and local salad, just the thing when drinking and tasting wine all day. We were never rushed, were treated like VIPs wherever we went, and overall just had the most amazing day.

While I wouldn't call this a "budget" wine tour, the price is 100% justified by the content, and I would confidently say we got amazing value for our money. I would recommend Backcountry Wine Tours wholeheartedly to anyone with a love of wine, particularly those interested in learning and having a deeper experience than something like a bus tour to the giant producers in the region can provide.

Thanks again,...