Allen was an excellent communicator leading up to the tour and an overall excellent, knowledgeable guide. I asked him for boutique vineyard recommendations specifically to avoid seeing labels I could buy in the grocery or liquor store. He provided a list of 3 vineyards, aside from the one I was dead-set on visiting (Penner-Ash), suggesting 4 stops was more than enough. He was spot on. I was ready to tap out by the fourth and final stop. He suggested a 9:30 AM pick up from downtown Portland, accounting for about an hour drive to get to the first vineyard. He was right on time and picked up in a clean white Mercedez van. The first stop was Argyle, followed by De Ponte Cellars, followed by Brooks Winery for lunch, ending at Penner-Ash. Even though Argyle appeared to be a little commercial given its location on a fairly busy street rather than off the beaten path, the space and their sparkling wine provided for a good intro for the rest of the day. The other two vineyards he picked were exactly what I wanted. We were the only ones in De Ponte, except for the cat. And Brooks had a great food and wine menu for lunch, overlooking beautiful views. As for pricing, I was first taken aback by the $75/hour price point, but I got over it considering: - Allen's competition was charging about the same - Allen is your private driver for the day and waits for you in between stops - Uber is not practical or all that cheaper for something like this. The vineyards are too spread out, some of which are in no service areas, and I can guarantee an Uber driver wouldn't bring Allen's expertise to the table. Overall, I was very satisfied with this service and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Wilammette Valley. The more people the merrier, however. The $75/cost is per hour, not per person. read more

Hands down, the best wine tour, I've ever been on! John the owner of the company, who started out this business after attempting to retire several years back, has given a new definition to wine tours. He treats you like family, becomes your friend and shows you what you want precisely like an excellent doctor diagnosing your qualms. As soon we all met, John immediately got on to establishing our preferences and getting us on to our insider's boutique wine tour experience. He educated us and amused us with history and facts in regards to the valley, the Dundee Hills and beyond. He's most certainly got a talent for tours and a heart of gold to boot. Book a tour with this company. Best times to go according to John, are after March through end of October. EXTRA Tips-- + Most wineries waived tasting fees when you're with Insider's + Cost $60/hour + tip Everything Sam K. said about this company is true; nothing but friendly, professional, and knowledgeable people here, providing wonderful and unique inside wine tour experiences. read more

Insiders Wine Tours - Wine Tours Near Me

David was our guide, confidant, and friend. My mother and sister surprised me with a wine tour. David made the experience perfect and was the perfect addition to our group. He tailored the experience perfectly to our likes and personalities. He even was our personal photog! He knew various wine makers which added to the experience and truly gave us an insider view of wine country. He even took us olive oil tasting and knew all the events that were special for the weekend. We spent all day with him and he even assisted in a reservation for dinner at a local (and amazing) restaurant. There is no point to looking elsewhere...this is the service for you. Oh! And he helped me find wedding venues for my fictitious wedding. It was so fun! read more

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James is such an amazing tour guide!!! Ridiculously knowledgeable on the area and so much fun to be around. He is someone we will all keep in touch with for years to come. Our wine tour was for 2 days and went to 6 wineries. Was absolutely perfect and ahhhhhmazing wine!! Also, John who coordinated our trip was really helpful and I like how he texted me updates. read more

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Did a 4th of July weekend wine tour with David, he was amazing! Made the whole trip seamless and felt like a friend on the trip! Knowledgeable, well connected and made the day a success. 100% would do it again or recommend to a friend Book early, they do fill up! read more

What a great service. Jeff was our driver for our recent excursion into wine country in and around Dundee. He rolled up to our B&B in an Escalade, which seems much less ostentatious (in my mind) than a limo (they got rid of their limos a couple years ago). He loaded our picnic lunch into the back, helped us all into the rig, got an idea of our schedule for the day, where we wanted to go, what we wanted to see, wines we wanted to try, what we weren't interested in, etc., and then we were on our way. Jeff spent 7+ hours with us for that day and was integral to our enjoyment of what Oregon wine country has to offer. He knows the geography like the back of his hand (go figure, he grew up and still lives here), all the wineries, which one has the best varietal, how to get private tastings, etc. He was courteous, professional and an all around super cool guy. He took us everywhere from Red Ridge to Anderson Family Vineyards to Four Graces to Adea to the Carlton area. He knew all the people at the wineries, so it was easy to get in and try what we wanted to try without having to go through any hoops beforehand. An added bonus - Jeff really knows his wines. It is my understanding they also have (in addition to the Escalade), a Yukon and a Suburban. I couldn't recommend Insiders Wine Tours more highly. Top notch service staffed by professional, knowledgeable and friendly drivers (at least Jeff sure is). read more

We absolute loved our wine tour with John. We went to four fantastic wineries based on his knowledge and recommendations. He knew the best views and best wines in the area, having worked in Oregon wine country for many years. The car was definitely a luxury vehicle, clean, and well maintained. John is also just a fantastic person and we enjoyed spending the day with him. We highly recommend insider wine tours for the service and value! We hope to come back to Oregon Wine Country soon. read more

We had a great day hosted by Jennifer. The van was clean and comfortable. Jennifer did a great job of being scarce when we wanted privacy but being there when we needed anything. Allen and Jennifer clearly have a good relationship with the vineyard owners and they picked a great schedule for us. read more

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We had an amazing time under John's wing this past weekend. He was so knowledgable about the history of the Willamette Valley wine industry and he picked out some really special spots we would have never found on our own with so many to choose from. He was generous with his time, expertise, and humor. His SUV was spacious and comfortable. I would not hesitate to arrange another tour with him in the future and I will be recommending Insiders Wine Tours to anyone I know traveling to the area. read more

Allen is amazing! His access to insiders is second to none and he was able to update our itinerary based on what he learned from us and our tastes throughout the day. I learned about Allen and his company only Yelp and I'm ecstatic to be another five star review! We really enjoyed our day and you won't retreat choosing Allen - you'll be in great hands! read more

I'm writing a review for a trip a group of us took over Thanksgiving weekend a couple of years ago. I'm writing because we're organizing another day trip and will be booking again. Firstly, as a native of Oregon and having a McMinnville family connection it was important to find an outfit that was local, check. John, who runs the family business took our group of six out; most of us have been around Oregon for wine stuff however, John surprised us with some cool new treats. We had a spectacular day and it was unforgettable. Thanks John! We hope to be back later this fall. read more

My husband and I had an amazing wine tour this past week with David as our guide. He was the ultimate host; very knowledgeable about wine and the whole area. He was so engaging and interesting to chat with also taking the time to listen and understand what our preferences would be then he tailored the day to fit those preferences. By the end of the day I felt like we had a new friend. We would HIGHLY recommend David and the company! Ben and Kathleen M. read more

We spent a day wine tasting with Allen and absolutely loved his wisdom, guidance, expertise and local knowledge. They are named INSIDERS for a reason ....we will go back to Oregon and we will be calling Allen again read more

John was our guide. He was very knowledgeable of the area vineyards, history of the Willamette Valley wineries, and of winemaking in general. He was very personable, had great energy and kept us smiling throughout the day. My husband and I both truly enjoyed our time on the tour and look forward to doing it again next time our travels bring us to this area. read more

My two daughters and I did a wine tour with David as our driver this past weekend. We had such a great time! David took such good care of us....knew exactly where to take us and we got a great flavor for the area wines. He offered a recommendation for dinner that was exceptional and even called for our reservation! I highly recommend Insider Wine Tours and can't wait to book my next tour! He also took some great pictures for us! read more

Six of us took a vacation to Willamette Valley for a wine trip in early October and did two days of wine tours with John as our guide. He took us to fantastic, smaller wineries that we would have never found on our own and we had some one on one visits with the wine makers as well. It was an incredible trip! John was super knowledgeable and knew everyone! Our whole group had a really great time and came home with lots of great wine and memories. I would highly recommend using Insider Wine Tours. read more

We had a great experience with this company. Our driver was knowledgable and friendly, and was also great company! The price was less than many of their competitors. We were all very happy with the experience. read more

This is a great service. John (the owner) was our driver on a recent trip to Oregon wine country. The inn we were staying at recommended him. And they were able to accommodate us with a very last minute request (we only called the day before). He asked us if there were any wineries we absolutely wanted to see (there were) and then offered to fill in the rest of the day with his own picks (which were great.) One of the highlights was actually our first stop. A place called Anderson Family Vineyard. The owner came out and spent considerable time with us showing us the property and the wine making facilities while explaining the ins and outs of wine making. Then offered a fine tasting. This was an excellent way to start the tour as it wasn't rushed and we could ask all the questions we wanted. We spent the day w/ John visiting five or so wineries in total. He was full of facts about wine making and the area. At the end of the day, he dropped us off back at our Inn so we could get ready for dinner. He drove us to dinner and back to the Inn afterward. It was such a relief not to have to worry about driving (on the crazy area roads including dirt roads!) while sampling local wines or after dinner. My wife and I highly recommend the service and John. read more

John is as good as it gets for wine tours and customer service. The four of us did our first wine tasting trip to Oregon this past weekend and lucked out by getting Insiders Wine Tours. John took us to several small wineries that were off the beaten path and were just beautiful. We all felt like family - even before we'd had that much wine! His insight and sense of humor made the day interesting and fun. His service is outstanding - even coming back to give us a ride home after dinner (nobody wanted us on the road!). Thanks John, we'll be back. read more

I highly recommend John Swenson, owner of Insiders Wine Tours. He was very professional and accommodating. We were not from the area so trusted his wineries to be toured. We thoroughly enjoyed our day and John's expertise. If you book his tour you will not be disappointed. read more

John is the best!!! Spent the weekend in McMinnville for a birthday/bachelorette party. We had the best time with John! He took us to amazing wineries and was so much fun to hang out with. We love John!!! Such an amazing day! read more