Planning a day in wine country? The first fork in the road is whether to map it yourself or let someone else do the driving. Here is how to choose — plus our region-by-region guides for going it alone. KWWritten & edited by Ken Wytsma, Wine History ToursWillamette Valley wine-tour guides & hosts When you
Self-Guided vs Guided Winery Tours: What’s the Difference? Read More »
Bordeaux is the biggest name in fine wine — a place of grand châteaux, a 170-year-old ranking that almost never changes, and a river that splits it into two rival styles. KWReviewed & edited by Ken Wytsma · Fact-checked June 2026Researched and fact-checked against independent sources, with AI assistance.✓ Verified If Burgundy is about the
Bordeaux: A History of the World’s Premier Wine Region Read More »
Italians have welcomed travelers to the table for millennia. But the modern idea of touring a country by its vineyards — open cellars, wine roads, farm stays — is surprisingly recent, and Italy built it almost from scratch. KWReviewed & edited by Ken Wytsma · Fact-checked June 2026Researched and fact-checked against independent sources, with AI
The History of Wine Tourism in Italy Read More »
A wine trip isn’t a beach holiday or a city break — it has its own rhythm of gravel paths, cool cellars, warm afternoons, and bottles you’ll want to bring home. Here’s how to pack for it. KWWritten & edited by Ken Wytsma, Wine History ToursWillamette Valley wine-tour hosts Wine country rewards a little planning.
What to Pack for Your Next Wine Vacation Read More »
Cool, foggy, and quietly grand, the Russian River Valley is Sonoma’s Pinot and Chardonnay heartland — a rural, low-key region made for a relaxed self-guided day. KWWritten & edited by Ken Wytsma, Wine History ToursWillamette Valley wine-tour hosts The Russian River Valley, in Sonoma County north of San Francisco, is one of California’s premier cool-climate
Self-Guided Wine Tour of Russian River Valley Read More »
The most famous red-wine region on earth is best understood as two halves — and knowing which bank you’re on is the single most useful thing for planning a visit. KWWritten & edited by Ken Wytsma, Wine History ToursWillamette Valley wine-tour hosts Bordeaux, in southwest France, is the world’s most celebrated red-wine region — a
Self-Guided Wine Tour of Bordeaux Read More »
Two grapes, a thousand tiny vineyards, and centuries of monks obsessing over which slope makes the best wine — Burgundy is the spiritual home of Pinot Noir, and worth every bit of the puzzle. KWWritten & edited by Ken Wytsma, Wine History ToursPinot Noir tour hosts, Oregon Burgundy, in eastern France, is holy ground for
Self-Guided Wine Tour of Burgundy Read More »
At the bottom of the world, ringed by mountains and glacial lakes, the planet’s southernmost vineyards make Pinot Noir of extraordinary intensity — in some of the most dramatic scenery in all of wine. KWWritten & edited by Ken Wytsma, Wine History ToursPinot Noir tour hosts, Oregon Central Otago, on New Zealand’s South Island, sits
Self-Guided Wine Tour of Central Otago New Zealand Read More »
Rolling hills stitched with cypress and vine, hilltop towns that have not changed in five centuries, and in every glass a piece of history. This is how to see the wine country of Tuscany. KWReviewed & edited by Ken Wytsma · Fact-checked June 2026Researched and fact-checked against independent sources, with AI assistance.✓ Verified If there
An Ice Age flood, iron-rich volcanic soil, and the people who lived here for millennia — the deep history beneath Oregon’s wine country.
Willamette Valley: The Early History Read More »