Raft Southern Oregon’s Wine Country

Oregon’s wine industry has grown leaps and bounds in the last 50 years, but did you know that Oregon winemaking dates to the pioneer days of the 1840s? It may also surprise you that it wasn’t the now famous Willamette Valley that produced the region’s first grape vines, but rather the fertile Rogue Valley in Southern Oregon.

Valley View Vineyard, near Jacksonville was the first in the state, established by Peter Britt in the 1850s. Growing zinfandels and Rieslings, Oregon’s first winemakers were a hardy bunch of pioneers that would have traveled the arduous Oregon Trail to reach the Rogue Valley in search of lush farmland and bright futures. And anyone who’s visited this region knows the views could make the Tuscans jealous.

If you’re ready to move past sipping pinots in the city and journey to the rugged roots of Oregon’s wineries, consider a rafting trip on the Rogue River. Many outfitters offer trips that highlight the region’s range of varieties with wine tastings each evening after your day of play on the river. You’ll experience the solitude and scenic vistas as a pioneer might have, albeit with vast improvements in comfort and cuisine. Each afternoon, your party of fellow rafters will either make camp riverside or spend the night at one of the Rogue’s rustic lodges.