A Nose For Wine Tours

My boyfriend and I booked a day of wine tasting with Fred and I can honestly say it was the highlight of our trip to Portland. Fred is both knowledgable/​educational and laid-​back/​entertaining — an awesome combination. We found ourselves alternatively laughing about his stories from his days working in Reno and marveling at his ability to convey surprising, practical information about both wine tasting in general and the specifics of the wineries we visited. He clearly has a passion for the industry, and he customizes tours based on the preference of the patron — for example, my boyfriend is a photographer, so he made sure to show us all the best vistas in the valley. You never feel rushed, and his comraderie with the winemakers assures you’ll always feel comfortable and well taken care of. At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, our day with Fred has changed the way we will drink wine!

Pam & I made new friends during our stay in The Willamette Valley — Fred & Marie Gunton. We booked 2 tours with «A Nose for Wine» and we were totally thrilled both days. Fred & Marie are the nicest people. We thoroughly & enthusiastically enjoyed both days. They were both extremely friendly and knowledgeable and they took us to some exceptional wineries. There are literally hundreds of wineries in the valley but Fred & Marie talked to us before our arrival and made sure we visited places that most suited our tastes. They were spot on. We got to talk to winemakers, asst winemakers and other professional personnel. We never felt rushed, they just supported in our journey to learn more about wine and the the winemaking process.
We really can’t say enough about this company and their attention to detail. They went way beyond our expectations. They made a huge difference in our wine-​tasting experience and we are confident they will enhance your wine experience in the Willamette Valley as well. They really want you to learn about & enjoy the wine. If that’s what you are looking for, book a day (or two) with «A Nose for Wine.»
We will most definitely be back to visit the Willamette Valley and we’ll book another tour with «A Nose for Wine» because of the attentive service that Fred & Marie offered while we were here. Exceptional service & exceptional knowledge.

By far the highlight of my trip to Oregon! Fred is a knowledgable, friendly and truly memorable tour guide. If you’re looking for a unique and wonderful wine tasting experience, this is the company for you. Absolutely great!

I visited Willamette valley on Easter day. Marie was our tour guide. I have visited Napa and Wolfer in the past on previous wine trips but this trip was so fantastic. The tour exceeded all my expectations. First, Marie is so knowledgeable about wine. She knows each and every winery and how to select the best flights. Every vinyard she chose was gorgeous and the wine was fantastic. You have to head to Pozi, the vinyard is so amazing. .great wine and a gorgeous outdoor fire pit. I cant say enough about Marie — she is an expert on wine. She is a San fransico native and a world traveler. A great person to show you everything Willamette has to offer.

Fred did a fantastic job catering to our group of 5 and our widely variable levels of experience and education in wine. I arranged the trip for myself and some visitors from the Midwest. I thought that this would be a great way for all of us to try some great wines at beautiful Willamette Valley vineyards off of the beaten path. Fred was very communicative with me in the months and weeks before our tour, and I feel that he did a great job of building an itinerary that fit our goals for the day. I got to share some of my favorite wineries with my people, and Fred also introduced us to some great wineries that had until then been off of my radar.
After Fred picked us up at home and we were on our way, it was apparent that he was very knowledgeable about wine — Willamette Valley wines in particular — as he launched immediately into an educational spiel. I enjoyed the information — some was old hat to me, but I learned even more that day — but I was worried that the rest of the group would be put off. Don’t get me wrong, the others in my group didn’t want to tool around tasting rooms all day with a DD, but the content of Fred’s introductory monologue was a bit too high out of reach for a couple of folks, so it wasn’t clear that he’d be able to reel their interest back in as the day went on.
But lo and behold, by the time we got to the first winery, we all found common ground, facilitated by Fred. Fred quickly adapted his approach to give the high-​level info to those of us who sought it, and he also made sure the others enjoyed their day and their wine and even learned a little along the way if they knew it or not.
The experiences at the tasting rooms were superb, and I’m pretty sure Fred has friends at every winery. We truly enjoyed his company, even more than the delicious, (mostly veg-​friendly on our request) culinary delights that he treated us with all day long.

Fred made our visit to the Valley wonderful — we went to wineries we would have never found – and had great snacks and learned so much (plus Fred knew his way around.) It was our 20^th wedding anniversary and Fred made the celebration so special. I highly recommend trying a NOSE for WINE!

I just had a tour this weekend with Fred and he was great. He really knows wines and loves to teach about true wine tasting. Don’t choose his company if you want to hoop around tasting rooms and get drunk.
It was my wife’s birthday and she really loves wine and learning about new vineyards. Fred knows the area like the back of his hand and can answer any question you might have. As along as you have an interest in learning his company is the one to go with. No question is a stupid question and Fred is very informative. We also had some more experienced wine lovers in our group and Fred does a really great job at making everyone feel included. He knows plenty of people in the industry so you will hear from the wine makers themselves.
The tours include transportation and charcuterie plates. My wife is gluten free and Fred was great at making accommodations for her. You won’t be disappointed.

We were so overwhelmed by the number of wineries to choose from visiting wine country so we thought spending one day with a wine tour would be a great idea. We liked the idea of having a designated driver, someone who knew the lay of the land, and someone would could provide us with additional wine knowledge and insight. We looked through all the wine tours and were really torn as to whom to select, some were just way too pricey for the amount of time with them and wineries you would visit.
We were connected with Marie, Fred’s wife, both of whom give tours with this company. She was kind from the start and open to our ideas of which wineries we wanted to visit, our price point, types of wines we liked, etc. She offered to pick us up at our B&B or the restaurant we’d be eating at after the tour.
She included a very generous meat, cheese and cracker platter to enjoy while wine tasting at most of the wineries we stopped at. The tour included transportation, heavy appetizers and we went to 4 wineries, an olive oil farm and llama farm. Tasting fees were not waived, as suggested in the otherreview.
Our complaints were as follows: 1) She encouraged us to go to wineries, not on our original list that appeared to be friends of hers. While we understand that, we had to wonder if there was a kickback involved. 2) At Willakenzie Winery, she started to really push joining their wine club. 3) Instead of going to one more winery, she strongly encouraged us to go to the Olive Oil farm (where she picked up some more olive oil for her use) and the Llama farm (where they sold her art work and appeared to be good friends). Understandably in a tight knit wine country, you want to refer tours to your friends or wineries you like, but it felt a little uncomfortable for us. We were a bit disappointed in the limited number of wineries we were able to visit, for the price we paid for the tour, for the amount of time we toured (11 am — 6 pm). We were also disappointed in the quality of a winery she suggested, Arborbrook (that also happened to showcase her art work in their winery).
With that said, if you are aware of that up front, Marie was a very warm, kind and funny tour guide. She provided us with a lot of education regarding soil, grape types, climate, and history of the area. If it’s your first visit to the area, it does help to have someone help you navigate. If you really want to visit certain wineries though, I’d be pretty vocal about it and not get swayed to go to places you’re not sure of just based on others recommendations. Then again, we all have different palates?! Also, if you really want to visit a lot of wineries due to limited time in the area, you’re probably best to go on your own, as with many wine tours we heard people were only able to visit 3 – 4 wineries. We visited 7 the next day we went on our own and still felt we had time to enjoy them and savor the views and wines.

I’ve done 6 tours with Fred over the past 6 years
Fred does the best tours in town, bar none.
If you’re a «woo-​woo» girl and want to get in a limo and pound wine at a bunch of wineries, call barfly. if you’re serious about increasing your level of wine knowledge, meeting the real «insiders» in Oregon Wine Country, and having an absolute blast, then call Fred.
Every tour includes transportation, visits to several wineries, a beautiful charcuterie plate at each winery and a great dessert plate at the last one.
You’ll get to meet the people who own the wineries and make the wine you’re tasting… secret barrel tastings, lots of «hey, come over to this special barrel I’ve been working on, I want you to taste this».
In return, Fred asks that you’re mature and approach this as a way to increase your wine knowledge and have fun at the same time (just not falling down drunk fun).
Give it a shot, and tell him I sent you.