Love pinot? You could win a customized trip to Oregon wine country

Oregon’s Willamette Valley Vineyards is giving away a customized, all-expenses-paid trip for two to Oregon’s wine country as part of its 10th annual “Why I Love Pinot Noir” contest.

The winery is asking wine lovers to submit a video, photo or essay of up to 100 words depicting or describing when or where they fell in love with pinot noir. The winner will receive an all-expense paid, four-day, three-night trip to the Willamette Valley Vineyards and Oregon wine country, customized to their specific tastes and interests.

“If they like golf, we set them up with a game. If they like to go fishing, we get them some poles and a guide and let them loose in the river,” Matt Boyington, the vineyards’ communications leader, told TheTravelPro in an e-mail.

As an added bonus, the winner and their guest will get to stay on the winery’s property.

Lower guest suite, Willamette Valley Vineyards
“We have winery guest suites that were just completed that the guests will stay in,” he continued. The suites are located close to the estate tasting room, the courtyard, and the entrance to the barrel cellar. As you can see from the photo, the suites are large and tastefully done.

Of course, there will also be time for wine tasting at Willamette Valley Vineyards and other Oregon wineries in the area, as well as a tour of the Willamette Valley Vineyards. Winery representatives will work out specifics with the winner when planning the trip.

“We also try and encourage the winner to visit us during our annual Oregon Grape Stomp Championship and Harvest Celebration in September if that works for their schedule,” Boyington said, though that is by no means a requirement.

The give-away is the brainchild of Willamette Valley Vineyards’ founder, Jim Bernau, who came up with the idea during the success of the 2004 movie "Sideways" which highlighted the varietal, including many pinots from Oregon vintners.

Lower suite deck, Willamette Valley Vineyards
The contest opened May 1 and runs until July 31 – three full months – so anyone interested will have plenty of time to create and fine-tune their submission. In past years, the contest has drawn between 200 and 400 entries, so your chances could be pretty good. Entries can be submitted via the Willamette Valley Vineyards web site.

The prize, with an approximate retail value of $4,000, must be redeemed by November 1, 2015.

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Photos courtesy Willamette Valley Vineyards
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