Need Rainy Day Plans Tomorrow? 🍷

You may have seen this teased on social but tomorrow marks the launch of something that I'm really excited about... A weekly Oregon wine tasting hosted in collaboration with Airbnb.

This experience is hosted inside Arden on Sundays at 2pm while the restaurant is closed to the public (so no, it’s not a full Arden meal—but you will get fancy olives, wine-friendly almonds, and my favorite popcorn pairing). It’s a 90-minute intro to Oregon wine, focused on small, independent producers and designed to be super approachable—think: the perfect pre-game for your first Willamette Valley visit or a great substitute if you don’t have time to leave the city.

Every Sunday at 2PM, I’m now hosting an Oregon wine tasting experience through Airbnb.

When Airbnb approached me a few months ago, explaining that they're relaunching their Experiences platform as a more curated offering and asking me to be one of their featured Portland hosts, I was flattered. And more importantly, it felt like the perfect excuse to bring back something I’ve truly missed: in-person wine tastings. My favorite kind of wine education has always been face-to-face, glass in hand, with just the right mix of storytelling and snacks.

What You Can Expect

Each tasting will serve as a crash course (or a refresher) on what makes the Oregon wine scene special. We'll cover...

• The major Oregon regions: where they are, what their story is and what makes them unique 
• The vast range of styles grown in Oregon: sparkling, skin-contact, white, red, vermouth and everything in between
• We'll taste five wines that truly show off Oregon's range: both classics and non-traditional grapes
• All paired with snacks and stories and a lot of fun 

This tasting is ideal for anyone who’s wine-curious, new to Oregon, or just wants to nerd out for an afternoon without having to coordinate a designated driver.

This experience is designed for those who are not already experts on Oregon wine (if you can write an essay differentiating Eola Amity from Ribbon Ridge, then you might test out). But even if it’s not for you, I’d be so grateful if you passed the info along to any friends who are visiting Portland or looking for something fun to do on a Sunday afternoon.

This offering is near and dear to my heart because I grew up in the Willamette Valley--on five acres that used to be Chehalem Mountains but are now part of the newly-minted Laurelwood AVA. The Willamette is truly where it all started for me, and I'm so excited to share it all with you!

Plus, it's serving the dual purpose of continuing to fundraise for Her Way! Anything I make from these tastings is going straight into the completion of Season One (which I will have more to report on soon--shooting Columbia Gorge week after next!)

All this to say: if you like wine tasting, are interested in Oregon, enjoy hanging out with me and want to support women in wine, I'd be so grateful if you joined me for one of these tastings!

Cheers and until... tomorrow? 😉

Kelsey

And if you want to go deeper...

Just a reminder that I also created a digital course called 7 Day Sommelier which is truly a Wine: 101. It walks you through everything you need to know: what wine is, where it comes from, major regions, pairing basics, blind tasting skills—and so much more. No pretense, no pressure, just solid wine knowledge and a few cringey Dad jokes (sorry, not sorry). You can take it solo or grab the version that comes with a curated case of wine and turn it into a tasting party with friends. It's the perfect entry point to travel, gastronomy, laughter with friends, and wine-inspired adventure!