Helen and Mark Custom Focus
Greetings! We are your tour guides for your guided Oregon wine tour experience.
We just wanted to give you a little background on who we are and why choosing Cellar Door Wine Tours while visiting Oregon’s wine country is a great choice.
Helen Avery
I am a Colorado native, but I’ve lived in the Portland area on and off since 1997.
Mark and I met in 1999, while I was managing a local restaurant near Portland, Oregon, and Mark was an on-premise beer and wine salesman. It was love at first sight. Our first date was at a local beer and wine festival, and we never looked back.
In June of 2009, we arrived in Newberg, Oregon, the heart of wine country. By then, our closest family members had established Whistling Ridge Vineyards, a thriving vineyard in the Chehalem Mountains’ Ribbon Ridge American Viticultural Area (AVA).
We decided this is where we wanted to raise our family and be close to the ones nearest and dearest to our hearts. It’s one of our greatest joys to be a part of the vineyard life here in the Willamette Valley. One of our favorite activities is watching the vineyards change with the seasons.
Living in Oregon’s wine country is an annual event. We enjoy watching the buds break in the spring and then grow into grape clusters in June and July. When the grapes start ripening as August and September roll around, we do a family bottling day on Labor Day Weekend at our vineyard’s tasting room. Then, as autumn sets in, we start anticipating the whirlwind of the “crush” when the grapes are harvested.
Since living here in Newberg, I have stepped down from my role as a business owner and manager in the restaurant industry, but I did accept a position at the Jory Restaurant at the Allison Inn and Spa, Newberg’s 4-Star Resort.
I had the privilege of making connections and honing my wine palate while working at the Jory Restaurant with some of the top chefs, sommeliers, and wine distributors in the business.
Mark Treick
I’m a native of Washington State, and I earned two degrees from Central Washington University back in 1994 – one in geography and the other in fine art. My journey took me to Oregon in 1997, where I was introduced to the vibrant wine scene of the Willamette Valley through my sister, brother-in-law, and our family vineyard, Whistling Ridge Vineyards in Newberg, Oregon, located in the Ribbon Ridge AVA.
In 1998, I embarked on a career at Widmer Brothers Brewing Company in Portland, Oregon, initially working as an on-premise beer salesman and later transitioning to the distribution side of the beer industry at Columbia Distributing, also in Portland. During this time, I had the privilege of not only experiencing top-tier beers but also discovering the world of exceptional wines.
On April 1st, 2002, my wife Helen and I made a life-changing decision to move to the outskirts of Denver, Colorado, opening a new chapter together. Three years later, we relocated from the Front Range to Summit County, Colorado, settling in the picturesque resort town of Breckenridge. It was here that I developed a deep appreciation for Colorado’s high country and the entrepreneurial spirit that thrived in the Rocky Mountains.
Breckenridge marked a pivotal moment in our lives as we bid farewell to the corporate world and embarked on our journey as business owners. Helen and I purchased a coffee business in Breckenridge, and I began my pencil art drawing business, specializing in photorealistic graphite pencil portraits for clients. Moreover, I delved into the art and science of website development, including creating our Cellar Door Wine Tours website, which you’re currently browsing.
In 2009, we decided to sell our coffee business in Breckenridge, Colorado, and leave the state after the birth of our first child. It was a difficult decision, but the prospect of being closer to family, especially with a newborn, provided the motivation we needed to make the move back to Oregon.
Drawing upon our extensive backgrounds in hospitality, encompassing beverage sales, restaurant management, and business ownership, we were confident in our ability to operate a successful business once more. In 2012, we transitioned into the world of wine tours, becoming wine tour professionals.
And so, Cellar Door Wine Tours was born.
(Our journey into the wine tour business has a fascinating backstory. When you join us on one of our wine tours, feel free to ask me about how it all truly began – it’s a magical tale.)
On our wine tours, I often share that I have a background in geography, and I view the wine world through the lens of “terroir.” I genuinely believe in the profound connection between a world-class bottle of wine and the diverse landscapes and vibrant communities that influence it. My passion for geography is a valuable gift that fuels my dedication and enthusiasm as a wine tour professional.
Both Helen and I are deeply committed to offering exclusive and meticulously curated Willamette Valley wine tours. We’re excited to share our enthusiasm for Oregon Wine Country’s wines and cuisine from a distinctive, truly local perspective. We believe this unique blend promises an adventure you’ll cherish for a lifetime.
We eagerly anticipate your visit to the Willamette Valley and Oregon’s wine country in the near future.
Check Availability for Your
Custom Experience:
(503) 863-6968
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