Meet Your Hosts

Helen McFarland brings decades of hospitality and wine industry experience to every Cellar Door Wine Tours experience. As General Manager and Founder, she helps shape private Willamette Valley wine tours that feel seamless, personal, and deeply connected to Oregon wine country.

Originally from Colorado and a graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder, Helen spent years building her expertise in hospitality, guest care, and business operations. Later, she put down roots in Newberg in 2009. That move placed her in the heart of the Willamette Valley and deepened her connection to the people, places, and rhythms that define the region.

Helen’s path into wine has been both personal and professional. Over time, her connection to co-founder Mark Treick’s family vineyard, Whistling Ridge Vineyard in the Ribbon Ridge AVA, gave her a firsthand view of the vineyard year from bud break to harvest. As a result, her appreciation for the land, the work behind every bottle, and the quiet depth of Oregon wine country grew even stronger.

She later refined her palate and hospitality instincts at the acclaimed Jory Restaurant at The Allison Inn & Spa. There, she built lasting relationships with chefs, sommeliers, and many of the region’s most respected wine professionals. Today, those relationships continue to open doors for Cellar Door guests across the Northern Willamette Valley.

Today, Helen brings warmth, precision, and exceptional logistical skill to every private wine tour she leads. Whether she is coordinating a relaxed day for a couple or a more layered experience for a larger group, she helps ensure each guest enjoys a thoughtful, polished, and memorable day in Oregon wine country.

Mark brings a lifetime of beverage industry experience and a deep, layered appreciation for the land to his role as Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Cellar Door Wine Tours.

Originally from Washington State, Mark earned degrees in Geography and Fine Art from Central Washington University before moving to Oregon in 1997. There, among the vines of his

family’s Whistling Ridge Vineyard in the prestigious Ribbon Ridge AVA, he caught the wine bug and knew he wanted to dive deeper into the world of viticulture.

Mark’s career reflects both his passion for craft beverages and his entrepreneurial spirit. In 1998, he joined Widmer Brothers Brewing Company in Portland and worked his way from local sales to national distribution. Along the way, his appreciation for exceptional wine continued to deepen.

Later, Mark spent time in Breckenridge, Colorado, where he moved from corporate sales into business ownership. During that chapter, he also taught himself the web development skills used to build this very website. Then, in 2009, he returned to his Oregon roots. Drawing on decades of hospitality, beverage sales, and entrepreneurship, he and Helen officially launched Cellar Door Wine Tours in 2012.

Today, Mark especially enjoys sharing the terroir of the Northern Willamette Valley with guests from around the world. Because of his background in geography and his artist’s eye, he helps guests see each bottle as a reflection of the earth, the climate, and the people who crafted it.

Known for his laid-back, authentic, and engaging style, Mark helps create tours that feel both polished and personal. Whether you spend the day tasting in the Dundee Hills or exploring farther across the valley, you can expect a seamless experience, beautiful scenery, and a deeper connection to the stories behind Oregon wine.

Get ready to experience Oregon wine country through the eyes of a true world traveler. With more than a decade of experience as a Tour Director, Jill Watkins has led everything from African safaris to complex luxury rail expeditions.

Yet of all the remarkable places she has explored, the Northern Willamette Valley is where her heart feels most at home. As one of our Experience Specialists and a professional travel writer, Jill brings a sharp eye for detail and world-class professionalism to every day in the vines.

Whether she is navigating the scenic roads of the Dundee Hills or sharing the history written into the valley’s soils, Jill’s goal is to help guests discover a sense of wonder in every destination. At the same time, she brings a calm, polished presence that helps the day unfold with ease.

A day with Jill is more than a wine tasting. Instead, it becomes an unforgettable, beautifully told story of the valley.

With a background shaped by the rhythms of roots rock, radio, and audience engagement, Mike knows how to set the stage for an unforgettable day in Oregon wine country.

A natural storyteller with a genuine love for connecting with people, Mike brings fresh energy and an easygoing enthusiasm to the Cellar Door Wine Tours team. At the same time, his grounded style helps guests feel immediately comfortable.

Now enjoying retirement, Mike has turned his curiosity toward exploring the renowned AVAs of the Northern Willamette Valley. As a result, he approaches every tour with the mindset of an eager learner and experiences the magic of the vineyards right alongside his guests.

For Mike, hospitality is not just a job. It is a genuine pleasure. Whether you are winding through the Dundee Hills or discovering a boutique winery in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, his warm presence, strong customer care, and grounded approach help ensure the experience always stays center stage.

If you want, I can also do one more pass to make all four bios match even more tightly in rhythm and length.