Dundee Hills AVA
Sokol Blosser Winery Wine Tours.
Sokol Blosser wine tours from Portland hotels and PDX carry couples, small groups, and corporate parties to the 1971 Dundee Hills estate at 5000 NE Sokol Blosser Lane in Dayton. The winery is one of the earliest Oregon Pinot pioneers. It was the first LEED-certified winery in the United States, with the credential on its 2002 underground barrel cellar, and the 89-acre estate farms under organic certification. A vetted chauffeur who knows Highway 99W through Newberg, the OR-18 shortcut from I-5, and the quiet approach up the estate lane handles the day.
- Licensed & Permitted
- $1M Insured
- 5.0 / 198 Reviews
- W-2 Chauffeurs
- 35-Point Inspection
Last updated: September 7, 2026
Quick answer: Sokol Blosser wine tours cover the 1971 Dundee Hills estate at 5000 NE Sokol Blosser Lane in Dayton. Its underground barrel cellar earned the first LEED certification granted to a US winery building, and its 89 estate acres are certified organic. The second generation runs the program. Downtown Portland is 45 to 55 minutes away via 99W or OR-18. Volvo S90 $110/hr (three-hour minimum), Escalade ESV $135/hr for six, Sprinter $165/hr for 14. Book at (503) 706-8662.
01 Pioneer Legacy
Sokol Blosser, Bill And Susan,
1971 Dundee Hills Pinot.
Sokol Blosser was founded in 1971 by Susan Sokol Blosser and Bill Blosser on the southern ridge of what would later become the Dundee Hills AVA. The planting date puts the estate among the earliest handful of Oregon Pinot operations after The Eyrie Vineyards broke ground in 1965, and the family stayed with the project through the long decades before Oregon Pinot had the global reputation it has today. The 89-acre certified organic estate now runs under second-generation leadership: Alex Sokol Blosser is president, with Robin Howell as winemaker.
The winery earned the first LEED certification ever granted to a winery in the United States. That certification went to the underground barrel cellar in 2002, part of a sustainable design program the family has carried through since. Organic certification covers the vineyard program with a biodynamic conversion underway on portions of the estate. The Pinot Noir estate bottlings and the Evolution tier of approachable white and red blends both pour from farming that matches the building credential.
Susan Sokol Blosser and Bill Blosser, 1971
Susan Sokol Blosser and Bill Blosser planted the first vines at the 5000 NE Sokol Blosser Lane estate in 1971, several years after David Lett planted The Eyrie Vineyards in 1965. The pioneer generation in the Dundee Hills was small, and the family stayed with the land through the long period when Oregon Pinot had no international reputation to lean on. The 89-acre certified organic estate came out of that long commitment, not a later acquisition during the modern Oregon wine boom.
LEED-certified barrel cellar, 2002
The estate was the first winery in the United States to earn LEED certification, granted in 2002 to its underground barrel cellar. The family carries that as a technical credential alongside the winemaking history. The cellar is where the estate wines age, and the winery opens it to visitors on its reserved Tour the Winery experience. The building program runs in parallel with organic vineyard certification and an ongoing biodynamic conversion on portions of the estate land.
Alex Sokol Blosser president, Robin Howell winemaker
The second generation runs the estate. Alex Sokol Blosser has been president since 2023, and Robin Howell is the winemaker. Alison Sokol Blosser, his sister, carries the winery's second-generation winegrower title. The family leadership has kept the winery family-owned and family-operated through the decades when many Dundee Hills founder operations sold to larger holding companies. Alex was head winemaker from 2013 until stepping up to president.
A founding Dundee Oregon winery
The estate is one of the original Dundee Hills AVA properties and a fixture among Dundee Oregon wineries. The 1971 planting beat the AVA designation by more than three decades (the Dundee Hills AVA took effect in January 2005). That long track record on Pinot Noir is part of why a Dundee Hills label sells the way it does today. The broader cluster of Dundee Oregon wineries now runs to more than 30 producers spread across the volcanic Jory soils between Dayton, Dundee proper, and Lafayette. Most full-day itineraries open here, then move on.
The estate in Dayton, Oregon
The address gets people. The label says Dundee Hills, but the estate physically sits in Dayton, Oregon, on the southern ridge of the AVA above the Yamhill River valley. Mail goes to 5000 NE Sokol Blosser Lane, Dayton 97114. That detail puts it inside the smaller group of Dayton Oregon wineries the address actually covers, even though most guests find the page by searching the AVA. The Dayton-side ridge position also runs quieter than the tasting rooms closer to the town center. Chauffeurs handle both names on the booking so the GPS and the wine label tell the same story.
02 Service Standard
Vetted Chauffeurs, 35-Point Inspection,
And City Permitting.
Wine tour service to the estate runs on four operator standards that separate Marquee from rideshare and out-of-state operators. Every chauffeur is a vetted chauffeur on payroll, not a 1099 contractor. Every vehicle passes a 35-point inspection before the first booking of the day. Marquee's Portland, Oregon private-for-hire permitting has held on file with the city since 2018. The Volvo S90, Cadillac Escalade ESV, and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter each carry $1 million in commercial liability coverage on every Dundee Hills ride.
On-payroll chauffeurs for the Dayton estate run
Every Marquee chauffeur sits on payroll as a vetted chauffeur, not a 1099 gig contractor. Payroll runs through the company, workers' comp covers on-duty work, and the $1 million commercial liability policy extends to every wine tour ride. The chauffeur answers to Marquee leadership for conduct, punctuality, and tasting-room protocol at the reception gate. There is no looser gig arrangement with surge pricing at shift change on summer weekend wine-country runs.
35-point inspection before the Sokol Blosser Lane run
Every Marquee vehicle clears a 35-point inspection before a Dundee Hills dispatch, starting with the first booking of the day. The checklist covers tire pressure, brake response, fluid levels, cabin cleanliness, seatbelt function, climate controls, and interior detail. Monthly detail keeps the interior clean for passengers who pick up a case of Pinot at the estate and ride back to Portland with the bottles in the trunk. Tire condition matters on the OR-18 to Sokol Blosser Lane approach where the road climbs through the Dundee Hills ridge grades.
Volvo, Escalade, Sprinter fleet for Sokol Blosser
The Volvo S90 is $110 per hour with a three-hour minimum for couples and solo visitors heading out from Portland or PDX. The Cadillac Escalade ESV carries up to 6 passengers at $135 per hour for small-group tastings and combined Dundee Hills itineraries. The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter handles up to 14 passengers at $165 per hour for corporate outings, wedding-party tastings, and full-day multi-winery loops that start here. Flat hourly rates cover the full door-to-door window. There is no meter per leg.
City-permitted since opening day for Dundee Hills runs
Marquee Chauffeur has been licensed and permitted since opening day in 2018 as a for-hire passenger carrier, with continuous renewal and clean compliance records behind every Sokol Blosser booking. Corporate travel managers booking an estate tasting for a visiting executive team get the city permit, W-9, and $1 million insurance documentation within an hour of the first booking. The direct employment structure satisfies the internal vendor requirements that many corporate travel desks impose on wine-country group bookings for risk-management purposes.
03 Tour Day Experience
Tasting Arrival, Evolution Pour,
Barrel Cellar, Portland Return.
A Sokol Blosser wine tour day runs on a predictable arc from Portland hotel pickup through the Dundee Hills AVA approach and back. The chauffeur arrives at the hotel 10 minutes before the stated pickup window. The Highway 99W or I-5 to OR-18 routing carries the Volvo S90, Escalade ESV, or Sprinter through Newberg and Dundee up to the 5000 NE Sokol Blosser Lane estate gate. A separate, reserved Tour the Winery experience takes guests into the LEED-certified barrel cellar. The return to Portland takes the same routing with the purchased case stowed in the trunk. Many guests pair the visit with neighboring Dundee Hills estates like Domaine Serene or Stoller Family Estate on a full Willamette Valley wine tour day.
Tasting arrival at Sokol Blosser Lane
The chauffeur pulls through the estate gate and up NE Sokol Blosser Lane to the tasting room entrance at the arrival circle, not the staff lot. Passengers step out at the doorway and the chauffeur parks the Volvo or Escalade in the visitor area during the tasting. The approach road climbs through the Dundee Hills ridge on the southern edge of the AVA with Jory volcanic soil vineyard blocks on either side of the driveway. Arrival aims for a 10-minute cushion before the reservation slot to allow a walk to the tasting room without rushing.
Evolution tier pour
The Evolution tier is the accessible layer of the portfolio alongside the estate Pinot program. The Evolution white is a popular everyday blend that pours friendly to guests still building a palate for Oregon wine. The Evolution red offers a comparable introduction at a lower price point than the single-vineyard estate Pinot. Many first-time visitors finish the flight with a six-pack split across the Evolution tier and a bottle or two of the estate Pinot for occasion use. The bottles fit in the Volvo S90 trunk for the ride back to Portland.
Tour the Winery barrel cellar
The underground barrel cellar received its LEED certification in 2002, ahead of any other winery building in the country. The winery's Tour the Winery experience, about two hours and reserved in advance, leads guests through the winery and into the cellar where the wines age. Dispatch builds the tour time into the day, and the return to Portland stays on the booked hourly rate.
Return run to Portland or PDX
The return run to Portland or PDX retraces the Highway 99W approach through Dundee and Newberg or picks up OR-18 to I-5 depending on the day's traffic pattern. The chauffeur loads purchased wine into the trunk before pulling out of the estate visitor area. Late-afternoon return timing often clears the Newberg bottleneck before the commuter peak builds on 99W northbound. Corporate groups on the Sprinter return to downtown Portland hotel blocks. Leisure couples on the Volvo S90 often continue to dinner in Dundee or Portland instead of ending at the hotel door.
04 Booking Your Tour
Reservation, Chauffeur Match,
FlightAware, 24/7 Dispatch.
Booking a Sokol Blosser wine tour runs through a four-step process that holds across every reservation. Dispatch confirms the Portland hotel or PDX pickup address, the tasting reservation time, the date, and the passenger count on the first call. The chauffeur match assigns a vetted chauffeur to the Volvo S90, Escalade ESV, or Sprinter based on group size and itinerary. FlightAware integration pulls live PDX flight data for inbound arrivals that start the wine-country day at baggage claim. The 24/7 line at (503) 706-8662 stays open for same-day adjustments across the full Dundee Hills booking window.
Email confirmation with chauffeur name for the Dayton run
Call (503) 706-8662 or book online at any hour. Dispatch confirms the pickup address, the tasting reservation time at 5000 NE Sokol Blosser Lane, the date, the passenger count, and the vehicle preference on the first exchange. An email confirmation goes out within 10 minutes with the chauffeur name, the vehicle, and the day-of contact number for the Dundee Hills run. Changes up to 24 hours before the pickup window move without charge. See the reservation terms. Dispatch coordinates directly with the reservation team when itinerary shifts require updating the winery-side booking.
Who drives and what you ride to Sokol Blosser
Dispatch decides who drives and what you ride for the wine tour booking based on the itinerary profile. Solo couples and small groups draw a chauffeur familiar with the Highway 99W and OR-18 approaches to the Dundee Hills AVA and comfortable with the estate arrival circle at the tasting room door. Larger corporate outings on the Sprinter match a chauffeur experienced with multi-winery loops through the Dundee Hills. Recurring wine-country bookings for returning passengers hold the same chauffeur and vehicle across the engagement for continuity with the tasting-room staff.
FlightAware timing for a PDX-to-Dayton tasting
PDX flight tracking via FlightAware feeds live arrival data into Marquee dispatch so wine-country tours that start at baggage claim adjust to wheels-down time. A 25-minute early landing pulls the chauffeur to the numbered pick-up location before luggage rolls so the reservation stays on schedule. A weather-delayed flight shifts the chauffeur's PDX arrival to the new landing time, with no meter running on the wait. The integration removes the guesswork from PDX-origin tastings where an inbound flight delay could otherwise push the arrival at the estate past an afternoon reservation window.
Live 24-hour dispatcher for Dundee Hills bookings
A live 24-hour dispatcher at (503) 706-8662 answers wine tour bookings and weekend Dundee Hills coordination. Same-day adjustments route through dispatch based on fleet availability during peak summer tasting season. Late-arriving corporate teams whose flight hit PDX behind schedule reach a live dispatcher, not a chatbox. The dispatch team coordinates directly with the winery reservation desk on itinerary shifts that need both the tasting slot and the chauffeur window moved together.
05 Nearby Coverage
Service Areas Near Sokol Blosser,
Same Fleet, Same Chauffeur Roster.
Marquee dispatch maps Sokol Blosser into the broader Portland and Willamette Valley coverage grid. Pickups just outside the city line use the same vetted chauffeur roster and the same 35-point vehicle inspection standard at (503) 706-8662.
Domaine Drouhin Tour→
Burgundy Drouhin family, Dundee Hills pinot noir, Edition Limitée.
Domaine Serene Tour→
Dundee Hills estate, Evenstad Reserve, Clubhouse tasting terrace.
Argyle Winery Tour→
Dundee sparkling pioneer, Spirithouse historic tasting, Rollin Soles legacy.
Dundee Wine Tour→
Dundee Hills AVA multi-vineyard Sprinter, Argyle to Sokol Blosser loop.
Frequently Asked
Questions, Answered.
How much does a Sokol Blosser wine tour cost?
The estate books on the hourly rate: the Volvo S90 at $110/hr, the Cadillac Escalade ESV at $135/hr, or the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter at $165/hr for groups up to 14, with the round trip from Portland absorbed into the booking. The Sokol Blosser tour is quoted before booking, with no surge pricing.
Where is Sokol Blosser Winery located?
The estate is at 5000 NE Sokol Blosser Lane in Dayton, Oregon 97114, on the southern ridge of the Dundee Hills AVA between Dundee and Dayton. The 89-acre certified organic estate grows Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, and Chardonnay on the classic Jory volcanic soils. Drive time from downtown Portland is 45 to 55 minutes depending on Highway 99W traffic through Newberg and Dundee, and the run from Portland International Airport takes longer.
How old is Sokol Blosser and who founded it?
The winery was founded in 1971 by Susan Sokol Blosser and Bill Blosser. Theirs was one of the earliest Pinot Noir plantings in the Dundee Hills, among the pioneer families who established the Oregon wine industry after the first Willamette Valley vines went in at The Eyrie in 1965. Alex Sokol Blosser, of the second generation, is president, and Robin Howell has been winemaker since 2023. It is one of the oldest continuously family-owned operations in Oregon Pinot.
What makes the winery building notable?
Its underground barrel cellar earned LEED certification in 2002, the first winery building in the United States to do so. That came out of the sustainable design standards the family has carried through for decades. The estate vineyard is certified organic, so the farming program matches the building credential. Together they give the estate a technical track record alongside the winemaking history.
What wines does the estate produce?
The estate signature is Pinot Noir from Dundee Hills AVA blocks on the 89-acre certified organic estate's Jory volcanic soils. The Evolution tier runs alongside the estate program as the approachable white blend and red blend that reach wider distribution at a friendlier price point than the single-vineyard Pinot bottlings. The vineyard is certified organic with a biodynamic conversion underway on portions of the estate, so the tasting pours come from a farming program that matches the building credential.
Which vehicle fits a Sokol Blosser tasting group?
Couples and solo visitors from Portland hotels or PDX book the Volvo S90 at $110 per hour with a three-hour minimum. Groups up to 6 take the Cadillac Escalade ESV at $135 per hour for tastings that loop in neighboring Dundee Hills producers. Corporate outings, wedding-party tastings, and full-day multi-winery itineraries that open at the estate run the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, up to 14 passengers at $165 per hour.
How long does the tour take?
A seated Estate Tasting runs about 75 minutes. The winery's separate Tour the Winery, reserved in advance through the winery, runs about two hours and includes the LEED-certified barrel cellar. Full-day Dundee Hills itineraries that pair the estate with two or three other AVA stops typically run 5 to 7 hours from Portland hotel door back to hotel door including travel time on Highway 99W and OR-18.
How long is the drive to Sokol Blosser from Portland or PDX?
The road from central Portland through Tigard, Sherwood, Newberg, and Dundee on Highway 99W takes 45 to 55 minutes. From PDX, plan a longer run on the I-205 to I-5 to OR-18 routing, which skips the Newberg bottleneck on peak summer tasting-room weekends. The chauffeur checks ODOT TripCheck before departure and picks the faster approach for the day.
How far ahead should a Sokol Blosser tasting be reserved?
Summer weekends from June through October are peak Dundee Hills season, and the estate's limited tasting reservations fill 2 to 4 weeks out. Weekday and shoulder-season visits from November through April often confirm within 7 to 10 days. Corporate and wedding-party groups on the Sprinter should reserve about two weeks ahead to hold both the winery slot and the vetted chauffeur. Dispatch at (503) 706-8662 coordinates directly with the estate's reservation team.
Can the visit pair with a Dundee Hills lunch reservation?
Yes. The chauffeur runs between the NE Sokol Blosser Lane estate and Dundee proper in about 10 minutes, which lets the day pair the tasting with a lunch at Red Hills Market in Dundee on the return. The Volvo S90 or Escalade ESV waits at the restaurant during the midday seating and continues to Portland afterward, so the day runs on a single hourly booking.
What does the LEED-certified barrel cellar tour cover?
The underground barrel cellar is the building behind the winery's 2002 LEED certification, the first for a winery building in the United States. The winery's Tour the Winery experience, about two hours and reserved in advance through the winery, takes guests into the LEED-certified barrel cellar where the wines age. The chauffeur holds the vehicle in the visitor lot during the tour so the return to Portland stays on the booked hourly rate.
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Reserve Your Chauffeur
Reserve a Portland
Chauffeur Now.
Book your Sokol Blosser wine tour now. Call Marquee Chauffeur at (503) 706-8662, available 24/7. The 1971 Dundee Hills Pinot pioneer estate at 5000 NE Sokol Blosser Lane in Dayton, the first LEED-certified winery in the United States with its 2002 underground barrel cellar, the Evolution tier pour, and the estate Pinot Noir program. All covered under Portland private-for-hire permitting with vetted chauffeurs on the Volvo S90, Escalade ESV, and Sprinter fleet.