Tour multiple wineries and sample award-winning wines during the Jacksonville Wine Cruise.

It’s time once again for the Jacksonville Wine Cruise.

Touted by Budget Travel Magazine as one of America’s 10 coolest small towns, Jacksonville is also the hub of Rogue Valley wine country, and on Sunday, May 7, from noon to 6 p.m., you can visit all nine wineries with ease, and a commemorative wine glass.

Jacksonville is literally the root of Oregon wine history. Peter Britt was growing grapes and making wine by around 1854, the first grapevines to be planted in Oregon. These first vines were likely Mission grapes, but his Valley View Vineyard grew to 15 acres. Britt experimented with numerous grape varietals including cabernet sauvignon, malbec, zinfandel, sauvignon blanc, semillon and riesling. It’s speculated he may have actually planted the first pinot noir vines in Oregon.

Today, Jacksonville carries on by growing an array of varieties and offering fine, award-winning wines made by distinctive wineries. Spending the day in historic Jacksonville, nibbling and sipping wine, seems a pretty good way to enjoy the Rogue Valley’s crazy spring.

In 2014, Jacksonville Winery Association was formed by Traute Moore, co-owner of South Stage Cellars, Dan and Cindy Marca, owners of DANCIN Vineyards, and other local wineries. At the time there were six wineries hosting tours. This winery association became Jacksonville Wineries, a nonprofit.

The Jacksonville Wine Cruise is a fundraiser created to highlight and promote the wines and wineries of Jacksonville. Each of the nine wineries will donate two wine tastings with creative food pairings. You can choose what winery you want to start from and then go from there. And the best part, you don’t have to drive.

Begin by going to jacksonvillewineries.org. There are still tickets left but register early to reserve your preferred starting winery. Transportation is provided from your starting winery, and from there you can hop on the shuttles going from winery to winery for the tastings and pairings. If you’d like to have a glass of wine and stay for a while, that’s an option. You can always grab the next shuttle. Drinking is not allowed on the shuttles, but you can bring bottles of wine home.

You can walk the three downtown Jacksonville wineries while shopping along the way.

The charming boutiques offer the perfect stroll between the west side and the east side wineries. You’ll find the map of winery locations on the website above.

The Jacksonville wineries are Daisy Creek Vineyards, Anchor Valley Wine, DANCIN Vineyards, Dos Mariposas Vineyards & Lavender, Hummingbird Estate, Awen Winecraft, South Stage Cellars, Remotion Wine and Rellik Winery.

As always, drink responsibly,. At the end of the wine-tasting day you still need to get home, so have a designated driver, Uber or cab ready.

Cheers to Rogue Valley wine.