Rogue River Wilderness Gourmet – 4 Days
If you’re a thrill-seeking foodie who loves adventure, then the Rogue River Wilderness Gourmet is your perfect getaway. Combining the Rogue’s exciting Class III waters with stunning landscapes and riverside gourmet meals, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better way to “do it all” than on an OARS Wilderness Gourmet trip.
Featuring
Chef: Neil Clooney, Ashland, OR
Vintner: Precept Wine, Pacific Northwest
Chef Neil Clooney is a long-standing cook with OARS, having started with them in 2010, and he loves bringing the restaurant to the river. With over 30 years of experience in all facets of the hospitality industry, he is now a retired restaurateur. Neil enjoys his yearly cooking trips on the river and is an avid boater. He showcases Southern Oregon’s bounty of seasonal produce and proteins to create restaurant-quality culinary experiences in unparalleled settings.
As the Pacific Northwest’s largest, privately held wine producer, Precept Wine has over 30 years of experience in the industry, resulting in more than 800 combined best buys and scores over 90 points. Founded in 2003 by Andrew Browne and Dan Baty, Precept is a world-class wine producer with vineyards in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and New Mexico.
About This Trip
Spend each day rafting through beautiful Oregon forests, where wildlife abounds and there’s no shortage of jaw-dropping scenery to marvel at. As you head downriver, you’ll get to explore lush trails that take you to magical places. Perhaps you’ll visit Western novelist Zane Grey’s cabin, or you may hike up to Inspiration Point for an incredible view of Stair Creek Falls and watch other rafters take on the swirling Coffee Pot Rapid. With numerous historical points of interest and fern-lined paths to waterfalls and more, your days on the Rogue are sure to leave you in awe. And hungry. But don’t worry, for your inner foodie, the best is yet to come….
After pulling into camp for the day, everyone will unload the rafts, and you can find the perfect spot to set up your tent for the night. Get cozy and then make your way over to start sampling delicious Precept wines perfectly paired with delectable hors d’oeuvres. You can join the chair circle to continue getting to know your newfound friends, or you might feel drawn to the river’s edge for a moment of quiet reflection and some time with a good book. Soon, Chef Neil will have a meal prepared guaranteed to knock your Chacos off.
Working with locally sourced, hearty ingredients, Chef Neil will create masterful dishes you wouldn’t even think possible to prepare in the backcountry. You’ll sit at linen-draped, candlelit tables with your fellow rafters and break bread. The conversation will flow, as will the wine, and an abundance of laughter will fill the air. As you head to bed with a satisfied stomach and happy heart, you’ll ponder the memories made that day as the mellifluous river lulls you to sleep.
