Wine on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River – 6 Days
If you love adventure, wine, and delicious food in an unforgettable setting, then Wine on the Middle Fork of the Salmon is your perfect vacation. Between the Middle Fork’s exciting Class IV waters, magnificent landscapes, and indulgent wine and food-filled evenings at camp, you’ll wish you never had to leave.
Featuring
Vintner: Browne Family Vineyards, WA
Chef: Karen Henderson, Apples + Anglers, Livingston, MT
Inspired by the greatness of one man— owner Andrew Browne’s grandfather, William Bitner Browne—integrity and excellence are the standards upon which Browne wines are created. As a curator of the brightest talent, best vineyards, and the divining rod of winning concepts at Precept Wine, where Andrew serves as its CEO, his groundbreaking feats across the wine industry carry through to his own family legacy in wine, Browne Family. This is premium Washington wine, made with the utmost quality and enjoyment in mind. Browne Family Vineyards was 15 years in the making before its first vintage ever debuted. Vineyards, winemakers, and cellar masters committed to world-class wine production were carefully and deliberately selected to represent the best of the Columbia Valley AVA. To date, Browne has received more than 30 scores of 90 points or higher from critical reviews.
A longtime friend of OARS, Chef Karen Henderson is back on the river, bringing with her decades of culinary know-how and a deep love of hospitality. She got her start in the kitchen while finishing an environmental studies degree, and has since launched several successful food ventures, including the award-winning bakery Lila & Sage in Murphy’s, CA. Her cupcakes even took home the top prize on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars.
Karen’s career has taken her from founding her own cake business to leading a kitchen classroom in Sacramento through Edible Sac High, a garden-to-table program created in partnership with Alice Waters and former Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson. More recently, she founded Apples + Anglers, a Bozeman-based catering company known for its creative fly box lunches and thoughtfully curated events. Now based in Livingston, MT, she runs Dream Boat Market and Engine Room Pizza, continuing her commitment to fresh ingredients, local sourcing, and unforgettable food experiences. OARS is thrilled to welcome Karen back to the river.
About This Trip
Spend your days on the Middle Fork of the Salmon rafting exciting whitewater through dramatic landscapes. Experience spectacular alpine scenery, enchanting forests, and sheer granite gorges that will leave you in a constant state of wide-eyed wonderment as you head downriver. Your guides will lead you on explorations through lush green fields and forests to places you would swear are straight out of a fairytale. You may even get to soak in a natural hot spring and explore caves decorated with Sheepeater Indian pictographs. After all the relaxin’, splashin’, and whitewater action, you’ll be ready for an evening of wine and food guaranteed to be unlike anything you’ve ever experienced.
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. Once you’re all settled, the real fun begins as you gather around for an enlightening wine tasting with a representative from Browne Family Vineyards, perfectly paired with delectable hors d’oeuvres by Chef Karen. As educational as it is fun, you’re sure to gain a deeper appreciation for wine and the passionate people who produce it while you learn about what makes every bottle unique.
While you continue wine tasting or relaxing in camp, Chef Karen will be getting ready to wow you with her gourmet brilliance, serving up dishes made with fresh and flavorful ingredients that showcase her mastery of backcountry cooking. You’ll sit at linen-draped, candlelit tables with your fellow rafters and break bread. The conversation will flow, the food and wine will be abundant, and 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.
Guests must be 21 years or older to participate in this trip.
