For an unforgettable food and wine experience, Denise Ker Waldron, executive director of Viva! Event & Destination Management, uses Tennessee Walking Horses to visit the vineyards. “Groups ride through the countryside to two or three wineries and stop to do tastings. They even have saddlebags on the horses if they want to purchase wines along the way.” This culminates with a tasting of local olive oils and salts from Jacobsen’s Salt Co. in Portland, and could include local artisanal cheeses or an entire gourmet lunch al fresco. The ideal group size is 8 to 15 people on horses, with another 15 who can take a different route by horse-drawn carriage and meet up with the riders.
