Who We Are

Savor & Cellar began with a simple idea: the most meaningful travel experiences are born from connection.

Over the years, our shared love of wine, food and people has shaped not just the way we explore the world, but the way we want others to experience it too.

We spent five years living in Italy, a time that allowed us to slow down, listen and truly understand what makes a place come alive. Those years introduced us to winemakers who became friends, chefs who opened their kitchens and families who welcomed us as their own. The relationships we formed there are still at the heart of everything we do today.

Now, we divide our time between Italy and Oregon, creating journeys that reflect both worlds: the timeless beauty and warmth of Italy and the innovative, welcoming spirit of the Willamette Valley. Every itinerary we design is guided by the same philosophy that inspired us from the start—thoughtful hospitality, insatiable curiosity and authentic connection.

Rachel Pedersen

Founder, Dreamer & Doer

I didn’t take a straight path to founding Savor & Cellar. After graduating with a degree in biology, it quickly became clear that the future I’d imagined for myself didn’t quite fit. Instead, I found my way into the world of wine, working for a distributor in Colorado and learning firsthand how bottles carry stories of place, people, and tradition. After several years, I followed a long-held dream and spent six months traveling through Europe, an experience that reshaped how I understood travel and what it could offer.

Those months abroad taught me that the most meaningful journeys aren’t defined by checklists or highlights, but by shared moments, often around a table, with the people who call a place home. Conversations over long meals, time spent in vineyards and kitchens, and a sense of genuine welcome left a lasting impression. Today, as Founder, Dreamer & Doer of Savor & Cellar, I focus on creating space for those moments to unfold. My days are spent seeking out hidden gems, building relationships with local producers, and thoughtfully designing journeys that connect travelers not only with one another, but more importantly with the culture, people, and spirit of the places they visit.

Dallas Pedersen

Founder, Curator & Yeoman

Before Savor & Cellar, my life followed a different trajectory. I lived abroad in Chile and Australia, traveled widely, and worked across fields as varied as art, film, advertising, retail and hospitality. Along the way, I earned a Master’s degree in Political Science and an Executive MBA, guided by a persistent curiosity about how ideas take form and how thoughtfully designed environments allow people to flourish.

Then came a phone call that changed everything.

What began as Rachel’s six-month journey through Europe was meant to be temporary—a pause before returning to our familiar rhythms of life in Colorado. Instead, she called to say she wasn’t coming back and posed a far more compelling question: Would I join her in Italy and help build something new? I said yes without hesitation. I sold my house, packed my life into boxes, proposed to Rachel, and stepped into a future we had not yet written, together.

Today, I am fully engaged in the living, evolving nature of Savor & Cellar. I listen closely to the people we work with and travel alongside, helping to weave individual experiences into shared moments of discovery. As Founder, Curator & Yeoman—a nod to our vineyard taking root in Oregon—my aim is to shape Savor & Cellar into something vibrant and enduring: a place where our guests feel both grounded and inspired, long after the journey itself has ended.