Winery Tours
Who sets the pace of the outing?
Itâs important to have that figured out. Some people really like to be structured and stay on the clock. Other people want to lounge at every tasting room. I find itâs best not to put those two groups together, have separate vehicles. My advice in general though is, for it to be a great day, donât be overly committed to a structure. Be open to the day as it unfolds.
MYLES CRONK, TODD ZAWISTOWSKI
What about specifics of dealing with the wineries? The wineries have a contract they ask tour companies to sign that establishes some courtesies. And one is we will call 24 hours ahead if there are going to be more than 10 people. The wineries build beautiful but somewhat intimate tasting rooms and if you show up with a big group at a busy time it can swamp the tasting room. So they like a little notice. Generally the tour guide can deal with the wineries for you.
What days seem to work best for larger groups? Iâd want to go for a Tuesday. Itâs a slow day at wineries and in effect you own the winery. You get better service that way too. But in general, weekdays are less busy and off-season, too, of course. As for days to avoid, Saturdays in the fall harvest and color tour season are just nuts.
Do the wineries charge for tastings?
It varies. Some wineries charge a few bucks for tastings. Some can sell wine by the glass, others canât. Tour guides are happy to deal with that for the customer.
Tell us about lead-time and pricing. The sooner the better, especially if you are looking at weekends, when youâre competing with weddings and reunions and everybody else. There are 15 weekends up here when the demand is way heavier than the number of vehicles. But if you pick midweek and off-season itâs infinitely easier to plan. We charge $10 per hour per person as a ballpark price.