If you're visiting a region known for its vineyards and wineries, you're missing out if you don't take the opportunity to take a wine tour. It's a chance to spend a day in beautiful surroundings, taste great wine, and learn interesting things about the process of winemaking. What's not to love? Take a look at some tips that can help ensure a successful and happy wine tour.
Don't Drive
If you're visiting several wineries in a day, you'll probably end up tasting more wine than you may expect, and all of those tastes add up. Do yourself and everyone else on the road a favor and don't drive yourself from winery to winery.
You could enlist someone from the group you're traveling with to be a designated driver, or you could hire a cab. But you probably don't have to risk one person being bored or worry about calling a new car from each location. A luxury car wine tour car service like those offered by Silver Shadow Tours will drive you from stop to stop in a limo or other luxury vehicle. This way, you can stay safe and arrive in style.
Bring Your Own Wine Box
It's not required that you buy bottles of wine on a wine tour, but the chances are good that you're going to want to. If you buy cases of wine, you may find it easier to have the winery ship your bottles to your home. If you buy individual bottles, you'll probably want to keep them with you, especially if you plan on enjoying them during your stay in wine country. You don't want the bottles rolling around loose in a car, so it's a good idea to BYOB – bring your own box.
Luckily, you shouldn't have a hard time finding a wine box in wine country. You may be able to pick one up at a wine store in the area. If not, you can buy Styrofoam wine carriers from a nearby shipping store.
Protect Yourself
Plan on spending at least some time outside during your wine tour. You may be walking through vineyards or touring the grounds of a winery, and while you'll love the scenery and the atmosphere, you need to be prepared for the sun and terrain. Wear comfortable shoes. Put on sun screen and bug spray, and bring them with you so that you can reapply as necessary. Bring bottled water; you don't want to get dehydrated.
You should also make sure that you eat first, and, depending on how long the tour lasts, consider bringing a picnic lunch with you. Some wineries will offer snacks, like cheese and crackers, but those don't make a full meal. The combination of too much wine and too much sun on an empty stomach can make you ill and spoil the experience for you and those around you.
Be Adventurous
It's fine to stick with white zinfandel or Merlot at home if that's what you like best, but the point of a tasting is to try new things. If you don't step out of your comfort zone a little, you may be missing something great. Be willing to try wines that you've never tried before. After all, you're just tasting, not making a commitment.
Like any outing, a wine tasting tour requires some planning. A little preparation can help ensure that you enjoy your tour to the fullest.
