It’s Wine-o’clock somewhere! When it comes to wine, vineyards range from small boutiques to massive production facilities. Wine has developed a reputation of being a bit snobby and can often feel rather daunting. Luckily, we have found several different wine tours, locations and vineyards that turn that notion on its head: warm, welcoming, not terribly expensive and definitely worth the trip! Allow us introduce you to some wine areas and experiences you had no idea existed. If you love wine, you will love these wineries!
If you are thinking of visiting Napa or Sonoma, this is the best way to see the area! Join in on a full day small-group (generally 8-12 guests) guided wine tour that grants you the opportunity to share the day with other friendly, wine-interested travelers, often they become dear friends by the end of the day. Experience four charming, smaller, intimate wineries, many still family-owned, with an up-beat and well-informed tour guide. They pack you a lovely picnic lunch, serve a cheese platter and of bottled water on board the bus, offer hotel pick up from most locations, teach you loads and make the whole day completely personable! This is perfect for individual travelers, couples and small groups and the best part, the tour is different every day, so even if you return and go again, it will never be the same.
Pricing is $110 per guest - offered daily, subject to availability.
Tasting fees at the wineries are not included and are charged extra by the wineries: typically run about $15 per person, per winery. Many of the wineries will wave the tasting fee with the purchase of 2 bottles of wine and don't worry, the bus carries preprepared boxes to store your wine for safe travels home by plane.
Tours usually run from 10:30am to about 5:00pm. Pick-up is from local area hotels, rentals and from selected meeting spots for those driving in for the day. Itineraries do vary depending on winery availability.
Such a fun way to see the smaller, perhaps not as well publicized vineyards. Meet other wine enthusiasts, drink plenty of good wine, eat delicious food and enjoy a casual and fun day. A definite must for the novice wine drinker!
One of the highlights of this vineyard is its FREE Wine Museum showing the evolution of wine making, housing a variety of historical and recent instruments, with examples of grafting and cultivation methods. It’s a great way to start your trip to Bardolino, one of the charming cities along the spectacular coast of Lake Garda in Northern Italy. Once through the museum, you enter the Enoteca or dedicated wine tasting area. Here you have the option to try several varieties of wines at no cost and some supreme selections for a small fee per glass. That’s right, free wine tasting! There is a variety of approximately 8 different wines to choose from and try included. The prices for the vast majority of the wine is so reasonable, you will quickly fill your bags with bottles to take with you for picnics or to enjoy sipping while you watch the sun go down over the glorious scenery of Lake Garda.
If you have the time and are willing to spend just a bit extra, you can take part in the Sensory Tastings, located in the barrique cellar, a splendid hall down a flight of stairs decorated with frescoes, and lined with huge wooden casks where the wine is aging. For a special treat, try the olfactory gallery, a new eno-sensory tasting, the first of its kind in Italy. It offers you the chance to learn the different smells and aromas of wine and then to try several wines while experiencing all the fragrances that make each bottle distinctive. The tour includes the tasting of two wines with special finger food to enhance the wine flavor.
Enoteca Tasting: Free! Unless you want a special wine, then €2-4 per glass
Sensory / Olfactory Tasting price range: €25-45 per person
Bottle of Wine price range: €6 and up per bottle
You can easily spend hours at this wine oasis. Make sure to make a reservation for the sensory tasting and take a bag with you to buy a few bottles. Such a splendid way to learn about the wine making of the region and enjoy some amazing Italian wines for a fraction of the costs in a restaurant. Follow up your trip there by heading back in to Bardolino for some fresh fish and delicious pasta. Absolutely worth the visit!
Nestled in a historic 1860’s woolen mill in the charming little city that is it located in: Cedarburg, Wisconsin, just 20 miles north of Milwaukee is the delightful Cedar Creek Winery.
Tours are available daily and include a short history of the 19thcentury mill that houses the winery’s underground limestone cellars. Learn how the wines are made, aged and bottled, and following the tour, join in a formal wine tasting sampling several Cedar Creek wines and enjoy the view from through the tasting room windows of the beautiful Cedar Creek waterfall. One of the absolute highlights of the tour is the opportunity to climb inside of a giant wine cask to see what it looks like from the inside: make sure to get your picture taken as you peek out of the hole at the bottom.
Equally as interesting as the building that houses the wine is the town of Cedarburg: a delightful little respite full of unique shops, cafes, art galleries, museums and adorable bed and breakfast inns, many still in beautifully maintained historic buildings.
Tour fees: $5.00 for adults (children under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult)
Tours are first come, first serve: arrive at least 30 minutes early to ensure a place.
If you happen to be up in Milwaukee for a few days, take a day to visit Cedar Creek and Cedarburg, you will be so glad you did!
Love Vinyl records? 70s and 80s vintage style? Eclectic and funky décor? You have got to stop in on Highway 246 in Lompoc for not only amazing wines created by one of the “ten best winemakers of the year” Bryan Babcock, but a cozy, friendly and unique atmosphere you won’t find anywhere else for wine!
In the Santa Ynez Valley are the Santa Rita Hills, home to the small town Lompoc. Originally known for its proximity to Vandenberg Air Force Base and a federal penitentiary, Lompoc has grown into the most unlikely wine town in California. Located just out of town is Babcock Winery, known for its eclectic mix of vintage furniture, vinyl records and amazing wines. As Wine & Food Explorer put it, “ The tasting room is housed in a warehouse and offers an eclectic mix of stage props, vintage furniture and novelties. The vibe here is a mix of the TV show Mad Men, your grandmother’s house and a rock concert all thrown into a blender and served willingly…”
With a gorgeous picnic area outside surrounded by the beauty of the vineyard, the tasting room is the perfect way to spend an afternoon with friends. Spend hours trolling trough the unique fixtures and huge collection of vinyl records; its like mid-century modern quirky meets industrial chic with the former warehouse turned tasting room full of antiques, art pieces, vintage fashion and furnishings, vinyl, and more.
Like the tasting room, the wine is delicious and interesting. Known for their commitment to experimentation with grape varieties and new ways of farming, the company has developed a concept called agristhetics, which treats an agricultural area as a piece of art. Focused on reforestation, butterfly sanctuaries and other natural elements that integrate the surrounding nature with the vines, the family winery is creating some really superb and new wines.
Wine is sold by the glass and/or Wine Tastings are available in the tasting room and bottles of wine vary in cost from $12.00 up to around $55/60.00. Consider becoming a member of the Wine Club which delivers to nearly everywhere.
If you are visiting Santa Barbara, make sure to carve out a few hours to spend at Babcock Winery, where as the décor will amuse and entertain you and the wine will soothe and inspire you.
We hope we have inspired you to look for different and fun new wine experiences! Whether you are hitting the blacktop for a wine road trip or traveling by plane across the country or overseas, with the growing popularity of wines world-wide, we can almost guarantee that there is a cute wine shop or vineyard close to your destination! Make sure you are covered for your trip by a travel protection program, such as Lifestyle Benefits Club's Here2There for the world traveler and Turbo|Charged for the road trip enthusiast! To compare the programs, head over to www.lifestylebenefitsclub.com and be sure to check out our facebook page for the most current promotions!
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