How to Plan a Vineyard Tour

If you love wine or don’t know anything about it, a vineyard tour is the perfect activity for a weekend. For the wine connoisseur it’s a chance to put your knowledge to the test and for the amateur it’s a bit of education, that actually can be fun. Just like anything else, there are different levels that vineyards fall into—some are quite fancy (think Napa Valley) and uber expensive but well worth every penny, especially if you know a thing or two about wine, while others are less pricey yet still retain the beauty and thrill of winemaking. A vineyard tour can be romantic if you’re a couple looking for something out of the ordinary, or plain fun if your girlfriends and you want to get out of town for a day. Follow the steps below and you’ll be well on your way to sampling the finest wines in America.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Telephone and Internet
• Sunscreen
• Hat
• Water bottle
• Coffee beans
• Saltines
• Camera

1. Search the Internet putting in the search engine first whatever state you live in or want to visit followed by the word “vineyard.” A listing of various vineyard websites will come up and you can check each one out. Prices will range from $5 to $200 a person.

2. Once you selected a particular vineyard to go to, call them up to make reservations or buy tickets. You should also check the weather before you select a date, though no predictions are ever 100 percent.

3. Be sure to select a designated driver or if you really want to splurge hire a driver so that all in your party can have fun.

4. On the day of, don’t forget to bring a bag filled with sunscreen, a hat, water bottle, saltines (this is to help neutralize your taste buds), coffee beans (this is to help neutralize your sense of smell) and a camera. You will want to memorialize the breathtaking views a vineyard provides. Also, be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes as most of these vineyards are on big spreads of land.

5. Pace yourself so that you may enjoy and appreciate all the different wines. While you don’t need to purchase any wines, you’re most likely going to find your new favorite drink so it's a good idea to bring the wallets too.