Five Tips For A Better Wine Tour

Embarking on a wine tour with your friends is a great way to spend a Saturday or Sunday. With a limo or bus taking you from winery to winery, you can indulge without worrying about driving, and you can all socialize on along the way. If you want to make the most of your wine tour, follow these five tips.

1. Bring snacks on the ride.

After all of that wine tasting, you are going to want some snacks. They will keep you from getting too tipsy and also calm your stomach. Cracker and cheese, chips, and even a fresh fruit platter work well. Consider asking each wine tour attendee to bring one snack to share.

2. Don't over-do it.

You may not believe it, but there is such a thing as drinking too much wine! You don't want anyone to get sick, and you also don't enjoy the wine or taste its nuances as well after you've tasted hundreds of wines. So, don't over-schedule your day. Visiting four wineries is more than enough. Visiting five can be sufficient if there is some driving distance between them.

3. Learn how to taste.

You will get more out of your wine tours if you actually taste the wine properly. If you have never tasted before, ask one of the employees at the first winery to show you how to do so properly. Or buy a book on wine tasting, and review the proper technique in the limo or bus on your way to the first winery. You might forget about the proper tasting procedure after three or four wineries, but at least you can use it in the beginning to get a better idea of what you like. 

4. Plan activities for the ride.

This really only applies if there are more than a few minutes between wineries. You will all have a better time if you have some activities planned. Look up car games that you can play on the way. Even a rousing game of classic I-Spy can keep everyone entertained.

5. Make plans for getting home.

If you don't want your wine tour to end in frustration, make sure you plan how everyone will get home at the end of the day. You could have everyone park at a central location and then stay there to sober up for a few hours after the tour and before driving home.