Considering a wine trip? Most people put the majority of their effort into picking the destination. Well, especially for the first timers, there is a lot more to consider. Here are some of the ins and outs that will hopefully help you prepare for your first, or next, wine trip, and you
might not have to go as far as you might think.
For me, the research really begins once I choose a destination. I have already considered the wineries in that area and checked recent reviews. Next, I start calling the wineries that I am interested in visiting to get an idea of the reservations required and availability. Now the logistics begin. How will I get there, what food is there, will I need to spend the night? I cannot over emphasize food! Most wineries do not have much more than some crackers, potentially some charcuterie available for purchase. When making your tasting reservation at a winery, ask about food. Will there be food available at the tasting, if so, what? Is it included with the tasting? If there will not be any food at the tasting, is there a recommended spot nearby?
This leads us into the top three things that will ruin your wine trip. #1. Not having a food plan. Doing multiple wine tastings during your trip is like getting ready for a sporting event that you are playing in, not just watching. You need to stay hydrated and you need to eat! I
highly recommend, as a minimum, having a bottle of water with you and some type of food, like some nice crackers. I have water and crackers with me even when I have a great food plan, like reservations at area restaurants, lined up.
#1 leads us to #2. Visiting too many wineries in a day. I recommend no more than three a day. If you are visiting some of the really high-end wineries, then that number becomes two a day. DO NOT RUSH yourself, take time and enjoy the experience. Even with a good food plan and proper hydration, you can get into a lot of wine in a hurry, so BE CAREFUL!
As #1 leads to #2, #2 leads us into #3, the Transportation Plan. Will you be driving?? Getting pulled over after having some great wine will ABSOLUTELY ruin your trip! Even worse, getting into an accident! Many parts of “wine country” are outside the reaches of ride services, like Uber. Is there a tour bus, or a train that can get you close enough for an easy walk? Your trip may require a hired driver, unless you are fortunate enough to travel with a DD. If you can get to a central location, near the wineries that you want to visit, this problem becomes much easier to solve, but it CANNOT be overlooked!
If all of that sounds like too much work then I say look closer, much closer. I highly recommend you consider exploring our local wine festivals. We are fortunate to have several great ones within an hour’s drive or less. Most occur in the spring, like the Pensacola Beach Art & Festival, and South Walton Wine & Food Festival to name just two. They are easy to get to and have good to great wines to try. So, no matter how far, or close, you go there are plenty of
accessible parts of “wine country” to visit. Hopefully I will see you out exploring one. Cheers to that!
Most wineries do not have much more than some crackers, potentially some charcuterie available for purchase. When making your tasting reservation at a winery, ask about food.