How to Plan Your Winery Trip

I don't know about you, but I am a last-minute winery trip kind of girl. We're all busy. So when we get a few days off work or business, why not use it to take a relaxing trip and explore a destination while tasting some new wines and learning more about winemaking.

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There are a few ways to go about it. If you'd rather sit back and relax on a tour bus, I provided links to tour companies on most of the U.S. wineries' pages. Call them up, and jump on the next tour available.

There are, however, some disadvantages of doing it that way. You're limited to their schedule, availability, and itinerary.

I much prefer to make an itinerary myself. Here are some advantages of planning your own winery trip:

- It could easily be added to any vacation or road trip

- There are plenty of planning tools available

- Most wineries offer their own tours free or for under $5

- You can pick and choose which wineries to visit

- You can drive your own car and not worry about getting to the tour companies meeting place

- You can divert from your itinerary any time if you want to see a nearby attraction

- You can have a picnic on winery premises

- You have a choice of having lunch or dinner at the winery, or anywhere else (nearby restaurants or your own sandwich)

Let's plan a winery trip after a 2-day conference in Miami, for example.

Step 1

Decide how much time I'm willing to spend on the road, at the wineries, and anywhere else. Often, I allow extra time to browse farmers' markets I drive by, take pictures of scenic views, etc. Then I decide how many wineries I am going to visit in the allotted time.

Step 2

So, now that I have an idea, I do a search. And this is the main trick. I go to googlemaps, and type in �vinyard near Miami�. Google then will map out a few closest wineries for you. Flip through the results and roll out the ones that don�t apply, for example wine stores or hotels.

Step 3

Once you flip through the results pages, you will get an idea where most of the wineries are concentrated. In my example, I picked A and a couple more along the highway 595. Easy to get to, close to each other, what else can I wish for.

Step 4

The legend on the left shows you contact information, address, and possibly more. So, call up each winery for their hours of operation and special events, tasting price, and best way to get there.

Step 5

You�re ready to start your winery trip! Take a camera, a notepad, and pack a picnic to go if you plan to relax on the winery�s grounds.

You just saved yourself time, money, and inconvenience of trying to fit to the tour�s schedule. Let me know how this method worked for you, and don�t forget to email me with your experiences and stories at Julia@winery-explorer.com.

Make it even more fun with an overnight stay. Win complimentary accommodations by completing the Poll of the Month.

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