Brewery or Vineyard Tours
If you’re looking for something new—a “sure to please” gift for special occasions or holidays for the men in your life; look no further. And if you play your cards right, you might even get to accompany the menfolk on their beer or wine-tasting excursion.
In recent years craft breweries have sprung up like mushrooms in every major city. Similarly, wineries have begun to open their doors to the public, making their facilities destinations for tours, tastings and dining experiences.
Savvy breweries and vineyards have hired highly-educated tour guides to give guests a top-quality visiting experience. Many offer the chance to tour the entire property with the opportunity to ask questions and learn the history of the company.
In areas such as the Napa Valley or cities in which there are multiple breweries, there is the chance to make a day of it and visit multiple establishments. To make the experience more fun there are a wide variety of ways to travel including trains, limos, buses, bikes and even sailing tours or hot air balloon rides.
Brewery Tours
There are three major components of most brewery tours. Some are merely tasting tours while others offer a more complete experience:
Tasting Tours, sometimes known as Pub Crawls: You’ll have the chance to taste a variety of each brewery’s top brews and compare them. Some of these tours include meals.
Brewery Tours: These tours typically take guests through their entire facility, giving the history of their establishment and answering any questions about the brewing processes. The tour is followed by a tasting session and possibly a meal.
Beer-making Workshops: Workshops are an all-day affair and offer the tour, the tasting and then the opportunity to learn the procedures for brewing a top beer at home.
Vineyard Tours and Tastings
Similar to brewery tours and tastings, traveling to a vineyard to tour the grounds, the facility and then taste some samples is a lovely experience. Many vineyards have upscaled their grounds to be beautiful country destinations complete with tasting rooms, restaurants, live music and more.
Vineyards may offer package deals for special occasions and some offer workshop opportunities as well. On tours you’ll see the vineyard themselves, tour the winery, and meet the producers and wine experts who can give interesting history, information and answer any and all questions.
Check out the links below to get an idea of the vast number of beer and wine-tasting experiences available. The Grandpa or Dad on your gift list will definitely enjoy the new and fun experience of taking a beer or wine tour.
The costs of these beer and wine tasting experiences vary widely depending on the locations and the variation of experiences offered. You’ll want to spend some time researching your destination and make the package fit your pocketbook.
www.napavalley.com/event-planning (look under experiences and/or wineries)
www.redletterdays.co.uk (look under food and drink)
www.xperiencedays.com (look under food and wine)
www.virginexperiencedays.co.uk (look under days out and tours)
