A fine wine tour should be on anyone’s bucket-list journey. After drinking one too many “quarantini” during the pandemic, most of us are tired of the same, tired wines in the same four walls. This has spurred a need for adventure that’s rejuvenating the wine industry.
According to Forbes, the State of the Wine Industry Report 2022 shows strong indicators for the industry. Its author, Rob McMillan, wrote: “Reopening tasting rooms, hotels, and restaurants, along with thawing travel, rejuvenated sales opportunities in those venues.”
It demonstrates that the pleasures of drinking wine isn’t merely sensual, it’s social. Those Zoom happy hours weren’t enough! It’s time to add a bit of luxury to the entire wine-drinking experience.
Forbes attests to this, noting: “It’s always been true that guests visited wineries and wine country to take in the lifestyle. Estate owners and designers know that, as the evolution of the tasting room will show. What was once a several-person bar where sips were poured, now rivals the most appealing vacation home, with five-star views, comforts, and service.”
While all this remains true, expectations of wine tours in 2022 are especially high. Andrew Dirks, director of hospitality at Abbott Claim in Oregon’s Willamette Valley says: “Serving guests in 2022 with standards from 2019 would be a huge failing from any hospitality department … Evoking emotion is what a truly elevated experience does.”
Not everyone can fit visiting a winery into their schedule or their budget — especially if you’re planning for long-awaited dream vacations — Dirks’s words about “evoking emotion” ring especially true. Wine drinking doesn’t have to be lavish or exotic to feel special. You can elevate your home experience with the little things.
Rather than pouring the same-old, same-old glass while watching the latest episode of Euphoria, set aside some time to truly unwind and enjoy what you’re drinking. Play some music, light a candle, put down a picnic blanket on your living room floor. Just because you’re not in wine country, doesn’t mean you can’t act like it.
In order to truly amplify the experience, refine your bottle. Step out of your comfort zone and take a trip around the world with Winc wines. Their subscription-based model delivers wines that are customized to your palate.
Winc uses data from real customers to figure out precisely which bottles they prefer. Then Winc crafts their own handmade wines, which they then ship directly to your door every month. From delicious, refreshing zinfandels to rich, spicy reds and summery sweet rosés, their wines are hard to resist.
You can even use Winc’s recommendations as a gateway to really get into wine. Then, when you’re ready for more adventure, take the wine-tasting excursion of your dreams.
Being a Winc subscriber, you’ll want to ditch all the outdated conventions that come with wine — such as trading in those stuffy, pretentious wine tours for something unique and fun.
Not every wine tour has to be a replica of the cliched walk through a quaint house in the middle of a vineyard. If you do feel like venturing into the great unknown in pursuit of the most epic wine tasting experience of all time, here are some of the most unique and astonishing wine tours around the world.
1. Sterling Vineyards, Napa Valley
Sterling Vineyards, Napa Valley
Napa Valley's Sterling Vineyards give you the opportunity to try some of California's most iconic wines, from way up in the air. A trip to the Sterling Vineyards gives you the opportunity to ride an aerial tram over the expansive countryside, so you can sip your sparkling rose while taking in a true bird's eye view.
2. Sottomarino Winery, San Francisco, CA
Sottomarino Winery
Treasure Island used to be a U.S. Naval base, but now it offers some lighter entertainment. You'll find plenty of opportunities to play bocce ball and to drink wine to your heart's content here, and you'll also find some very strange places to do the latter in. For example, you might visit Sottomarino, located in nothing less than an old submarine training room. Military history plus wine? The vibes must be impeccable.
3. Ice House Winery, Niagara, Canada
Ice House Winery
Where other than Canada would you find a winery that literally serves icy wine? That's exactly what you'll get at Ice House Winery, which sells a liquid treat called ice wine made of grapes frozen while still hanging from the vine. You can also try their wine slushies, made from a combination of wine and ice. Bring your parka and get ready for some chilled sweetness.
4. Edivo Winery, Croatia
Edivo Winery, Croatia
Ever wanted to go scuba diving while on a wine tour? Croatia's Edivo Winery offers you the opportunity to do just that. While the actual wine tasting takes place above sea level, you can indeed book a scuba diving tour and see where the winery stores their wares under the waves.
5. El Grifo, Canary Islands, Spain
El Grifo
From destruction comes creation, and nowhere will you see a clearer example of that than on the Canary Islands, particularly if you happen to stumble on El Grifo, a winery literally growing out of volcanic ash. Located on the island of Lanzarote in Spain, this winery produces its wares straight from the remnants of an old volcanic explosion.
But if you'd prefer to savor your wines in the comfort of your own home, try Winc’s custom-made subscription box and — as a new member — get four fantastic bottles of wine for only $29.95!
