We are 2 retired couples who visited Fredericksburg last week. First, the positives:
- Booking online was easy, and they responded within hours to a question I had about the tour.
- they picked us up on time at the VRBO we stayed at…awesome to not worry about driving.
- Jackie is very knowledgeable about wine and shared wine info to the group.
- The wineries we visited were well prepared for our group and did a nice job of telling us all about their wines and facilities.
The bummer:
- I have done winery tours in several domestic and International locations. This was the first time I’ve been on a tour where the employees drank more than the attendees. It felt inappropriate and unprofessional to us.
- The tour was conducted like a red neck party. Several times we were told how fun it was to day drink and get drunk. I’ve never been to a tasting with that in mind. My comment is - know your audience. If you have a bachelorette party - the vibe is different than if you have a group of adults.
- The music was blaring on the trolley and our hosts were bent on yell-singing and dancing all along the way. We felt like we were at a bar watching twenty-something’s party. Again, know your audience.
- I realize they were trying to entertain us, but it was a real turn-off.
- Lunch consisted of the sandwich we ordered in advance and nothing else. I would have expected a salad or chips or something besides a lonely sandwich. Although the sandwich was tasty.
Final thoughts - it was extremely hot (100 degrees) and the trolley was understandably warm and windy. We would have been definitely more comfortable in an air conditioned shuttle van. My mistake.
Overall, I feel like the $550 we spent was a waste. If you’re not planning on getting drunk on your tour, the wineries are all located on the same highway. It would be super easy to just go on your own. Fredericksburg Cablecar Tours didn’t really add any value.