I have been on over a dozen small group wine tours. I love the format, what’s not to love about drinking wine in cool places with fun people. But this tour was disappointing. First, the logistics were horrible, it took over an hour to pick everyone up in an amazingly teeth jarring bus. I’ve never had it take more than 30 minutes. Second, the winery choices were poor. I have been on small tours that went to amazing wineries, with gardens, villas, caves, and majestic views. This tour had only one that was OK. The Auburn James winery had a good set up with covered outdoor seating, good wine and an engaged host. Not a beautiful location, but it was worth the stop as a chance to meet a small wine maker. The other stops were not worth the time. The first stop, Madrigal, had ok wine but a poor set up, nothing more than a picnic table in a field with farm machines running 20 yards away. But the worst was the last stop, Clos Pégase, was exactly the kind of place we were paying money to be steered away from. Nothing special about the access, poor wine and a rude and disinterested hostess who knew little about the wine. When we asked a question about the wine, her response was “you drink it and tell me.” And we were stuck inside on a beautiful day in a area that has hundreds of beautiful outdoor spaces.
So I highly recommend the format, but I hope you get better destinations.