This was the second time joining Platypus Tours. The first time was last year with Bob (I think that was his name?) A very entertaining host and he selected some great wineries with different cultural backgrounds- Madrigal, Dutch Henry, Paoletti, Clos Pegase. We loved it and decided to come back this year.
We had Greg this time. Again a great host but the wineries he selected weren't up to par this time. The first stop was Buhman Vineyards. This winery would not have been so bad if it wasn't a cattle ranch as well. Trying to smell/taste the different characteristics of wines is pretty difficult when all you can smell is manure. Also, not a fan of the "outhouse" bathroom next to the main house. I understand he concept of a rustic winery but we're there to enjoy the wine, not smell farm animal feces. The next three wineries were great: Auburn James, Hagafen, & Razi.
Two other minor points of criticism: 14 people on 1 tour is very cramped! There wasn't much leg room and it was hot and stuff at times. Also please fix the microphone/ sound system in the van- couldn't hear Greg over the buzz of the AC.
Ответ от хоста
Sep 2019
Thank so much for your tour feedback, and for pointing out some areas we could stand to improve. It's good to hear you enjoyed this most recent tour over all (I'm grateful you came back this year, by the way!), but I'm very sorry for it's shortcomings. Buhman Vineyards has been very popular among our guests this year, and probably because it is such an authentic experience, including that it is a working ranch. I'm not sure if it was a matter of the wind blowing the wrong way this time, or just that it was a particularly warm day, but we've previously not had any comments on the aroma, and I will certainly see to we find a solution to that issue for our future guests. I apologize also that our guide failed to use the PA system while discussing points of interest on your trip. We're going back to verify this, but we think the microphones are in working order in all our shuttles. Warmest wishes!