Bourbon and Wine Tour FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Tour Info
Common questions about this tour
Private Tour Info
Common questions about private wine tours for groups 6+.
Policies
NC Wine Gal policies & procedures for tour safety
Tour Info
No, everyone is welcome to book this tour!
This tour starts with your choice of Kentucky bourbon (neat or on ice/water) or an Old Fashioned.
We will feature the following Kentucky bourbons:
- Four Roses Small Batch
- Elijah Craig Small Batch
- Maker’s Mark
- 1792 Small Batch
- Wild Turkey 101 Rye
There will be an option to upgrade your bourbon experience to a more unique/rarer bourbon. A list will be provided during check-out.
This tour includes:
- 2 vineyards + 1 distillery
- Kentucky Bourbon or Old Fashioned cocktail + a donut
- Charcuterie & rosé
- BBQ lunch & wine flights
- Local distillery tour + samples + bourbon cocktail
- Basic wine education from NC Wine Gal Guide
- Water & snacks (chips & cookies)
- Transportation in a 15-passenger Ford Transit van
Private tours are available for $25 more per person.
Tours are weather dependent and mainly outdoors. Guests should dress for the weather. Things that have helped to others are:
- hat (summer)
- sunscreen (summer)
- Gatorade or something with electrolytes
- bag for wine purchases
- scarf/blanket (winter)
- flat shoes – vineyards are uneven and heels can cause problems
- Music playlist (we have one but you can bring your own – private tours only)
Absolutely not. We encourage our guests to use the time we have at each place to sample more but responsibly.
We will try and accommodate you to the best of our ability. Some substitutions may not go as well with the food. Please contact us directly if you have any special dietary restrictions that would hinder your fun.
This tour is 7 hours and can be extended for $100/hr. Just inform your guide and pay them directly for the extra time.
We are estimating a stay of 60 to 75 minutes at each venue including the distillery.
For the most part, our wine tours are best experienced outdoors. Sometimes, there will be opportunities to be seated indoors or under covered spaces, but it’s important to know that Carolina summer gets very sunny and very hot. Please dress for the weather for your tour.
NC state law prohibits drinking in our vans and outside alcohol is also prohibited when visiting vineyards & distilleries.
Yes, private tours require at least 6 bookings and cost an extra $25pp. You must email us directly to secure a private tour date.
Private Wine Tour FAQ
Charlotte & Winston-Salem private tours require 6 people and Asheville private tours require 4 people. 10 people is our typical maximum group size.
CHARLOTTE: Tours are 7 hours for a 3-vineyard tour & 5 hours for a 2-vineyard tour.
ASHEVILLE: Tours are 6 hours for a 3-vineyard tour & 4.5 hours for a 2-vineyard tour.
Drive time to/from the pickup location is included in the tour time. All tours that go over the assigned tour time will be charged an additional $100/hr.
Yes, all private tours receive private pickup. Please note that pickup and dropoff times count towards tour 7-hour tour time (6-hour in Asheville & 6-hour in Winston-Salem).
Drive time to/from the pickup location is included in the tour time. All tours that go over the assigned tour time will be charged an additional $100/hr.
No, all tour dates are first come first serve. Please book 2+ months in advance if you would like to go on a Spring or Autumn wine tour, we sell out of those dates quickly.
Deposits are required if an additional vehicle is required for a tour.
This depends on the individual tour but typically, guests receive about 1-2 glasses of wine at each stop.
Most vineyards we visit are 75 to 90 minutes from Charlotte, 30-45 minutes from Winston-Salem and 30-50 minutes from Asheville.
CHARLOTTE: 10 am on Fridays/Saturdays and 11:00 am on Sundays.
ASHEVILLE: 11 am on all days.
Sometimes we can change the start time for the group but many vineyards close around 5 pm.
Wine Gal Tour Policies
We can accommodate upto 10 people on Saturday tours. If your group is larger, we suggest booking on Friday or Sunday, as the vineyards are much less crowded.
Public facing tours, unless otherwise specified, there are no refunds given within 72 hours/3 days of the wine tour date. You can however receive partial credit toward a future wine tour if you need to reschedule.
For all private tours, there are no refunds given 5 days before a wine tour.
Yes, all tours enfore a code of conduct. This simply states that if you drink to excess and become disruptive or rude , you will be cut off from Alcohol and we ask that friends and family cut you off as well.
We definitley want you to have fun on our tours but want you to drink responsibly and have respect for our guides, our van and the vineyards we take you to.
No, per NC law, it is illegal to drink alcohol of any kind in our vans because we are not designated as for-hire.
Please note that any spills other than water assess cleaning fees of $200+ for any spillages.
Please see our current cleaning, drinking, and behavior policy to know what is acceptable and unacceptable on your tour.
Food and drinks can be enjoyed inside our van and wine wanderers are asked and expected to enjoy any items responsibly.
A reasonable amount of cleanup is expected after each tour but any excessive messes or spills will result in a $100 cleaning fee. Reasonable cleanup is anything that can be vacuumed without any scrubbing or extra effort. Unreasonable cleanup includes, but is not limited to, the following examples:
- Moist or wet food that is embedded or has become dried onto seat fabric or floors.
- Excessive spills of anything other than water.
- Broken glasses
- Stains in seats, floor covers, or other areas that require special solvents to remove.
EXTREME CLEANING POLICY
Vomit or other bodily fluids in the seats, sides of the van, floors or anywhere except in the provided sick bags are to subject to a $250 cleaning fee. In some cases, excessive wine spills in multiple places wothin the van has counted as extreme cleaning.