Wine Tour FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Tour Info
Common questions about food, vineyards & your wine tour.
Private Tour Info
Common questions about private wine tours for groups 6+.
Policies
NC Wine Gal policies & procedures for tour safety
Wine Tour Info
- Visits to 3 NC vineyards
- Pastry & wine pairing (pickup location)
- Charcuterie & curated wine at 1st vineyard
- Picnic spread & curated wine at 2nd vineyard
- Tasting at 3rd vineyard
- All-day transportation in a Ford Transit 350XL van
- Knowledgeable NC Wine Gal driver/guide
- Snacks & waters
- Visits to 3 NC vineyards
- Pastry & wine pairing (pickup location)
- Charcuterie & curated wine at 1st vineyard
- Picnic spread & curated wine at 2nd vineyard
- Tasting at 3rd vineyard
- All-day transportation in a Ford Transit 350XL van
- Knowledgeable NC Wine Gal driver/guide
- Snacks & waters
This is currently only offered as a private tour.
- Visits to 3 NC vineyards
- Charcuterie & curated wine at 1st vineyard
- 1 glass of wine 2nd vineyard
- Tasting at 3rd vineyard
- Private pickup
- All-day transportation in a Ford Transit 350XL van
- Knowledgeable NC Wine Gal driver/guide
- Snacks & waters
Winston-Salem/Greensboro are new tours in 2023 and while we build it up, we are only offering the private tour option.
Private tours require at least 6 people and up to 10.
- Visits to 3 NC vineyards
- Pastry & wine pairing (pickup location)
- Charcuterie & curated wine at 1st vineyard
- Picnic sandwich spread & curated wine at 2nd vineyard
- Curated wine at 3rd vineyard
- Keep-sake glass
- All-day transportation in a Ford Transit 350XL van
- Knowledgeable NC Wine Gal driver/guide
- Snacks & waters
- Private pickup
- Visit to 2 Hendersonville vineyards
- Welcome drink (pickup location)
- Charcuterie & curated wine at 1st vineyard
- Tasting or flight at 2nd vineyard
- All-day transportation in a Ford Transit 350XL van
- Knowledgeable NC Wine Gal driver/guide
- Snacks & waters
- Downtown Asheville pickup location
This depends on the weather. Many vineyards only have outdoor seating so being prepared is paramount. The tour provides water and snacks throughout the day in addition to food. Things that have helped to other wine goers 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 a fun one but your group is welcome to use their own).
Absolutely not. While we include about 4 glasses of wine, you are welcome to seek out more wine as long as it falls within our length of stay. You are also encouraged to buy bottles of wine & help support the NC wine industry.
This pairing is not meant to replace breakfast but is a fun, quirky pairing to show how food & wine interact with one another. This occurs at the meeting location before the tour starts.
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.
Charlotte 3 vineyard tour is 7 hours.
Charlotte Sunday Boozy Brunch tour is 5 hours.
Asheville 3 vineyard tour is 6 hours.
Winston-Salem 3 vineyard tour is 6 hours.
- Greensboro 3 vineyard tour is 7 hours.
Groups can opt to extend their tour time for $100/hr. Just inform your guide and pay them directly for the extra time.
This has simply to do with pickup locations. Some areas are closer to the vineyards we visit and others are further away. We estimate it takes an extra hour of driving to reach the vineyards from certain cities (Charlotte/Greensboro).
We are estimating a stay of 60 to 75 minutes at each vineyard.
On our tours, you will receive food with at least 3 wines (some tours offer more pairings). Our foods are arranged picnic style so everyone has the ability to take as little or as much of the offered food as they want.
We bring a portable crockpot and insulated bags to keep the hot things hot and the cold things cold.
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.
In 2023, all of our private tours come with their own Polaroid camera and a roll of film so they can document the day as they see fit.
Yes, private tours have the option of an additional vineyard with another food & wine pairing. This tour adds on average an extra 75 minutes to the day. Please contact us with questions.
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, it is illegal to drink alcohol in our van so this is prohibited.
Other clear liquids such as water can be enjoyed inside the van.
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.