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

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.

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

After many years of operating tours, we have found fewer groups in Asheville are interested in wine tastings so we have opted to do hand-selected bottles of wine for each group at each vineyard.

You can always upgrade your group to a tasting option at the 3rd vineyard for $15 per person.

Also, look for our wine education vineyard tour if your group really wants a true wine education.

Charlotte & Winston-Salem private tours require 6 people and Asheville private tours require 5 people. 10 people is our typical maximum group size. Contact us if you have fewer people.

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.

A $200 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve a tour date. This money does apply to your balance. Booking insurance is available for each tour & protects tour cancellations.

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 up to 10 people on Saturday tours. If your group is larger, we suggest booking on Friday or Sunday, as the vineyards are much less crowded.

In some cases, we can do larger groups, just call, email, or text us – (704) ‪665-7688‬

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. 

Our tours enforce a code of conduct. This simply states that if anyone drinks to excess and becomes disruptive or rude, you will be cut off from further alcohol and we ask that friends and family cut you off as well. In some cases, the behavior will result in a premature end to your tour and no refunds will be given.

We definitely 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.

To further elaborate on what’s not acceptable, here are some examples:

  • No dancing on tables
  • No twerking in our vans
  • No stealing from our vineyards
  • No doing illegal drugs such as marijuana on our tours.

Drugs will result in an immediate $250 charge for the incident and your tour will end!

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.

Please see our current cleaning and tour behavior policies for our tours. Click here.

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