Wine country is beautiful. All around the world the wine regions are stunning. So the hard part is deciding where to go. Once you have done that you can consider how to schedule yourself. The best time of year to go depends on what you consider the best.
Is the best time of the year to go when there are fewer tourists? If that is the case then go in the winter months. The wineries will still be open for business – you may want to double check if you have favorite spots you want to visit in the event that they may be remodeling. The slow season is the time of year that refurbishing happens. In the winter the grape vines are dormant so expect to see the vine wood and no leaves.
If you still want it sort of quiet, but would like a little hustle and bustle then visit in the Spring. The photo above was taking at the end of winter/beginning of spring. The weather is starting to warm up, the flowers are starting to bloom., but the vines are still dormant. It is not as slow as the winter, but the crowds are generally fairly thin.
If the best time of year to go is when the wineries are busy then go during the summer and fall. The vines will be green, and have grapes, or the grapes will be harvested, but there will still be leaves. If you take a tour in the fall you will likely see the winemaking process in action. At other times of the year they may talk about what is happening, but in the fall you can actually see, and smell it first hand.
Once you know the time of year then plan on how long you would like to be there. Wine tasting can be expensive so think about that when planning a trip.
Most commonly people plan to spend 3 days and 2 nights in the wine country. With that in mind you generally have 2 half days and one full day to taste. Wineries are generally open between about 10am and 5pm. There are exceptions that open a little earlier, or stay open later, but they are not that common. Some have even shorter hours 11am-4pm. If there are wineries that you desperately want to visit then verify their tasting room hours. The worst thing is when you show up right after the tasting room closed to the one place you had your heart set on going. Over the years I saw many people go through the heartbreak of missing out on a favorite winery.
When planning your day have a designated driver. DUIs happen in wine country just like everywhere else. You do not want to ruin a perfectly good vacation by ruining your life, or endangering the lives of others. It is not worth it.
Plan on visiting 3, or 4 wineries in one day. 4 at the most. After that you really cannot taste the wine very well, and you will be pretty intoxicated. This is the time when many people sign up for wine clubs because it seems like a good idea at the time. Wine clubs are great and I am a member of a few, but I knew I wanted to join before I had any wine.
Tastings take about an hour unless you are rushing through. If you go during the quiet season you can really take time and talk to the tasting room host. You can get a lot of great information about the wine, and the winery’s history. They usually work there because they love wine and working with people.
Some wineries are by appointment only. Again, do your research about the places that you really want to visit. If they are by appointment then they might have to turn you away. Different wine regions regulate how many visitors a winery can have in a day so these appointments may be very strictly enforced. Don’t miss out on a favorite winery just because you didn’t look at the visit us tab on their website.
If you are doing tour then plan on setting aside 2 hours of your time for that. Generally it is best to get a tour appointment ahead of time. So check the website, or call ahead.
Make sure to plan travel time between wineries. In Napa, for instance, there can be a lot of traffic and it can take a lot longer than you expect to get from one end of the valley to the other – even if it is only 35 miles long.
Plan a lunch stop in the middle of the tastings. You could bring an ice chest with water, sandwiches, and snacks, or you could find a restaurant and get something there. Set aside at least an hour to eat. Food and water can help stop tasters from over indulging.
If you are staying in a wine region during a popular time of the year then look into dinner reservations ahead of time. I have made the mistake of not making a reservation and ended up with a 2 and a half hour wait. The food was amazing, but it was an awfully long wait.
Many wine areas in the US do not really have much in the way of nightlife. There might be a few bars, but generally there are not many, they aren’t large, and they do not get super busy. So if you are looking for nightlife then you may want to stay in a city near the wine area instead of in wine country itself. This is another case for a designated driver.
So plan ahead is the key. determine what time of the year you want to visit. Figure out how long you want to be there. Set tasting, and/or tour appointments for wineries you really want to visit. Have a designated driver. Make reservations for dinners. Having a great trip in the wine country is always best when you can do a little planning ahead so you get to do and see everything that you want.