Winery tours are more than just an opportunity to taste wines. Wineries are often located in beautiful areas with wonderful scenery and activities beyond wine tasting.  If you are vacationing near an area known for wines, a winery tour is a great opportunity to get out of the city, see some beautiful countryside, and learn about the history of the area. Wineries and towns in wine country are often known for good restaurants, so it is also an opportunity to have a wonderful meal. If you are bringing children, look for wineries that provide options for the children such as chocolate or cheese tasting or even a swimming pool.

Photography

Although a photo of your group tasting wine is a nice memory of the day, there are many additional photo opportunities at wineries that you don’t want to overlook. Wineries are typically located in the scenic countryside and have beautiful buildings. The wineries are often owned by interesting people and often have fascinating collections on display.  The wine-making equipment, such as the oak barrels, can provide interesting photographs, and be sure to take a close-up of the vines. If you are traveling with children or someone who doesn’t drink, give them the camera during the tasting and have them take photos. Most of the photos in this layout were taken by my children, I love that my older son took a photo of his brother with a camera. We brought two small digital cameras on this South African wine tour so that each child could photograph and we could relax.

Journaling

On your winery tour layouts, you will want to include several important facts in your journaling.  You will want to include the name of the wineries you visited and the region. For example, on the layout below we visited the Coppola winery in the Sonoma valley region. If you are a wine connoisseur, you may want to include the names or vintages of your favorite wines or include the tasting sheet provided by the winery.  If you are not comfortable with long journaling, you can merely list the relevant information.

In case you are wondering, the beautiful pool was the reason we chose to visit the Coppola winery. My son took the artsy photos of the colorful wine displays while the grown-ups enjoyed a brief wine-tasting. There was also a movie museum at the winery. Winery tours are no longer just for grown-ups and wine connoisseurs. They can be a great opportunity for a family outing or vacation activity. Don’t forget to bring a camera and create a scrapbook page about your pleasant day. 

Note: click on the images to see them in the gallery, complete with supply information.