Planning and hosting a bachelor party is stressful but incredibly rewarding if you pull it off successfully. You have to account for food, lodging, different personality types, activity preferences, and keeping everyone in line—and those are just the things you can put down on paper! If you’re going to be in a bachelor party in San Luis Obispo, wine tasting is a strong option for a group of men who want to sample the finest vintages in the area. Luckily, we created a step-by-step guide to setting up a tour without doing too much work, so you can relax and swill your wine while everyone admires your taste in classy shenanigans!
Step 1: Hire transportation!
This is a no brainer– drinking + driving is a no-go, and coordinating multiple cars and parking and DD’s is not worth the hassle at all. Professional transportation makes your entire tour easier for you by providing a large vehicle with all the necessary amenities for a party-on-the-go!
Among the perks of chauffeured driving is that there is bottled water, sound systems, and built-in trip planning support. SLO Safe Ride will provide winery recommendations, lunch options, and can communicate with each venue before and during your tour to make sure reservations are secure and that your only job is making sure the groom gets the attention he deserves (for better or for worse)!
Step 2: Choose a tasting region!
There are two main regions close to San Luis Obispo—Paso Robles and Edna Valley. Both of them feature award-winning tasting rooms that produce outstanding products and will be happy to host your group.
Edna Valley, the southern wine region, is closer to the city of SLO itself, and features a close grouping of about 20 wineries. The drive time will be slightly less, and the tasting rooms are designed for slightly smaller groups, but they will all be accommodating given plenty of notice for reservations. Paso Robles is north of the city, and is a spread out region that features over 300(!) wineries. The tasting rooms are usually grander in scale, and can hold larger groups with reservations. There’s no wrong choice; either region will be an amazing experience for you and your crew, but make sure to do a little research on what you might like in a trip.
Step 3: Choose your wineries!
Now that you have a region and transportation in place, you can focus on which of the exquisite options to visit on your winery tour to Edna Valley or Paso Robles. The beauty of wine tasting is it is an inclusive experience for everyone, whether you are new to wine or have a refined palate and know what you’re looking for. Using wine quality, venue appeal, and customer service as qualifiers, here are some of our favorite places to visit in each region:
Paso Robles Wineries: Opolo, Tooth and Nail, Peachy Canyon, Halter Ranch, Niner, Eberle, Castoro.
Edna Valley Wineries: Chamisal, Wolff, Tolosa, Baileyana, Talley, Saucelito Canyon, Claiborne and Churchill
One note—there is no outside alcohol allowed at any of these venues, and other guests might be looking for a quiet experience. As long as you respect the tasting room attendants, the property, and other guests, you’ll have a great time!
Pro tip: a great early wedding gift is a wine club membership at your favorite place you visit!
Step 4: Food, food, food!
Bachelor partying on an empty stomach never ends well, so make sure you arrange for everyone in your group to have a food plan for before the trip, during, and after. That way you can keep the party going without anyone getting hangry or sick. We recommend specifically planning on a catered lunch delivery while enjoying the scenery at one of the wineries. Our local favorites for delivery are Old San Luis BBQ, SLO Provisions, or Red Scooter Deli.
Step 5: Have fun!
Bachelor parties are the best because the groom has made it a priority to spend time with the whole group. Even though that dynamic can often be rushed in one short weekend, it’s important to enjoy each moment for what it is—an excursion to celebrate the coming wedding and make as many jokes as possible about this being your man’s last weekend of freedom (we said jokes!). Bring games, laugh, drink, and do it responsibly, and you have a perfect wine tour for a San Luis Obispo bachelor party.
For more details on how to book a bachelor wine tour, visit our website or give us a call at (805) 620-SAFE!
