Wine tasting tours are an integral part of the Central Coast relaxation culture. Sampling scintillating varietals while enjoying the natural beauty of the grape-bearing terrain is a truly worthwhile way to appreciate the San Luis Obispo/Central Coast lifestyle. Once considered a niche activity for connoisseurs, tasting rooms now cater to large parties for extravagant occasions. A growing trend that we’re going to highlight today is the business retreat wine tasting—all inclusive style!
It sounds pretty straight forward, but there are a lot of moving parts to an-all inclusive wine tour—that’s why we laid them out to you step-by-step for your convenience:
Find your qualified transportation provider
This organization will also act as your liaison to the wineries and your party planner. We recommend SLO Safe Ride or Obsidian Luxury Services, but that’s hardly surprising!
Coordinate your logistics
With a moderate or large sized group, you will need to have one or two set pick up points at the beginning of the day. This is usually a hotel if you are visiting for your corporate tour, or perhaps your office if you are local. Make sure you book an appropriate Charter Bus or Limousine for your group, and make sure each stop is clearly delineated. The booking staff can help you with the timing, but you should likely decide on the pick-up and drop off locations and each venue for your wine tour.
Choose your wineries
Once more, this is a decision that can be passed off to the professionals, but we recommend figuring out the taste preferences of your group at a minimum. There are high quality vintages and unique architecture at some of our favorite wineries including Tooth and Nail, Sculpterra, Eos, Opolo, Niner, and Cass.
Let’s Talk Lunch
With a large group, it is imperative to keep everyone well fed to prevent members of your group from getting hangry or sleepy. There are many different ways to please the masses during an all-inclusive tour. We recommend working with your provider to have a catered lunch delivered from one of our favorites—Red Scooter Deli, Old San Luis BBQ, or SLO Provisions are all great options!
Additional amenities
It’s important to remember that you’re going to be hanging out with co-workers, and you want this to be the best work outing ever. Here are some things you can do to spice it up while keeping it appropriate:
–Games on board the bus and at the wineries: Trivia, Bocce Ball—heck, Sculpterra even has a gaming section of their tasting room!
–Make your custom playlist: Tunes are crucial for the mood during a wine tour experience. Don’t leave it to chance!
–Snacks and other goodies on board: bring your own, or coordinate with our staff for a champagne and snacks package to be put on the vehicle!
—Visit Hearst Castle before your tour! We highly recommend this option if most of your group has not experienced the splendor of William Randolph Hearst’s imagination.
Conclusion
When visiting Paso Robles for an all-inclusive corporate wine tour, the planning is extremely important. Specifically, you do not want to have any of your team consume alcohol and drive, so working with professional transportation is key. Please contact our booking staff at Info@SLOsafeRide.com, or give our office a call at (805) 620-SAFE to book by phone.
Cheers!
