Vote for your favorite wine tour company!
USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Whether you’re tasting your way through the famed California wine country, sipping wine in the mountains of North Carolina, or exploring wineries of the Pacific Northwest, enhance your wine tasting experience by leaving the driving to someone else.
These 20 tour operators offer wine-centric tours, complete with transportation, knowledgeable guides, and other extras. Which one offers your favorite experience? Cast your vote daily until Monday, July 22 at noon ET. The winners will be announced on Wednesday, July 31.
Read the official Readers' Choice rules.
Whether you’re tasting your way through the famed California wine country, sipping wine in the mountains of North Carolina, or exploring wineries of the Pacific Northwest, enhance your wine tasting experience by leaving the driving to someone else.
These 20 tour operators offer wine-centric tours, complete with transportation, knowledgeable guides, and other extras. Which one offers your favorite experience? Cast your vote daily until Monday, July 22 at noon ET. The winners will be announced on Wednesday, July 31.
Read the official Readers' Choice rules.
Whether you’re tasting your way through the famed California wine country, sipping wine in the mountains of North Carolina, or exploring wineries of the Pacific Northwest, enhance your wine tasting experience by leaving... Read More
Best Wine Tour Company Nominees
Asheville Wine Tours
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville has long been famed for its scenic beauty, but it's also become a favorite amongst oenophiles for its surrounding wineries, vineyards, and urban tasting rooms. Operated by premier local transport service, Van in Black, Asheville Wine Tours lets you climb into a luxury SUV or Euro-style van and head out to some of the top local vineyards and wineries. They provide door-to-door service, the staff is comprised of certified wine experts, and all tours are customized.
Photo courtesy of Jack Cranley
Backcountry Wine Tours
Portland, Oregon
With stops at boutique wineries and the promise of a well-rounded full day of three visits plus lunch, guests are encouraged to sit back and relax on a Backcountry Wine Tour. The company offers door-to-door service, with an expert guide picking you up at your location and moving at a pace that suits you.
Photo courtesy of Stefan Czarnecki
Black Tie Tours
Newberg, Oregon
Black Tie Tours provides exclusive wine tours through Willamette Valley wine country in Oregon. Their concierge experience offers a guided tour led by a well-educated guide and chauffeur to several area wineries, handpicked by Black Tie as their favorites or tailored to your wine preferences.
Photo courtesy of Blue Ridge Wine Tours
Blue Ridge Wine Tours
Asheville, North Carolina
Set in the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains, guests on these all-inclusive tours have the opportunity to explore the vineyards of the Crest of the Blue Ridge in North Carolina. With several options including walking, driving, and customized tours, the proprietors share their love of the region with visitors through the experience of wine.
Cork and Keg Tours
Loudoun County, Virginia
Cork and Keg Tours personalizes every aspect of each tour to match guests' preferences. Their tour concierge team takes guests (including extra-large parties) on a 6-hour journey to two to three different venues in a luxurious Mercedes Sprinter outfitted with two HDTVs and karaoke. They also plan full multi-day itineraries for their guests, including lodging, dining, and other activities in Virginia wine country.
Photo courtesy of Brandy Garcia
Cottonwood Wine Tours
San Antonio, Texas
Cottonwood Wine Tours, headquartered in San Antonio, provides group excursions to Texas Hill Country wineries and vineyards. A wide variety of tour options are available, lasting 4 to 8 hours in length, with visits to several wineries. All tours include snacks, tasting fees, and a knowledgeable tour guide.
Photo courtesy of Laura Winter Falk, E!FLX Owner & Founder
Experience! The Finger Lakes
Ithaca, New York
Experience! The Finger Lakes has been leading wine tours through the Finger Lakes region of New York for more than a decade. Guests enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at a winery, as well as curated tasting experiences not typically available to the general public. Choose between a number of tours themed around interests, such as natural wine, or focused on regions, like Seneca Lake.
Photo courtesy of AleksandarNakic / E+
Napa Valley Wine Country Tours
Napa, California
Napa Valley is world-famous for its wine, and this exclusive limousine company offers some of the region's top tours. You can opt for a private tour of Napa or Sonoma counties' top wineries, with curated tours in a limo that can even include extras like hot air ballooning or massages after your tasting sessions. For the more budget-conscious, there are also join-in group tours of three premium Napa wineries that occur daily.
Napa Valley Wine Train
Napa, California
All aboard for a unique tour of wine country on the Napa Valley Wine Train. Restored Pullman train cars ferry guests to tastings along the rails — paired with a gourmet meal. The train's route covers 36 miles from downtown Napa to St. Helena and back, with a number of different experiences available for booking.
Photo courtesy of Shawn Walker
North Bay Wine Tours
Napa and Sonoma, California
North Bay Wine Tours provides private tours for up to four guests, allowing them to explore Sonoma and Napa counties in comfort and style. Excursions include three wineries chosen by North Bay or from the guests’ itineraries, and the experience lasts up to 8 hours. Alternatively, guests can opt for walking tours of Petaluma and Sonoma.
Perata Luxury Tours
Napa, California
Perata Luxury Tours specializes in personalized wine tours in Napa and Sonoma. Guests enjoy access to small production and boutique wineries that might otherwise be difficult to find, as well as the comfort of being chauffeured in a 2024 Mercedes Sprinter van.
Photo courtesy of Angela Reilly of The Cottage Vineyards & Winery
Pop The Cork Wine Tours
Atlanta, Georgia
Each tour with this Atlanta wine tour company includes tasting fees, a gourmet lunch, chauffeured transportation in a transit van or Mercedes Sprinter van, and a full day of wine tasting fun. Chuck and La Tanya, the husband-and-wife team behind Pop The Cork Wine Tours, had more than a decade of experience leading tasting tours in California before they relocated to Georgia to seek out local wineries.
Photo courtesy of Charday Penn // Getty Images
Pure Luxury Transportation
Napa and Sonoma, California
Pure Luxury Transportation offers a variety of tours around Napa and Sonoma. Guests can create their own itineraries or choose a pre-designed excursion. Some of the options include taking a day in the country, enjoying a seven-course wine and food pairing, or visiting family-owned wineries.
Photo courtesy of 10:31 Photography
Snake River Wine Tours
Boise, Idaho
Located less than an hour from Boise, explore the Sunnyslope Wine Trail, known as “The Heart of Idaho Wine Country,” with Snake River Wine Tours. Excursions include visits to up to four area wineries with award-winning wines and unique tasting experiences. Snake River’s special relationships with the local wineries ensure that guests enjoy a "one-of-a-kind” wine tour experience.
SoCal Wine Tours
Temecula, California
SoCal Wine Tours offers a bevy of experiences in and around Temecula. There's a daily tour that includes three wineries with tastings plus lunch, night and late afternoon tours on the weekends, and tours of the esteemed wineries set along Rancho California Road. Temecula Valley is an in-demand wine tasting destination these days, with over 40 wineries to choose from, so those wanting to experience Southern California's best will want to put this on their bucket list.
Photo courtesy of SeventyFour / iStock Via Getty Images Plus
Temecula Wine Trolley Wine Tours
Temecula, California
Offering a unique twist on the Temecula Valley wine scene, this tour company features daily tours to three top wineries all visited via the city's only luxury trolley dedicated to wine tours. You'll start out exploring Temecula's historic Old Town, and then enjoy five to six tastings at some of the regions' top spots. Temecula Wine Trolley Wine Tours can take up to 20 passengers, so you can join a group or even opt for a private tour.
Toast Tours
Paso Robles, California
Toast Tours will get you off the beaten path and behind the scenes in California's Paso Robles wine country. The owners of the company have sommelier training and worked as wine guides in Napa, Sonoma, and even Barcelona, Spain, and they offer custom-tailored private tours of the area's top wineries. Toast also gets creative and has tours that take in far more than just the vineyards. For example, they offer a Tin City walking tour, exploring an area that has become home to innovative winemakers.
Uncorked Wine Tours
Paso Robles, California
Uncorked Wine Tours takes visitors on tasting experiences in Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo. These custom tours offer a more personalized experience, which might include a vineyard tour, wine and cheese pairing, cave tour, or a picnic lunch — it's up to you! Guests can also opt for their Zip'n & Sippin tour, which pairs zip lining over vineyards with wine tasting.
Photo courtesy of Windsor Wine Tours LLC
Windsor Wine Tours
Healdsburg, Napa, and Sonoma, California
Windsor Wine Tours curates private luxury wine tours in the Napa and Sonoma areas, ensuring guests enjoy the best boutique family-owned winery experiences. Travel in sleek and comfortable SUVs or luxury vans, visiting locations noted for particular types of wine, such as the pinot noirs of the Russian River or zinfandels in Dry Creek Valley.
Photo courtesy of Lisa Gilbertson
Wine de Roads
Newberg, Oregon
Wine de Roads takes advantage of access to some of the state's most impressive American Viticultural Areas to also show off the beautiful views and rich natural environment of Oregon. Guests are immersed in the experience on bicycle, making this a unique way to tour wine country.
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Dena Roché
Dena Roché is a wine and travel journalist and... Read More
Dena Roché is a wine and travel journalist and sommelier. She is a member of the prestigious Circle of Wine Writers and was a 2024 fellow to the Wine Writers' Symposium. She is the owner of Vin Roché, a company focused on wine education and wine tours in Phoenix.
Dena Roché
Dena Roché is a wine and travel journalist and sommelier. She is a member of the prestigious Circle of Wine Writers and was a 2024 fellow to the Wine Writers' Symposium. She is the owner of Vin Roché, a company focused on wine education and wine tours in Phoenix.
Jenny Peters
Jenny Peters – aka Jet Set Jen – is a Los... Read More
Jenny Peters – aka Jet Set Jen – is a Los Angeles-based freelance journalist, editor and party columnist specializing in travel, entertainment, film, food, wine, fashion and the other good things in life. She is a founding/voting member of the Critics Choice Association, who present the Critics’ Choice Awards every January. Her favorite places to be are on the beach in Southern California playing volleyball, scuba diving with the sharks in warm tropical waters or strolling the streets and soaking in the atmosphere of one of the world's great cities (New Orleans and Florence are her favorites).
Jenny Peters
Jenny Peters – aka Jet Set Jen – is a Los Angeles-based freelance journalist, editor and party columnist specializing in travel, entertainment, film, food, wine, fashion and the other good things in life. She is a founding/voting member of the Critics Choice Association, who present the Critics’ Choice Awards every January. Her favorite places to be are on the beach in Southern California playing volleyball, scuba diving with the sharks in warm tropical waters or strolling the streets and soaking in the atmosphere of one of the world's great cities (New Orleans and Florence are her favorites).
Joanne and Tony DiBona
Travel memories may fade over time, but... Read More
Travel memories may fade over time, but photographs recall those magical moments.
Joanne and Tony DiBona
Travel memories may fade over time, but photographs recall those magical moments.
Lynn and Cele Seldon
Lynn and Cele Seldon make up the team that is... Read More
Lynn and Cele Seldon make up the team that is Seldon Ink and have spent more than 25 years covering all aspects of culinary and travel writing. With a keen focus on the Southeast and a particular love of the Carolinas, they have written dozens of magazine and newspaper articles about the area and have become self-professed experts along the way. Their work has appeared in Southern Living, Taste of the South, The Local Palate, Cruise Travel, South Carolina Living, South Carolina Magazine, TrailBlazer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Charlotte Observer, various in-flight publications and many AAA magazines. They are also the authors of 100 Things To Do In Charleston Before You Die from Reedy Press. Follow along on their adventures at www.seldonink.com or @seldonink.
Lynn and Cele Seldon
Lynn and Cele Seldon make up the team that is Seldon Ink and have spent more than 25 years covering all aspects of culinary and travel writing. With a keen focus on the Southeast and a particular love of the Carolinas, they have written dozens of magazine and newspaper articles about the area and have become self-professed experts along the way. Their work has appeared in Southern Living, Taste of the South, The Local Palate, Cruise Travel, South Carolina Living, South Carolina Magazine, TrailBlazer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Charlotte Observer, various in-flight publications and many AAA magazines. They are also the authors of 100 Things To Do In Charleston Before You Die from Reedy Press. Follow along on their adventures at www.seldonink.com or @seldonink.
Sarah May Grunwald
Sarah May Grunwald is a wine, food, and travel... Read More
Sarah May Grunwald is a wine, food, and travel writer originally from California She is a certified sommelier and former professor of wine. She gardens and keeps bees in the Roman countryside and has seven rescue dogs and three cats. She leads wine and food tours in Rome and the country of Georgia. She co-owns a Tbilisi food and wine tour company called Taste Georgia. Sign up for her Substack newsletter Contadina, and find her on Instagram at @sarahmaygrunwald and @tastegeorgia.
Sarah May Grunwald
Sarah May Grunwald is a wine, food, and travel writer originally from California She is a certified sommelier and former professor of wine. She gardens and keeps bees in the Roman countryside and has seven rescue dogs and three cats. She leads wine and food tours in Rome and the country of Georgia. She co-owns a Tbilisi food and wine tour company called Taste Georgia. Sign up for her Substack newsletter Contadina, and find her on Instagram at @sarahmaygrunwald and @tastegeorgia.
Tamara Gane
Tamara Gane is an expert panel member for 10Best... Read More
Tamara Gane is an expert panel member for 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. She's based in Reno/Lake Tahoe and in addition to USA Today 10Best, her work has been published in Travel & Leisure, Fodor's Travel, The Washington Post, SF Gate, Houston Chronicle, Lonely Planet, and more.
Tamara Gane
Tamara Gane is an expert panel member for 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. She's based in Reno/Lake Tahoe and in addition to USA Today 10Best, her work has been published in Travel & Leisure, Fodor's Travel, The Washington Post, SF Gate, Houston Chronicle, Lonely Planet, and more.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original,... Read More
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.