Virginia Wineries Guided Tour & Tastings from Washington DC
5
Virginia Wineries Guided Tour & Tastings from Washington DC
By Spirited Tours
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About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 21-110, max of 50 per group
Duration: 6–7 hours
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
- Snacks
- All Fees and Taxes
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Bottled water
- Alcoholic Beverages
- Entry/Admission - Blue Valley Vineyard and Winery
- Entry/Admission - Philip Carter Winery
- Start:Traveller pickup offered.Pickup details
- Pick-up is from Hilton The Wharf (480 L’Enfant Plaza). For additional info visit our website. We will consider special accommodations upon request.
Hotel pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 133082P1- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not recommended for pregnant travellers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travellers can participate
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 133082P1
From
C$327.06
per adult
Select date and travellers
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- kimberlyeddings0 contributionsA great timeThanks to Angela for ensuring we had a great time!!! Very informative AND fun! Wineries were well chosen/curated, and the transportation was comfortable and elegant.Written November 11, 2023
- KevinKardel0 contributions40th Birthday Party with Spirited ToursWe had an incredible time for my wife's 40th birthday with Spirited Tours! She especially loved Gray Ghost Vineyards! Highly recommend Spirited ToursWritten June 1, 2023
- Migdarelis C0 contributionsExquisiteNicole was our guide. She is very knowledgeable, and very professional. The wineries we were taken were excellent and different to what I have been to, that made the experience even better. We were provided with a goodie bag with some snacks We departed on time and return as described as well.Written May 13, 2023
- K5237SUdaveb0 contributionsSpirited Wine TourAngela did a fantastic job of providing the history of Virginia wines. Gray Ghost wine tour was a fantastic experience.Written October 29, 2022
- John S0 contributionsWorth every pennyToma and Domika were excellent hosts. I predict this tour will sell out every weekend and they will end up with a bigger bus. Good snacks. Nice wine selections. 3 really tasty vineyards rach with a different ambiance. I took my adult son because he was in town while the wife was away on work....ready to go again as a couples fun day outing.Written September 9, 2019
- scout9870 contributionsGreat for birthday fun!We went on a private wine tour of three Virginia wineries for a friend's birthday and had a great time! Our host, Doni, was fantastic and incredibly accommodating. We had wonderful wines at each location, including a really fun wine tasting. Highly recommend this for a great day!Written June 18, 2019
- Andrea T0 contributionsSo much fun!Doni was amazing! I had a ton of questions before booking the trip and Doni called me and patiently answered them all. Once we booked, she set up the day for us, planning trips to visit three vineyards in the Loudon County area. The pick up locations were so convenient! She was running a few minutes late to come get us and called me to tell me which I so appreciated because she could have not called us at all. Paying was very easy, as you can pay the day of. My friends and I, a group of 9, chose a private tour and we were each provided with a bag of snacks and waters. It was such a nice touch! All the vineyards we visited were so cool and different! The one thing I would change during our next trip is visiting two vineyards instead of three. Because our group was so large, it took longer to get settled/do a tasting so by the time we were just feeling settled, it was time to go to the next vineyard already. So if you're in a larger group, I'd suggest only doing two vineyards. But for a couple, I think 3 vineyards would be perfect!Written June 3, 2019
- Excursion467600 contributionsGreat Mother's Day Celebration!What a wonderful way to celebrate mother's day! Starting with the ease of online booking to the responsive customer service and nice selection of wineries - booking with Spirited-Tours was a great choice. I especially liked the option to be picked up at various DC locations -- this is different from the other Virginia wine tour operators. Our guide, Doni, was very personable and attentive, making the overall trip even more enjoyable. I will definitely book them again and recommend to all my wine-loving friends!Written May 13, 2019
- raulg25660 contributionsbest dayWhat a wonderful day we had. The wineries we visited were great. Doni treated us like we were driving with a family member. A must do adventure.Written April 16, 2019
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
5.0
17 reviews
Excellent
15
Very good
1
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Vanessa N
1 contribution
Sept 2023 • Friends
Overall, this tour was alright. Gray Ghost winery was awesome and we got lucky enough to have a member of the family who owns the winery available to give us a tour and do our tasting. We then went to Narmada winery which was fine, but sort of fell flat after the first amazing experience - the wine was decent, but instead of an actual tasting we purchased 4 bottles and split these among the entire group. The tour group called me earlier in the week and told me that we were such a large group, that we would not have to have any other groups with us. Unfortunately the day of, we left 40 minutes late because there was another group with us and they were late. So we sat on the bus patiently awaiting their arrival for 40 minutes. I would have thought since we had a time limit for the day, we would honor a grace period for late comers so we were not rushed the rest of the day. The snacks we were provided included stale oyster crackers, stale chips, and I didn’t bother trying anything else. With this price, it’s sort of shocking that there is no real food included. We were told we would be driving an hour away, and two hours later we arrived. It was not due to DC traffic, either. When we pointed out this was going to be a two hour drive, Angela insisted that was incorrect and it was an hour and five minutes - despite holding up my Google maps and pointing out this was not the case. If the ride is really going to be that long, it would’ve been nice to at least have some commentary on the scenery we were passing and/or some wine history instead of the silence (no radio). I’m not sure our driver had ever driven this bus before, but if this was not her first time then I’m even less impressed. Stop go, stop go, for two hours isn’t cute. One of my favorite moments was when we pulled out of the first winery and cut someone off at 50 mph. I’m not really sure what the purpose of our “guides” were except to ask us to write a review every 15 minutes in exchange for a reusable grocery bag, because I didn’t receive much knowledge from Angela. We had Will as our guide as well, and he was very knowledgeable and seemed to read the room well. Will being good at talking but not being overbearing, and Gray Ghost are the reasons I will give this tour 3 stars instead of 1.
Written September 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Vanessa! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your feedback and impressions. We are truly sorry to learn that the tour did not meet your expectations. And while we find a lot of inaccuracies in your review, we are just sad that you did not enjoy your tour as much as we always hope our guests will. We always strive for excellence in all our winery tours. So, I'll take some time to address your concerns and hopefully you'll join us again in the future, having a better understanding of your concerns and our approach.
1. Informative Tour features: You state in your review that you were "lucky enough" to get a tour and tasting led by a member of the family that owns Gray Ghost winery. This is not luck, but an essential feature we built in the Informative tour, which you chose after our conversation. The Informative Tour includes 1. Informative Stop, where you get a tour of the facility and the cellar and informative tasting, led by a member of the family, in order to learn about wine tasting and the different wines and 2. a Relaxed Stop, where you receive a flight of wine and can order and enjoy your lunch as well as connect with the members of your group. This is not supposed to be a grilling wine education tour, but a fun experience overall. It's a cohesive experience where you get to learn about wine and also get to enjoy your lunch and the company of your friends. While we provide information, we also don't want to overwhelm our guests and want to leave them with time to connect and have fun. That is especially true in your case as you were all celebrating a bachelorette. At Gray Ghost Vineyard, our guests receive a tasting (small pours of 7-12 wines), while learning about the different wines, while at Narmada our guests receive a flight (larger pours of 3-4 wines), so that guests can relax and enjoy lunch and connect with the members of the group. This is exactly what happened on your tour as well and our tour guides explained the entire tour and rationale before and during the tour. Our helpful partner staff presented the wines and then our knowledgeable guides - Angela and Will poured the wines for you. Will got to seat in your group and personally share more about his experience and insights, while Angela sat with the other group, which is why maybe you feel that Will was more knowledgeable.
2. Wine Knowledge and Expertise: We are the only wine tour company in the area that actually has licensed wine experts leading the journey into Virginia’s wine country and in your case, you even had two wine experts on the tour – Angela and Will. Angela shared with you information about the tour, Virginia’s wineries and the specific wineries you’d be visiting and she asked you if you wanted to know more, to let her know. No one said anything and asked no questions, so she assumed, that the bachelorette party wanted to talk amongst themselves and enjoy each other’s company on the drive there. On the drive back, the tour guides talked to the people who had interest and the rest took a nap, which is common on most drive backs from the wineries. We cater to the needs and desires of our guests. If they request music, we provide it. If they want to learn more, our knowledgeable experts are more than willing to share their insights. If no one in your group speaks up and says anything, we unfortunately, can’t respond to something we don’t know. Our tour guides don’t want to overwhelm the crowd and talk too much, so they try to respond to the level of interest from the group.
3. Delays: Your tour left D.C. at 10:15am (just 10 minutes after it was supposed to leave 10:05am), because we extended the same courtesy, which I'm sure you'd expect as well, to a guest who was running late. While we ask all of our guests to arrive at least 10 minutes early – around 9:50am (in case guests need to use the facilities or get a coffee prior to the trip), the tour is not slated to depart until 10:05am. Thus, I’m sorry that you ended waiting 30 minutes in total prior to departure, but that is simply to ensure there’s enough time for guests to use the facilities and everyone to gather. Still, the tour guides adjusted the times at the wineries accordingly to ensure that you have extra time at the wineries and your tour returned to D.C. at 5pm, rather than the time tours usually return – which is 4:30pm.
4. Travel time: You arrived at Gray Ghost at 11:47am – just 17 minutes delay from the time we were expected there at 11:30am. You chose the informative route and we shared information about the wineries we’d be visiting well in advance, and if you had any concerns, you should have mentioned them at that time, rather than on the bus while on route to the first winery. You mentioned in your review that you confronted with the tour guides that it would take 2 hours to arrive at the first winery. We track the vehicles and transactions and we had two tour guides on your tour, who all verified that you reached the first winery at 11:47am. Furthermore, as anyone can see, GPS shows that the time between Convention Center in DC and Gray Ghost Vineyard is about 1 hour and 25 minutes. We always take the shortest routes and our transportation uses the toll lanes. On Saturday, the drive took 1 hour and 30 minutes, which is what we budget and which is what the tour guides told everyone prior to departing. (Angela was correct when she gave you the time to arrival.) Further, we choose wineries that are close to each other so that we can minimize the time you spend in the car and once you’re out in Virginia wine country, you spend more time enjoying the scenery and the wine, rather than driving between wineries.
5. Private vs. Public Group: When we spoke earlier that week prior to the tour, we told you that you that you were such a large group in the group tour that you could choose the route, not that you would be the only ones on the tour. You booked a group winery tour, which means there may be other guests on the tour and guests sometimes book last minute, which is ok by us. You did not book a private tour, which would ensure it’s just your group. If you wanted to be the only ones on the tour, we advise you to book a private tour next time.
6. Price: We provided snacks on the tour, which is a lot more than the other wine tour companies provide at that price. You booked directly through our website a group tour, which at the time costed you $155/person – to include transportation, wine expert, snacks, and tastings, a lot more than other wine tour companies provide. We offer the lowest prices in the industry. For that price, you can only book transportation from other wine tour companies – no expertise, no snacks, no tastings.
6. Snacks: You state the chips were stale. We didn’t provide you with chips. We provided PopCorners, which are not fried and we believe are a healthier alternative to chips. Granted, they are different than chips, but they are crunchy, delicious and are definitely not stale (the expiration date on the package was March 2024).
7. Drivers: We work with professional drivers and executive transportation. However, we cannot control other drivers on the road. So, if we are driving in traffic – there will be lots of stop and go motion, or if we are on the highway, and someone suddenly breaks, the drivers have to respond accordingly to avoid collision. Same, they make calculated decisions as appropriate. If you were uncomfortable, you should have said something to the tour guide, who is there to ensure your maximum comfort and work with the driver to adjust the temperature, music, and drive to your liking. Unfortunately, they are not trained in reading minds and cannot respond accordingly.
If there is anything else that concerned you that we have not addressed, please don't hesitate to reach out and give us a call to discuss. We always hope to provide excellent customer service and a fun and delicious experience. Hope you'll join us on another winery tour soon and thank you again for your thoughts and feedback.
Cheers,
Doni
Written October 7, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Brittney J
1 contribution
We had a great time! From beginning to end, the service and experience was top notch! Doni kept us well informed all the way up until our tour and Beth was an excellent tour guide! They made sure we were well taken care of. While we couldn’t ask for a better winery tour, Beth made sure to ask the group how they could improve the experience for others in the future. That says a lot about Beth and the Spirited Tours business. Thanks for such a great experience!!
Written August 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marisol B
1 contribution
My husband and I are local to the area but had never visited the two wineries. Well, they were great and the tour guide Angela was very pleasant and accommodating. She even threw in an impromptu apple orchard, for apple cider, on the way to the second winery. We had a great time, especially talking and sharing with the other visitors.
Written October 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your kind words Marisol!!! We greatly appreciate it and are so glad you and your husband had a lovely time in Virginia wine country and enjoyed Angela's surprise stop at the apple orchard :) We hope you enjoyed the wine and views at both wineries and hope you'll join us again as we have different routes! Cheers and Happy Holidays!
Written November 17, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Cheryl M
Elkridge, MD4 contributions
Aug 2023 • Friends
Beth was an amazing Host!!! Gray ghost vineyards has amazing wines and the tour was great!! Buy all of the he bottles!!! You won't regret it. I wish we had longer at the vineyards. Normada was great. Indian food was so good but smal portions so order extra. Would 100% go again.
Written August 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yuka N
1 contribution
Oct 2023 • Couples
It was great wine experience! I could taste many varieties of wine.
Our tour guide, Will make our tour more special. His knowledge of wine and hospitality was fantastic.Thank you very much. I will join the tour again.
Our tour guide, Will make our tour more special. His knowledge of wine and hospitality was fantastic.Thank you very much. I will join the tour again.
Written October 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you soooo much for taking the time and your feedback Yuka!!! We're so glad you had a wonderful experience and enjoyed your winery tour in Virginia wine country! We look forward to seeing you soon on another one of our winery tours or at a wine tasting event! Cheers!
Written October 18, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mariette
1 contribution
Nov 2019
For my 21st Bday, I decided I wanted to celebrate with a group of friends visiting different vineyards. We can all agree it was the BEST EXPERIENCE! We had a day filled with fantastic wines, views, and great people. Doni, our guide, was the sweetest! She was filled with excitement and was upbeat, she also took great pictures of us, It was like having our personal photographer!! The wineries were really nice, especially Aspen Dale Winery! This winery also had delicious AppleInsider donuts. I speak for my self and my friends when I say that I highly recommend everyone goes through this one of a kind experience. Thank you for making my 21st bday so memorable!
Written November 27, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
E's Traverls
Washington DC, DC2 contributions
Dec 2023 • Family
The small group setting allowed for personalized attention and fostered meaningful interactions among participants. This tour offered a perfect blend of educational insights and memorable experiences, with Will as our knowledgeable guide.
Written December 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Denver B
3 contributions
This was a great experience! Angela gave a great orientation before the vineyard and took great pics during… 10/10 would recommend!
Written November 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you soooo much for your kind words! Your support means the world to us! We are so glad you had a wonderful time enjoying Virginia's wine country! We look forward to hosting you soon again as we have different routes! Cheers and wishing you Happy Holidays!
Written November 17, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Aly Al M
New York City, NY61 contributions
Aug 2023 • Friends
I went for a bachelorette party. Angie did a great job! I would highly recommend. We hit two wineries that had different flavors - Portuguese and Greek.
Written August 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vee O
1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Friends
Nicole is Awesome, Great Experience!! The tour was amazing, vineyards were beautiful. Everyone was very knowledgeable with great hospitality!!
Written July 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you soooo much for your kind words! So glad you had a fantastic experience and hope you’ll be back soon on another one of our winery routes. Cheers!!!
Written July 23, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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