Private Wine Tours for Birthdays, Anniversaries and Company Outings

Some of my favorite tours are private ones. A 40th birthday crew in matching colors. A couple celebrating an anniversary who wanted a quiet table at every stop. A team that finally got a day off together. A private tour is the same afternoon our guests love, with the van, the driver-guide and the plan built just for your group.

Here's exactly how it works, what it costs and how to make it feel special.

What's included

• Your own driver-guide and a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter for up to 11 guests
• Pickup and drop-off at your lodging inside Fredericksburg city limits, or meet us at 709 West Main Street
• Three wineries you choose from our list, or let us choose for you. We reserve every stop.
• Cold water, snacks and a cooler for your bottles
• Usually 1 to 5 PM, with extra time at $175 an hour

How the day actually runs

Before your tour

Tell us about your group: what you're celebrating, what you like to drink and whether anyone would rather sip one glass than taste a full flight. Then we build the route and reserve each winery. Group rules are real here. Several estates ask groups of six or more to get approval ahead of time, and some won't seat big groups at the bar, so letting us book saves you a lot of emails.

Pickup around 1 PM

Your driver-guide pulls up at your rental or hotel, loads everyone into the Sprinter and you're off. If you'd like a longer, slower day, start at noon and add an extra hour for $175.

Three wineries

Each stop gets about an hour: a seated or guided tasting, time to wander the grounds and a few minutes to shop. Most drives between wineries are short hops along Highway 290. Our guides keep the day on schedule without ever rushing anyone.

Home by 5

We drop you at your door around 5 PM, bottles and all. Perfect timing for a shower and dinner.

Tastings: Tasting Pass or pay as you go

Tastings aren't included in the tour price, and that's on purpose, because not everyone in a group drinks the same way. You have two easy options:

• Tasting Pass, $89 per guest. Tastings at all three stops are reserved and prepaid, so they're ready when you sit down and nobody is splitting checks at the bar.
• Pay as you go. Order a glass, a bottle for the table or a tasting at each winery and pay the winery directly. Great if your group has a designated sipper or two.

Wine club members, bring your card. Many clubs include a complimentary tasting or glass at their own winery.

What a private tour costs per person

Private tours are priced per van, not per person, so the more friends you bring, the better the math. The van is $850 Sunday through Thursday, $1,095 on Fridays and Saturdays and $1,195 on peak holiday and festival weekends.

For comparison, a seat on our shared Classic tour is $99 Sunday through Thursday and $115 on Fridays and Saturdays. With nine or more guests Sunday through Thursday, or ten or more on a Friday or Saturday, private costs less per person than the Classic, and you get the van all to yourselves.

Prices are before tastings, sales tax, a small booking fee and gratuity. Gratuity is always appreciated and never automatic.

Private for Two

Just the two of you? Private for Two is the same private afternoon for a couple: your own driver-guide, three wineries you choose and every stop reserved. It's $595 Sunday through Thursday, bookable online, and $695 on Fridays and Saturdays by request. It's my favorite anniversary gift.

For a romantic day, I'd plan a seated tasting at Signor Vineyards, an Adirondack chair under the pecan trees at Kalasi Cellars and one more stop with a view. Tell us the occasion and we'll plan around it.

Birthdays, anniversaries and surprises

• Tell us what you're celebrating. A lively patio suits a birthday crew. A quiet seated tasting suits an anniversary.
• Keep the surprise. If the guest of honor doesn't know, tell us when you book and we'll keep it quiet.
• Bring the fun, keep it simple. Sashes and a birthday crown are cute in the van. A few wineries ask groups to skip costumes and party props, and we'll tell you which.
• Book dinner first. You'll be back around 5 PM. Cabernet Grill at Cotton Gin Village is our favorite special-occasion dinner, and Bottega Salaria on East Austin Street is perfect for a pasta night. Both fill up on weekends.

Company outings and team days

A private wine tour is one of the easiest team outings in the Hill Country. Nobody drives, everyone gets home safely, and the van ride between wineries does more for team bonding than any icebreaker.

• Group size: up to 11 guests in one Sprinter. Bigger team? Send us a note and we'll help you plan.
• Staying outside town? Private tours can start at a ranch or rental outside the city limits for a flat travel fee: $75 within 20 miles and $150 within 35 miles.
• Paying for it: One card can cover the van, and the Tasting Pass keeps tastings prepaid, so there's nothing to sort out at the bar. If your company needs an invoice or receipt, email [email protected] when you book.
• Need just a ride? For a dinner run, a wedding shuttle or a custom day, Transportation Only is a driver and Sprinter by the hour: $165 an hour Sunday through Thursday and $185 on Fridays and Saturdays, with a 5-hour minimum ($825 or $925). You plan the day and make your own reservations, and we're happy to help if you ask.

What to bring

• A photo ID for everyone (tastings are 21+)
• Comfortable shoes for gravel paths and lawns
• A light layer for cool tasting rooms
• Sunglasses and sunscreen for patio stops
• A card for bottles and anything you order at each winery

How to book

Private tours book online 7 or more days ahead. Inside 7 days, send us a request and we'll do our best to make it work. A 50% deposit holds your date, and the balance is charged to the card on file 5 days before your tour, after a reminder 7 days out. Tours booked within 14 days are paid in full at booking.

Questions? Text us at (830) 282-7886 or email [email protected]. We'd love to help you plan it.

Savannah

Quick answers