I get paid once a month from work...so as you can imagine, close to the last week, my funds get pretty low and I have to start getting creative and thinking smart to plan an inexpensive good time (who can budget for an entire month anyways?!?). The deals that I have found for tours and tastings over the years are detailed below and will help you plan a very winetastic weekend, without spending more than a week of lunch money on tours and tastings for your entire trip! Cheers to that!
1) The WineTastic Weekend Twitter and Facebook Pages - follow me on Facebook and Twitter for the latest discounts and deals. I typically post several a week ranging from deeply discounted wines to amazing experiences in wine country for a great price.
2) Tasting Pass Finder - this app (available for iPad, iPhone, and android) is amazing! Not only do they have tons of free and 2 for 1 deals, but it will filter the deals by their distance to your current location. This comes in handy when you are looking for that one last room to check out, or if you are trying to kill an hour or two before a booked appointment. It's important to call prior to heading to the tasting rooms, but many will take you that day! No smartphone or tablet? No problem! Their website with printer friendly coupons is econcierges.com. Some of my favorite deals from this app are for the following wineries: Etude Wines, Long Meadow Ranch, Simi Winery, and Landmark Vineyards.
3) DS Deals App - This new app shares incredible discounts at Napa wineries that you will rarely come across a deal for. The list is short right now, but powerful, with wineries such as: Cakebread Cellars, Corison Winery, Chappellet, Hall Wines, Duckhorn Vineyards, and Chateau Montelena to name a few. I'm sure that the list will keep growing once word of this new app spreads across the valley. The benefits range from 2 for 1 tasting fees to free tastings, plus discounts on your wine purchases.
4)Visa Signature - Cardholders receive all kinds of benefits ranging from free tastings, 2 for 1 tastings, discounted wine bottles and more at 60+ wineries in Sonoma. Alex and I went to Trione and enjoyed an entire flight of tastings and a 10% discount on our bottle purchases! This link provides a detailed guide of all winery benefits, if they are requiring an appointment, and the contact information for each winery. Some of my personal favorites are: Stephen & Walker, Trione Vineyards &Winery, and Foppiano Vineyards.
5) Lexus Driver Benefits - now this one doesn't apply to everyone, but it is a special treat to anyone who owns or leases a Lexus. There are amazing benefits offered at over 20 wineries in Napa. Alex found this when registering our new car for online automatic payment. We have enjoyed great experiences ranging from barrel tasting, private tours, and special bottle pricing for FREE at Hall Rutherford, Tres Sabores, and Merryvale to name a few...another great thing about this benefit - Lexus has its own concierge service that books the appointments directly with the winery, then calls you to confirm your appointments. After visiting all 3 of the wineries, we have told everyone we know about the incredible chandelier at Hall Rutherford (and delicious Jack's Masterpiece Cabernet Sauvignon), purchased 4 bottles of wine at Tres Sabores, and joined the Merryvale wine club. The wineries that offer Lexus benefits are top notch, and we are so glad to have found it!
6) LivingSocial, Groupon, Gilt City and Travelzoo, or any daily deal site with San Francisco/Napa/Sonoma discounts - I've found some great tours, tastings, and sometimes even a free bottle of wine by checking them out as frequently as possible. Most of these deals you have to plan for in advance, but it is usually a great way to experience a more expensive tasting at a very reasonable price! Also, these are great places to find dining and lodging deals, or vacation packages that include tastings, dinner, and a hotel. Earlier this year we found a deal on Travelzoo for a night's stay at the Vintner's Inn, $100 dinner credit at John Ash, breakfast, and wine tasting passes at two wineries for $199. It was an amazing date night for less than half of what we would have paid if we booked everything on our own.
Now plan your next weekend in wine country, so that you can take advantage of these deals too!
Great for poor people like me!
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