Costs of wine purchases and tasting fees not included.

• Pickup Time recommended no later than 11:00 am
  leave last winery around 5:00 - 5:15 pm
• standard policies apply for deposit, cancellation, etc.,
  see our "Prices" page for more details

   With this package, we arrange a reservation for dinner for your group at a restaurant that will honor the "Corkage Fee" for wine. This enables your group to bring some bottles of wine you purchased along the way into the restaurant to enjoy with you meal. A Corkage Fee is imposed by the restaurant, normally $5:00 - $15.00 per bottle, but this amounts to less than the standard markup for wines at these restaurants.
   There are expected protocols and decorum that need to be observed with this practice, but we'll help you with this.

Costs of wine purchases, dinner, corkage fees, and tasting fees not included.

Virginia Wine Tour VIP/All Inclusive Package (groups of 6 or more): is priced from $85.00 per person (there is a minimum headcount of 6, prices for 6-7 are $95.00 per person), and includes all the features of the basic package, plus:

• all tasting fees included
  
• lunch planned and served for the entire group
• a behind the scenes tour of a winery IF AVAILABLE. Note this is not a refundable cost item, it's provided as a courtesy IF the winery can accomodate our group for a tour. We often will not know this until our arrival.
• a "How to Taste Wine" class
• and much more.

Virginia Wine Tour & Spa Day (Women Only, groups of 6 or more) is priced from $145.00 per person, prices for 6-7 are $155.00 per person, 8-12 is $145.00 per person, and includes all the features of the basic package, plus:

• Service(s) from Day Spa
  Choose from many included services such as massages, facials, etc.
• Lunch for the entire group
• Tour 2-3 wineries
• ...and much more.
  

    FAQ's

Are we allowed to bring/drink alcohol in the vehicle?
No. Only wine that you purchase at wineries along the tour may be brought into the vehicle. You may also drink wine that you purchase on the tour on the vehicle. Wine purchased at one winery may not be taken off the vehicle and drank at another winery.  Failure to observe these rules could cause the tour to be terminated, or the individual(s) removed from the vehicle.  There may be other repercussions from the winery/law enforcement/ABC for this behavior, such as removal from the premises, arrest, fines, etc. 

Do we pick the wineries, or do you?
We'll provide as much/little assistance in this aspect as is needed/wanted. We're perfectly capable of recommending the entire itinerary, working with you to come up with the route, or letting you decide. Either way, we'll include any suggesitons we have, and inform you of any specials we're aware of, etc.

Which wineries can be included on the tour?
There are, as of 01/2008, 38 wineries in the "Northern Virginia" Winery Region, most of which are accessible from the Washington DC area via a tour that starts somewhere in the Wash., DC area. We've been to, and are friends with, nearly all of the Northern Virginia wineries, and can offer our real-time experiences with these wineries to you as you plan your tour. We'll work out any specifics with regard to this during the planning phase.

Are we on a time schedule?
Yes. Most of the wineries give us a "window" when we should try and be there. If we're taking longer, or are early, we'll communicate that to the wineries for you as we go. Since wineries generally require advance notice, it's expected courtesy to communicate such things to them, and we'll take care of this as needed.

Will there be places we can stop at for lunch, etc.?
To be sure, we could stop at several different places, a lot of wineries have nice facilities to enjoy lunch, and we're totally aware of the best places for your particular need.  We recommend this as opposed to stopping at a restaurant, so that we can remain focused on the tour.  

Is weather a determining factor?
Certainly, we would prefer a nice, sunny day, but the wineries are able to deal with inclement weather, so, while we won't be able to enjoy the outdoors in the event of inclement weather, we will still be able to make the stops on the tour. Some wineries have very nice indoor facilities as well, so there's still fun to be had, and wines to taste! Only snow/ice are real deterrents to wine tours, so non-winter months are virtually a guarantee that the tour will be do-able.

How much does all this cost?
As we indicated earlier, seasonal discounts are available, and we'll do everything we can to accomodate your group with the discount rate as possible in the off-season (November - February). By the way, our prices for Winery Tours do not include gratuity for the driver, and as a courtesy to the drivers, we ask that you base your tip on the Regular Price, not the discount rate (they do the same amount of work, regardless of the price!). The regular price is $480.00. For tip amounts/percentages, the industry standard is considered to be 20%. There are several pages that refer to this (Google "tipping etiquette"). 

How much do wineries charge for tasting fees, and does Girls' Night Out get any discounts for these?
Wineries generally charge a tasting fee to groups, because they have to work a little harder to prepare for us. These can range from $2.00 - $10.00 per person, and must be paid up front. Wineries charge fees to cover the cost of the tasting, and all the other expenses of maintaining a winery & tasting room. If you get the pleasure of taking a tour of a winery while out on your tour, you'll come away with a fresh appreciation of all the effort that goes into each and every bottle of wine, and understand this more.  It's also expected that tasting fees will be paid in cash, up front, with ONE payment for the entire group. 

Does your company service "mixed" groups (guys AND girls)?
ABSOLUTELY! We encourage you to populate your group with whatever works the best, either mixed, or women only! Prices are the same regardless of whether your group is mixed or not.

Can we end the tour at a restaurant for dinner?
Absolutely! In addition, Girls' Night Out tours have agreements with several restaurants that allow wine purchased on the tour to be brought into their restaurant for you to enjoy with your dinner. This is accomplished by utilizing the "Corkage Fee" option that Virginia ABC Board allows restaurants to participate in. The restaurant will charge a "corkage fee" per bottle, typically $10.00 or so, to allow you to do this. There are some limitations, and we can make you aware of them if you decide to go this route. It's a great way to save a little money by not having to buy from the wine list at full price, especially after spending money buying wine all day!

Are winery tours "snooty", and not fun? We'd like to drink wine and have fun.
Excellent question! Winery tours are a lot of fun, and can be very educational as well. While there'll be drinking on this event, there's also an expected level of decorum we are required to adhere to. We'll help your group understand ahead of time exactly what's acceptable, etc. Common courtesy shown by your group is very much appreciated by the wineries, and Girls' Night Out groups have a reputation as being the best prepared, and most courteous.     Note that, finally, Virginia Wineries fall under the jurisdiction of the Virginia ABC Board, and as such, are subject to the same alcohol dispensing procedures and laws as any restaurant, bar, etc. Simply put, wineries are required to deny service to anyone appearing too intoxicated. etc. We work very closely with the wineries to ensure that our groups remain in compliance with this. Your group will have the most fun, and enjoy the wine & tour much more if alcohol consumption is kept in check. We want you to have fun, but not so much that folks in the group are too drunk!

Want more information, or have questions?