Planning a winery tour is always a great idea! A typical tour allows you to explore the winemaking process, ask the winemakers interesting questions, taste the wine, and enjoy the sights. But many people feel pressured and want to know why is wine so expensive at the winery?
The answer is the exclusiveness of the wine you are tasting at the winery. Smaller production wineries have limited distribution, some of which are not available at regular wine shops. This makes the average price of bottles at wineries more expensive.
Let’s get deeper into the topic and see just why wine is so expensive at the winery.
Production Volume
Generally, larger production wineries sell their wine bottles through distributors. You will find wine prices on shelves lower than at the winery because many retailers buy on volume. This means they will offer lower prices than the list price recommended by the winery.
In comparison, smaller production wineries have limited distribution due to lower production volume, so they are exclusive and can hardly be found at regular wine shops. The only way to taste and buy those bottles is by buying them physically from the winery or through their website.
Exceptional Climate
Another reason for the exclusiveness of wine can be its regional uniqueness. Climate has more influence on wine than you probably think. In a sense, it shapes the character of wine through grapes. Whenever you learn more about the winemaking process, you will hear a lot about the character each wine has. It is exactly what makes them unique and special.
In warmer conditions, grapes ripen quickly providing higher sugar levels, darker color, and lower acidity. While visiting wineries in diverse regions, you will see how the grape varieties differ in changing wine flavors.
The Winery Experience
When taking a wine tour, note that you are not paying for only tasting wines, but the experience itself. You have an exceptional opportunity to get an in-depth look at the winemaking process, beautiful landscapes, and vineyards where the grape grows along with having a picnic outdoors.
Author Note: Although wine tasting is an integral part of any winery tour, note that you’re not going to have the same experience at fancy city restaurants. Once you visit a winery and see its beauty, you’ll not regret any penny spent on it.
Tours at The Winery
Wine tour experiences vary from one winery to the next, but there are certain things you can expect from your visit. Winery tours will usually follow the entire winemaking process, starting from grape selection to fermentation, aging, and bottling.
You can choose from various winery tour options each one offers, but make sure to carefully look through alternatives. Although some tours may be more expensive compared to others, you will certainly see more and make great memories!
Grape Varieties
Throughout your visit to the winery, you will learn about grape varieties of the region and how wine is made. If you prefer visiting more than one winery in the same area, you may find the first part of the tour a little repetitive. Still, some details and family unique traditions differ from one winery to the next.
Tasting
The last and the most awaited part is tasting! Some of the wineries will have small bites of local meat or cheese to serve as a side with your preferred wine. A standard winery tour will have you taste up to 6 different wines. Tasting sizes are usually half the amount of a regular glass of wine.
Best Wineries In The World
When you think of the best wineries, the first thing that comes to your mind is probably a winery in France, stretching over rolling hills or a Spanish ranch surrounded by vineyards. Whatever you imagine, a good winery most often meets everyone’s expectations!
Let’s now take a closer look at the top 6 world’s best wineries and see what products and experiences they offer.
1. Zuccardi Valle de Uco
Since 1963, when Sebastian Zuccardi’s grandfather planted the first hectares of grapevines in Maipu, Mendoza, the family tradition has continued along with their growth and development. Today, Zuccardi winery is not only among the best in Argentina but also throughout the world. The construction of the winery started in 2013 and was inaugurated in 2016.
The Zuccardi family continually conducts research and development to keep up with the most recent winemaking techniques. The tanks and vessels in the winery result from years of experimentation and ambition to create modern technology that work more naturally with grape juices and wines.
Visitors can look around the winery and discover the uniqueness of soil that provides Zuccardi wines with their true identity. Do you still wonder why is wine so expensive at the winery? Zuccardi Valle de Uco Winery sells not only the product but also a fantastic experience you’ll never forget!
2. Bodega Garzón
Top Tip: One of the most innovative wineries that emerged in the past decade, Bodega Garzón continues being among the best in terms of wine selection as well as the tourist experience it offers. The winery puts its primary focus on the red Tannat, Uruguay’s flagship grape, but also produces a great variety of other types of wines.
Any time you ask yourself why is wine so expensive at the winery, just take a look at the amazing tour this location offers. You can also participate in various activities, including picnics, hiking, and even hot-air balloon rides. Learn all about the varieties Garzón winery grows and have an unforgettable wine tasting experience at the winery!
3. Domäne Wachau
Located in Wachau Valley, Domäne Wachau is one of Europe’s oldest cultural landscapes. Wine in this region has been cultivated for centuries. Exceptional climate and terraces overlooking the Danube river have their unique influence on the outstanding quality of Wachau wines. A typical tour of the winery takes up to 1.5 hours, including visiting the Baroque cellar and underground wine cellars.
The predominant grape variety in the region is Grüner Veltliner, which makes up almost 70% of the vineyard area. This variety has also reached international recognition as one of the world’s best white wine varieties. Similar to other wineries, the tour culminates with a wine tasting, fitting everyone’s tastes.
4. Montes
You are likely to feel an incredible sense of peace when visiting Montes winery. The heavenly view of the surrounding Apalta Valley makes your winery tour experience even more memorable. For anyone visiting Colchagua, Montes winery offers three main tours through which you’ll be able to explore Chilean terroir with Montes’ wines’ elaboration.
You can also reserve your dinner at Fuegos de Apalta restaurant, which is situated right in the middle of vineyards. The best part is that you will be able to visit a mystical winery where Premium and Ultra Premium Montes wines are made.
No words needed; a glass of Montes wine and the fantastic view from Mirador del Ángel will answer the question of why is wine so expensive at the winery.
5. Robert Mondavi Winery
Located in the USA, Mondavi winery is one of the most famous ones in the region and globally. Picking his first harvest in 1966, Robert Mondavi chose the To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville as the perfect place to make Californian wines that would compete with French finest wines.
The To Kalon region is known for producing some of the world’s best Cabernet and the oldest Sauvignon Blanc in the Americas. Tasting and tours to Mondavi winery range from casual to exclusive. If you are a first time visitor, Signature Tour and Tasting is what you are looking for!
It offers an in-depth winery tour, with a guided walk through vineyards and cellars, as well as tasting. If you want to have an even more luxurious experience, the Four Decades Dinner (6-12 guests) will open the doors of the winery’s treasured library. You will get the chance to taste wines from the last four decades, followed by a four-course wine pairing dinner.
6. Bodegas de los Herederos del Marqués de Riscal
Founded in the medieval town of Elciego, Spain, Marques de Riscal is the oldest winery in the Rioja region. This place is surrounded by extensive vineyards and has one of the most amazing hotel designs imaginable.
Author Note: Marques de Riscal has committed to organic agriculture. It is the respect towards the environment that makes agriculture more sustainable and lengthens the life of vineyards. Needless to say that the quality of Marques de Riscal wines meets every wine lovers’ expectations.
With organic agriculture, the plant roots better, colonizing a larger volume of soil without any need to use artificial mineral fertilizers. There are three different winery tours, including visits to the winery and wine tasting. Your joyful experience is guaranteed at Marques de Riscal; so make sure to explore more in the city of wine!
Wrapping Up
After all, why is wine so expensive at the winery? Is it because you’ll never find the same wine at the stores? Not exactly. Regardless of the location of the winery you are visiting, every region has its specific grape varieties, and each winery has its “mystical” winemaking process, which is passed on within the family, from generation to generation.
Although the wine types may be the same, you’ll notice how the taste differs from one winery to the next. It’s rather the experience you are paying for and not exactly the product. A glass of the finest wine in the region and a fantastic view of landscapes are exclusive opportunities you won’t get anywhere at fancy restaurants or retail shops.
So, before thinking about whether or not a wine tour is really worth the price, think about the beauty and elegance you’ll experience!
To living a full-bodied life,
Wesley