Essentials for the Perfect Day at a Winery
As you could have guessed, I have been to my fair share of wineries and vineyards so when it comes to what you need to bring, I am your go to expert for this! I have over the years adjusted what is needed and what you can skip to make sure you have everything you need to enjoy your experience at a vineyard. While none of these are absolutely final and always needed, this list is a really good start to check things off when you are trying to plan the perfect day and one (or more than one) vineyard. Without further ado, let’s get into it!
All Food Utensils and Accessories
One thing I cannot stress enough: bring ziplock baggies and a sharpie! A lot of the time we have run into a problem where we didn’t finish out cheeses and we have no way to securely transfer them home. This makes sure that you can get all your leftover cheeses home to enjoy a smaller charcuterie board especially if you bring home any bottles home from the vineyard. I also like to label my baggies ahead of time with the cheese names and the sell by date so that you know how long they are good for after you throw away the packaging. Additionally, make sure you bring napkins, disposable plates and any cutlery you may need. Some cheeses I try to cut ahead of time but you can’t always do that especially with soft cheeses like Boursin or goat cheese so it’s nice to have something to use to spread those cheese or any honey or jams you may bring. I also recommend bringing a cutting board to put your cheeses on to make a nice little display for your winery experience!
2. A Blanket and/or Chairs
A lot of vineyards have patios and lawn seating where they welcome visitors to bring their own seating. This is especially nice on days when you have live music at a vineyard! We love to sprawl out and have a picnic while also being comfortable on a blanket we brought from home or chairs we can sit in if we don’t feel like stretching out. I also like to bring a small throw blanket on the cooler days we go to a vineyard so that I am comfy if we sit outside!
3. A Water Bottle
If you a re like me, you have a water bottle attached to your hips at ALL times and you like to stay hydrated. While many vineyards do have complimentary water they serve, it is nice to have a water bottle handy for your travels from one vineyard to the next or in case they do charge a small fee for the water. Especially if there is a water fountain you can fill up your water bottle, this is a go-to move for me!
4. A Cooler or Insulated Bag and Ice or Cold Packs
If you bring any meats or cheeses with you or honestly any cold snack with you, you will want a cooler or insulated bag to keep everything fresh as well as some ice packs to keep things cool for hours. I always bring snacks with me to vineyards in PA because they allow outside food but if they do not at your vineyard you are visiting (the Finger Lakes rarely allows you to bring outside food to those vineyards) then you can always pack a sandwich to snack on your way to the next place or honestly anything you can eat on the go! When we went for my birthday to the Finger Lakes this year, we brought some sandwiches we snacked on out of the car before traveling to the next vineyard and it worked great! It saves you some money and you won’t go hungry!
5. A Phone Charger
This one I feel like doesn’t need too much explaining but if you plan to take pictures and videos of all the fun you are having, having a phone charger is always good to have on hand to charge in the car or a portable charger to have on the go!
6. A Great Time!
Remember to have a great time on your trip to a vineyard! You can learn so much about wine and about why a specific vineyard got started and their wines and that’s just half the fun! A lot of vineyards and wineries will do events and also play live music which is a guaranteed great time. These are some of my favorite places to have a lot of laughs and make a lot of good memories!
Let me know if these are some of the items on your perfect winery day checklist or any that I might have missed!
Cheers Wine Lovers!
Jordana
