A few years back I received a call from one of the popular and trusted Limousine and Bus Manufacturers. They mentioned that I should look at their new Mercedes Sprinter Limo Style Coach. Some call them “Party Buses”.
So, I agreed to look at the email and literature that they were planning to send. Being always busy operating a luxury transportation company I spent about 30 seconds reviewing what they sent over. I looked at the email complete with pictures and was unimpressed.
I mean to think that a Limo operator of nearly 30 years would even consider these van-looking things over a traditional limo was absurd.
To me they looked like the 80s hit TV Show the “A Team” van and I was certain that my clients would not approve.
“The A Team”
Read more: Why a Mercedes Sprinter is the “Perfect” Wine Tour Vehicle
Get Cozy This Winter …..
Warm Up with Winter Wine Tastings in Maryland
Imagine a Winter Wonderland of glistening trees and shimmering landscapes. Vineyards showcase their diverse personalities going from golden and red in the Autumn to almost bare bones before returning to their beautiful green in the Spring. Most everyone enjoys visiting the wineries in the Summer and Autumn seasons. Winter is actually a great time to visit with the Maryland Winery Operators, Winemakers and tasting room managers who are much more available to chat during the slower colder months.
A Winter Wine Tasting Tour can be a perfect escape from those gloomy, dreary and frigid Winter days and bring a hearty flavor to your wine tasting experience.
Winter Wine Tastings are Wonderful
Here are some benefits to a Maryland Wintery Wine Tasting Tour
- Tasting Rooms are much less crowded
- Operators, Winemaker and Tasting Room Managers are more available to chat
- Great way to spend a cold winter day
- Perfect for a Holiday Get Together with Family or Friends
Read more: Winter Wine Tastings
What to Know about Maryland Wine-making Regions and Trails
If you are embarking on a Wine Tour in the Maryland Area. It's great to get a little background for your own personal knowledge or you can dazzle your friends at your next wine trip or excursion!
Here is some great info on the Regions that Maryland has for Wine Making.
Read more: Maryland Wine Trails
It is believed that the first time the grape was used in making wine was in the late 1700s when a French winemaker in the Bordeaux region formally labeled the grape as an ingredient in his Bordeaux wine blend. From this moment on, the grape spread across Bordeaux and became known for its unique ability to add softness and luscious fruit to a wine when it was combined with the region’s favorite grape, Cabernet Sauvignon. The combination of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot complemented each other so well, that the pair became the main ingredients for the world-renowned Bordeaux blend, now coveted by the majority of the world’s wine drinkers
Read more: The History and Magnificence of Merlot
Over the past half a year or so, I started to notice our bookings for Wine tours gravitate from some of the trendy and popular locals in Northern Virginia to a Winery a little further down the road. I kept seeing trips going to this venue and what was interesting was that instead of the usual tour with 2 to 3 wineries, many of these trips were scheduled longer but to one Winery. Bluemont. I kept seeing this trend and spoke to some of the clients who were delighted with their experience.
I found myself in the Loudon County area on the road in a spectacular fall crisp day, the leaves still green but nearly ready to turn. I was hunting down a commercial freezer I found off Facebook for another endeavor we are pursuing. (pastured Poultry) – you can learn more about that here- I was able to secure a good deal for the freezer, looked at my trusty GPS and realized that it was mid-afternoon and that the distance back to my shop and my home were identical. 1 hour 23 min. lol. I knew that I was in the heart of Virginia Wine Country and that we were working on Marylandwinetour.com and Marylandbrewtour.com for our clients and needed more images and ever more reviews and content to share with our readers. I decided that the day and sunshine was perfect to scout out and see one of the more recent popular places that our clients were visiting. So, I set off to Bluemont Virginia that of course is the home of Bluemont Winery.
Read more: Bluemont Vineyard and Winery
Get the party together!
Put out the word to all your friends and family near and far that you are planning a Maryland Themed Wine Tour. See how many of your friends are looking for a Wine tour experience with a little of Maryland’s flavor as a backdrop! Maryland is starting to make some noise in the Winemaking and Brewing Industry with the addition of some the most recognized names in the world starting to call Maryland a home such as Guinness Brewing and Sagamore Distilling. Many Marylanders are unaware that our area is thriving with over 40 wineries to explore and experience with more being added every year!
Read more: How to do a Wine Tour…. Maryland Style
The Frederick Wine Trail meanders through Civil War battlefields, stopping in electric downtown Frederick with its funky arts culture, and skirting in the lush soils of the region that has made Frederick a mid-Atlantic breadbasket for countless generations. It explores the spirit of this fantastic region that first made Frederick a nexus for the craft brewing revolution, and now makes it fertile ground for the new Maryland wine movement.
Maryland’s first wine trail, formed in 2007 — along it you’ll taste world class-wines, meet the open-hearted craftspeople who make them, and experience the fantastic flavor of Frederick.
The Frederick Wine Trail is home to some of the best Maryland Winemakers as well as some of the most picturesque backdrops to sip and enjoy.
- Elk Run
- Catoctin Breeze
- Linganore Winecellars
- Hidden Hills Farm and Vineyard
- Links Bridge Vineyards
- Loew Vineyards
- Springfield Manor Winery and Distillery Brewery
I won a weekday charter for a company celebrating a business milestone. We loaded up a group of middle-aged professionals from Southern Maryland and headed to Northern Virginia in the heart of Wine and Horse Country, Middleburg, Virginia. I’d heard it was pretty and people weren’t lying. I’d heard Jack Kent Cooke, owner of the Redskins (wish he still was) called it home and loved it there.
The chauffeurs told us about the beautiful scenery and the great experience their wine tour clients had in Middleburg and other similar locations in and around the Northern Virginia Wine and Horse Country.
I met my wine tour group in Southern Maryland. The drive is a breeze when you’re in a fancy shuttle bus! From there we could enjoy the beautiful – it was like driving into a painting. Goodbye stress, hello peace and tranquility.
Read more: Private Chauffeur Driven Greenhill Winery Tour Review
