How to Plan the Perfect Niagara Wine Trail Tour

The Niagara Wine Trail is located just outside of Niagara Falls, New York, in the areas of Cambria, Lockport, Wilson, Olcott, Gasport, and Burt, New York. The drive from Niagara Falls and Buffalo is under 30 minutes, making the Niagara Wine Trail a great place to take a day trip. There are 13 wineries on the Niagara Wine Trail, scattered along the countryside, Escarpment, and Lake Ontario. Each winery is unique, offering their own types of wines, ranging from reds to the delicate ice wines. Planning a Niagara Wine Trail, USA wine tour is the key to an enjoyable day sampling the amazing New York State wines offered along the trail.

Do Some Wine Trail Research
The first step to planning a successful Niagara Wine Trail tour is to do some preliminary research. There are a number of ways to begin. The official website of the Niagara Wine Trail (www.niagarawinetrail.org) provides a listing of all the wineries on the Niagara Wine Trail, as well as a map and trail guide. Special events are listed on the website, as well as a link to purchase special event tickets. Local liquor stores and visitor information centers often have printed brochures about the Niagara Wine Trail and wineries. Much of the research for planning your Niagara Wine Trail tour can be done online, however, and a few hours of visiting the winery websites can provide a wealth of information.

Create a Guest List
The second question to answer when planning a Niagara Wine Trail tour is who will attend. Group wine tours along the Niagara Wine Trail are popular and inviting 6-10 of your best friends can turn your wine trail tour into an event. The alternative is to plan a romantic Niagara Wine Trail tour with your significant other, in which case it may be more cost effective to book a professional wine tour to save on the higher costs of a private limosuine. Whoever you decide to invite to be a part of your Niagara Wine Trail tour, be sure to get an official guest list at least two weeks in advance. This will help to figure out transportation plans and allow you to plan the tour.

Choose the Date
Once all the preliminary wine trail research has been completed and you have a guest list decided, the next step is to choose a date. The weekends are most popular on the Niagara Wine Trail and most of the wineries have wine tasting hours throughout the day on Saturdays and Sundays. If you want to plan your tour around one of the special events offered on the Niagara Wine Trail, be sure to pre-order your event tickets ahead of time to save some money. If your want to avoid the crowds often out for special events, choose a date on a different weekend. This will allow a more leisurely tour for your group.

Find a Designated Driver, Limousine Company, or Tour Package
The best and safest way to fully experience the wineries on the Niagara Wine Trail is to secure reliable transportation. If costs are an issue, perhaps a non-drinker can volunteer to be the designated driver. Other options include booking a professional tour through one of the wine tour companies or renting your own limousine. Larger groups will benefit most from sharing the costs toward a private limo. There are several local limousine companies listed on the official Niagara Wine Trail website which can accomodate anywhere from 6-30 people. The only wrong choice in deciding on transportation for your Niagara Wine Trail tour is forgetting that even sample wine tastings can add up after a few wineries and nobody actively wine tasting should be in charge of driving.

Decide on Snacks and Dining Options
Touring the Niagara Wine Trail can take between four and eight hours, depending on how many wineries you plan to visit. A pre-tour breakfast is a nice start to beginning the tour. This allows all guests to have a starting meal before their wine tasting tour begins. Cheese and crackers, fruit, and other snacks are great to have onboard for your Niagara Wine Trail to snack on in between winery stops. Locating a local restaurant along the Niagara Wine Trail for a lunch or dinner stop is also recommended. If you have a group adventure planned, consider asking each guest to bring a certain type of cheese or crackers so you have a variety of snacks for your Niagara Wine Trail tour.

Final Steps
On the day of your Niagara Wine Trail tour, be sure to remember to bring some spending money or a credit card. It is likely that you will find at least one favorite wine during your wine tasting that you will want to purchase. There's nothing worse than finding a few wines you like and not having the funds with you to purchase a few bottles. A camera is another essential item to bring if you want to create a photo tour to remember your Niagara Wine Trail tour experience. If you plan to purchase more than a few bottles of wine along the way, a large tote bag or box can be helpful.

The Niagara Wine Trail can be an amazing experience for both local residents in the Niagara Falls and Buffalo area, as well as for tourists. The unique wines and wineries along the Niagara Wine Trail highlight some of New York State's best wines. Enjoy your tour and happy planning!