While some people prefer a guided bus tour of wineries, or even hiking through the vineyards, most wineries are now offering guided bike tours of their vineyards. What a wonderful way to explore the vineyards! The following paragraphs will discuss different options many wineries are now offering that are associated with bicycle wine tours, as well as discuss how to choose the right size bicycle to rent for your tour.

There are many different options available that are associated with most vineyard tours on bicycles. One of the main options is how many days you'd like to tour.
Most often vineyards will offer single day bike tours, Multi day tours, group bike tours. There are normally options available to suit the desires of anyone wanting to take a wine tour of a popular wine vineyard.

Single day bike tours are very popular for beginning bicyclists. During single day wine tours by bicycle tend to be easy riding. They are often very casual, and include lunch features such as a wonderful picnic lunch, or lunch at the winery.

Multi day bicycle wine tours are often a little more complex. These tours are several days ranging to up to a week. Some are designed with a bike path from inn to inn, or from one side of the vineyard to the other. These guided tours are most popular among the more experienced bicyclist, as sometimes the bike path can be rugged!

Group tours of wineries by bicycle are extremely popular among families, co-workers, and groups of friends. Group tours are often discounted, and can be fun for everyone who actively participates. The cost of these tours often include lodging expenses, as well as the cost of some meals. You should check with the individual wineries before you make your purchase.

The best quality bicycle are offered by most vineyards for rental to those who wish to participate in a bike tour of the vineyard. This ensures the bicycle will be perfectly fit for the type of tour you choose. Rates will vary from winery to winery, so you should check the price list from several vineyards to get an idea of what your bike rental will cost.

As for sizing, that can be tricky. There are some general guidelines for each type of bicycle, but these can vary from vineyard to vineyard. If you are in between sizes, there are some tips you should remember. You should always choose the smaller bike, as it will give you more stand-over clearance. Also, you should try to remember that choosing the bigger bike will give your upper body more room between the saddle and the handlebars.

About the Author:

James Brown writes about Sports Authority coupon Codes, FogDog Coupon and Bikes on Sale

Labels: Cellar Master

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Wine can be an important part of your wedding and picking which wine to serve, along with picking the caterer and deciding on a cake, one of the decisions you'll have to make along the way that involves taste. But this is one decision you can use to bring friends together and have a little relaxing fun during the planning stages.

Most caterers will have a wine list available that includes one or two "house wines," which are usually the lowest priced, and several more expensive labels for you to choose from. You'll most likely choose both a red and white so everyone at the reception is accommodated. In certain states, California for example, restaurants allow you to bring in your own wine. While this seems like it might be a great way to go, they can charge what is known as a corkage fee, which can be as high as $30 or even more per bottle. Unless you want a very rare and expensive wine, it's usually better to go with something off the list.

Sometimes the decision comes down to money and sometimes it comes down to taste. But in either case, this is one taste test you can have fun with. When my wife and I got married we invited some friends over, bought a bottle of each of the wines offered at the reception location and had a wine tasting party.

Between my junior and senior years of college I worked in a wine shop where we had a bottle available for tasting every Saturday afternoon. The owner and I got along very well and he gave me my first lessons in wine tasting. I've been a student ever since.

While drinking wine might be a part of your everyday life, you probably don't spend much time actually tasting it in comparison to other wines. Most people are intimidated when it comes to tasting or even selecting wine, but the first thing I learned was that no matter what anyone tells you, if you don't like a particular wine then you just don't like it. As far as selecting goes, in this case the wine has been pre-selected for us by the catering manager. We're just going to narrow down the list.

For our party we made a small chart with each bottle on it and three columns. The columns were for Appearance, Smell and Taste. We asked each of our guests to score each wine with a number from 1 to 10. We also left a little space for impressions to be noted.

Before we get started though, the first thing, obviously, is to drink in moderation and make sure that everyone at your wine tasting makes it home safely so they can party at your wedding. Never drink and drive. In fact wine tasting doesn't really even require drinking at all. Most professional tasters will spit the wine out after tasting it. It makes a lot of sense when you might taste dozens of wines in one day. (If you've seen the film Sideways, there's a scene where the character played by Paul Giamatti is so desperate for a drink that he actually drinks from one of the buckets used for this.)

The first thing you'll notice when you open a bottle and pour a glass is the color, or appearance of the wine. Red wine can vary greatly from a deep purple to rich brown while white wine can vary from a light brown to a yellowish green. While color won't necessarily tell you if a wine is good or bad, a richer fuller red could indicate a richer, fuller taste while brown might actually mean the wine has gone bad. A richer colored white wine usually indicates one that's sweeter while a clearer wine might be drier and crisper.

Next comes smell, or as wine aficionados call it, the bouquet. The bouquet of a wine can add an enormous amount to the overall experience of drinking it. At least half of what we eat and drink is experienced through smell. If you've ever had a bad cold with a stuffed up nose, you know that food can taste like nothing. But the bouquet of a good wine can be amazing if you really pay attention to it. Swirl it in your glass a little to release it and let it breath. Take a deep whiff and let it linger. You may start to notice smells you never noticed before. It might be musty or it might be sharp, it might smell like a forest or it might smell like a garden. You never know and finding out and challenging yourself to recognize different traits in the bouquet is one of the things wine lovers love about wine.

Now it's time to taste the wine. This isn't a time to gulp or chug but a time to sip and let the wine linger on your tongue. In fact, let it roll around on your tongue. You experience taste differently through different parts of your tongue. If you really concentrate on it you can taste amazing things. Some wines will be drier than others (a function of how much sugar is in the wine,) leaving less of an aftertaste while some will be richer. Some will taste like oak, some like fruit, some might even taste like flowers. Again that discovery of taste is one of the things wine lovers love. It also fun at this point to discuss with your friends what you taste in a particular glass. You'll be surprised at what people will taste and it might even surprise you a little that once they tell you, you'll suddenly taste it as well. You may also want to try tasting the same wine again after the bottle has been open for a little while. Wine, especially red wine, breaths after being opened. In other words, it reacts with the air and the taste can change, in some cases drastically, after even a few minutes. Decanting a wine often speeds up this process, but may not be practical for a tasting party.

It's also important to have a small tray of crackers or bread or glasses of water available for your tasters to help cleanse their pallets between tastes, especially if you're switching between red and white. It's also a good idea to rinse out the glasses between bottles.

In the end, we tallied up the scores, read all the comments and ultimately picked the wine we liked best. Of course it just happened to be that the wine we liked most coincided with what our friends liked but don't feel pressured. Enjoying wine is all about what you like and tasting wine is all about discovering what you like. We had a great meal afterwards and our friends felt honored that we let them help pick the wine for our wedding. As it turned out, we were so busy and having so much fun during our reception that neither of us really even remembers having a glass.

About the Author

RJ Thomas is a wine aficionado and collector. He is also the owner of two wedding businesses, Cherish Video, a Los Angeles, California based wedding videography company and My Unique Wedding Favors a website devoted to selling affordable and unique wedding favors (including wine wedding favors.)

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Living the Good Life by James Bogaty owner Veramar Vineyard

Virginias Wine Country Golden Triangle

The Virginia Golden Triangle Wine Tour
Want to spend an afternoon in Virginias wine country and select from three of the unique Virginia wine regions during that single afternoon trip? Here is one trip tour that will give you variety in wine, scenery and vistas.

Taste at Virginia's most prestigious wine. Learn about Virginia wine with experts

Enter the world of Virginia wine as an insider.
Travel the northern Virginia wine tour to the Virginia wine business via the Virginia Wine Golden Triangle.
Using our first-hand knowledge and extensive contacts, we'll give you an exclusive insider's view and entre that other tour cannot offer. Reston Limo offers a limo tour to these wineries.

Privileged access to the best Virginia Vineyards.
From the prestigious classified growths to exclusive "boutique" producers, you will receive a warm welcome and a personalized tour and tasting. Each visit is unique and fascinating, as you meet the passionate men and women who make some of the greatest Virginia wines.

THE Virginia Golden Triangle Wine Tour- quality wines from here just disappear, it would be easy to pass over this wine region, suspecting that its just a bit of plank fun. And that would be a grave mistake as this is a cracker jack Virginia golden triangle region for some of the best Virginia wineries. Lip smacking, rich and intensely full flavored, its a fruit driven style supported by subtle American and French oak. An excellent food friendly wines that are already drinking well. International award winning wines.

We offer tours in Shenandoah and Loundoun Valley as well as Blue Ridge Wineway. Our tours focus on high-end boutique wineries. Our tours are known for being off the beaten path, insightful, and memorable. Here is the ONE tour route that brings you all three regions in one afternoon tour - The Virginia Golden Triangle Wine Tour.

"We are more than a tour route location, we are wine geeks" boasts Jim Bogaty, Founder, Veramar Vineyard

Both first time visitors and regular wine country patrons have delighted in our tours. Some have even gone so far as to say, "This tour far exceeded my expectations. It was like having a private wine class in the wine country. Not only was the wine we tasted beyond words, the scenery on this trip was so extraordinary that it rivaled our experiences in Tuscany."

We want to create for you a unique and lasting experience. For this reason we plan with you, your dream wine tour.

The Virginia Golden Triangle Wine Tour is closer then you think.

Begin at noon at Veramar Vineyard with a box lunch from Celebrations, Inc.

Veramar Vineyard & Event Center
Veramar Vineyard is situated on a private, 100-acre estate in the heart of Virginia Hunt County at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the Shenandoah River. We are a small, family-run winery dedicated to producing naturally dry, full-bodied wines. Around Veramar Vineyard are a great number of bed-and breakfasts, championship golf courses and antique shops as well as some of the finest restaurants in Virginia. So, if you are in the mood for romance, or to enjoy fine wines, or simply want a picnic outing in the country, hike the Blue Ridge Mountain trails, come and be our guest as you experience Veramar Vineyard.Wines: Cabernet Franc, Rooster Red, Norton, Chardonnay, Tres Blanc, Seyval Blanc & DOra.Hours: Year round. 11:30a.m.-5p.m. Thursday- MondayTasting Fees: None-- FREEFood: Light fare, i.e. cheese & crackers (Catering available for groups of 50 guests or more).
Breaux Vineyards
You're invited to come and enjoy the internationally acclaimed wines of Breaux Vineyards. Our "Napa meets Mediterranean" style tasting room offers views of the beautiful Blue Ridge and Short Hill Mountains. Enjoy light gourmet fare, or bring your own picnic to savor on our umbrella covered tables at Patio Madeleine. Our winery and grounds, part of a magnificent 400-acre estate, are surrounded by 43 acres of vineyards including the original 16-year-old vines.Wines: Chardonnay, Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier.Hours: 11a.m.-5p.m. daily. Closed major holidays.Tours & tasting: May-Oct. daily, 11a.m.-6p.m.; Nov.-April: daily, 11a.m.-5p.m. Closed major holidays. Groups please call ahead.Tasting Fees: $3/person. Reservations required for group of 8 or more - $5/person.Food: Light fare, i.e. cheese & crackers.
Piedmont Vineyards
Virginia's first commercial vinifera vineyard, located on the pre-revolutionary farm of Waverly in the heart of Virginia's Hunt Country. Picnic area, private parties, wedding and reception facilities.Wines: Hunt Country Chardonney, Special Reserve and Native Yeast Chardonnays, Semillon and Cabernet Sauvignon.Hours: Apr.-Oct., daily, 11a.m.-6p.m.; Nov..-Mar., daily, 11a.m.-5p.m. Closed Thanksgiving, Dec. 24, 25, 31 & New Year's.Tasting Fees: $3/person, refunded with wine purchase.Food: Light fare, i.e. cheese & crackers.Directions: From Middleburg: 3 miles south on Rt. 626. From Washington DC: I-66 to exit 31 at The Plains. Right at exit, right on Rt. 55. Immediate left on Rt. 626. Go 5 miles, winery on left.Gerhard von Finck, owner.P.O. Box 286,Middleburg, VA 20118.Phone: 540-687-5528.Website: www.piedmontwines.com.E-mail: info@piedmontwines.com

So come, visit wineries in the Virginia Wine County (VWX) and sample our wines, each a taste of seasons past: The snows of winter, April showers, summer sunshine and crisp fall nights. It's all there in the bottle, waiting for...YOU.

Call Della at Veramar Vineyard 540-955-5510 to set up your tour.

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