Whether you consider wine the elixir of life or just something delicious to drink alongside a sumptuous meal, planning your visit to some of the top wineries near Brisbane is undoubtedly a rewarding experience. However, deciding if you should self-guide a highly personalised adventure or organise an expert-led tour isn’t always a simple decision.To help you come to the right conclusion, we’ve broken down the pros and cons between guided and self-guided wine tours to Brisbane’s must-see wineries this summer. This way, you can put together the perfect experience for you and your loved ones, even if you don’t consider yourselves the world’s greatest wine connoisseurs.
Scheduling
Heading to a winery is much like booking an overseas adventure. Do you like to take full control over your itinerary, carefully deciding on every detail? Or are you happy to let someone else come up with the day’s activities, allowing you to sit back and relax with a delicious glass of wine in hand? You need to ponder the same kinds of questions when it comes to deciding between a guided or self-guided Brisbane winery tour.
For example, taking on the responsibility to create a self-guided winery tour means researching the best vineyards in the region and figuring out how to get between them. If you don’t know a lot about wine – this can be a problem. However, when you take a guided tour, you’re allowing a local expert to direct your experience, despite having to sacrifice a little flexibility to make it happen.
Knowledge
You don’t have to be a wine expert to take part in a wine tour. Yet if learning about the region’s unique qualities and everything it takes to produce a fine drop interests you, heading along to wineries with a knowledgeable guide is bound to make your experience that much better. This way, you develop your appreciation for wine while understanding some of the more nuanced details in each bottle.
However, countless people plan wine tours simply to spend a sunny day with their closest friends. Rather than getting caught up with the intricacies of winemaking, you might prefer to just sip down a few glasses in the warmth alongside a top-quality meal. So, when opting for a guided wine tour over a self-guided trip, think carefully about the group’s priorities and whether exploring with an expert will enrich your time together.
Access
Sure, crafting the ideal itinerary for you and your friends isn’t outside the realm of possibility when visiting the best wineries surrounding Brisbane. However, what many people don’t consider is how experienced tour guides can access special experiences only available to the groups they bring. Instead of getting the everyday service, you might find yourself taking part in activities only made available to particular tour groups.
In addition, experienced wine tour guides also have existing relationships with private wineries and vineyards. These exclusive locations might normally not open for just any group to visit. Yet arriving with a guide who knows what it takes to put in a special word means you can gain access to a tantalising tasting experience or even just a wander through a beautiful but typically off-limits vineyard.
Safety
Everyone should know that driving and alcohol don’t mix. When you choose to self-guide a wine tour, you have to figure out exactly how you’re going to get to and from the wineries. Unfortunately, that can mean paying big sums for a taxi or getting someone to commit to being a designated driver for the day. With this in mind, booking a guided wine tour will make your life so much easier.
When you book a guided wine tour with Tic Tac Tours, our door-to-door service is included in the price. This means we’ll collect you and drop you off from within five kilometres of Brisbane city centre or the southern suburbs. If you’re coming from the Gold Coast, we can pick you up and drop you off in the northern suburbs. This convenient service is perfect for exploring top-notch wineries.
Ready to book a wine tour?
If a guided adventure sounds like the right choice, check out our incredible Mt Tamborine wine tours! Plus, we travel to the best wine regions throughout the state, including the Scenic Rim, Granite Belt and the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. For an exceptional itinerary boasting great cuisine, scenery and transport, there’s no better choice.
If prefer to create your own vineyard itinerary, our mini bus hire service is a hugely convenient way to experience the region’s top vineyards. For more information, please get in touch with the friendly team at Tic Tac Tours today by calling 1300 842 822, sending an email to info@tictactours.com.au, or leaving your enquiry on our online form.