Some disclaimers 1) This is a review soon after the COVID-19 reopening of many businesses, 2) Some of these comments may be due to the individual wineries' policies themselves, rather than Grape and Grain (GG), however, this review is meant to shed light on the types of wineries that GG chose to include on their tours, 3) if any these events happened in isolation, I wouldn't gripe, but the overall experience was dampened by these mishaps along the way. I have used this company pre-COVID, with no complaints, so I know what the GG tours can look like.
Kim, the owner, offers a return customer discount and it took a couple of tries to get the discount right so I could pay online. Then, Kim sent me a menu with categories (including salads/soups, main, and sides) and told me that each guest (there are 6 of us) was to "pick one." After submitting our choices, Kim told me that there was only one option, period, and that sides were not included, and proceeded to email me a menu with the sides category eliminated. Now, if I were the owner, I would have said, you know what, I'll pick up the sides or pay for a couple of apps for your party for my mistake your inconvenience. But, she didn't, and I went back to the other 5 guests to get their revised choices to resubmit. I decided not to make a deal of it.
But then, the troubles continued. The first winery (Dablon) did not offer us a flight tasting, but told us that we had a $60 credit (between 6 of us) to pick whatever we wanted to drink, but we had to pay the difference. We ended up with a few bottles and a few individual glasses, NOT a tasting and not all-inclusive either (as the tour is advertised on the website, and as I have experienced on my prior tour a few years ago). There was no explanation of the wines by the staff, so we didn't buy anything. Deb, our driver, after dropping us off and parking the van, approached our table and said that the winery staff was supposed to give her the outstanding bill, and why we were asked to pay the overage was beyond her. But, there was still no wine flight offered. Per Deb, this winery was not going to change the no-flight policy (they were going to continue to simply offer a credit), so I would hope that GG would reconsider including them on future tours.
Deb felt so bad about Dablon, she called Kim and got permission to take us to Lemon Creek Winery (on their dime), which is not on their regular tour, but should be because it was perfect. We got flights, the staff gave us a rundown, and we bought LOTS of bottles of wine. Deb insisted that we continue to enjoy our tastings while she loaded our merch into the van (a full service gal). She also dropped off complimentary snacks to our table.
Third place. Tabor Hill. They had flights, informative staff, and we bought LOTS of wine, again. However, when we first got there, there were tables with canopies over them, BUT only for guests with paid reservations (I believe it was a $200 rental fee). Which was not us. We were relegated to sitting in plastic chairs in the sun. Luckily, the host told us that there was a cabana that was reserved, but since the party never showed, we could sit there, but if the party showed, we would have to give up the space. In the future, I hope GG can work something out with Tabor Hill where their guests can be treated to a cabana (maybe even requiring a minimum purchase). But placing GG guests out in the uncovered sun, while letting them know they can buy some shade for (more) money on top of what we paid GG is not the treatment I would expect.
Fourth place. Round Barn. Again, a $120 credit, no flight. Since it was our last stop, we were pretty toasty, and I am not sure what would have happened if we exceeded the credit. Again, it is not quite all-inclusive, and certainly not a wine "tasting." If you don't use the entire credit, you can use it in the shop for merchandise among your group.
That being said, the company of 6 women and a little liquor always means a good time, which is why I say the overall experience was "dampened" and not ruined. Our driver, Deb, was AWESOME and would recommend her again in a heartbeat. I just hope this helps other people who are looking to book tours, and helps GG serve up the best tours around, including holding these wineries to good customer service. One more thing to note...our Cadillac was a rather tight squeeze for the 6 ladies. Even Deb made a comment that she hated when the Caddie was booked for that many people. read more