The things that actually matter
The most important item
Water
More than you think. A bottle each, refilled at every stop. Water between tastings is the difference between a day that ends well and one that ends at four in the afternoon. In a Texas summer this stops being advice and becomes a requirement.
May through September
A cooler or insulated wine tote
The bottles you buy at eleven in the morning will sit in a car until evening. A case in a hot trunk in Texas is a case of cooked wine, and it is a genuinely expensive mistake. Even a cheap soft cooler with a couple of ice packs solves it.
Underrated
Snacks
Crackers, nuts, something in a bag. Tasting rooms often have food to buy, but not always, and not always when you need it. Something small between stops keeps the whole group steadier.
Every season
A light layer
Tasting rooms run cold air conditioning in summer and terraces get cold fast after sunset in spring and fall. A jacket or wrap you can carry solves a problem that comes up every single day of the year.
March through October
Sun protection
A hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Most winery terraces are only partly shaded and the Texas sun is not subtle.
The things people forget
- Cash. Roadside peach stands, some BBQ places, and tip jars. A little goes a long way out here.
- A phone charger or battery pack. A day of photos and maps drains a phone, and you do not want to be at eight percent at the last stop.
- A pen and something to write on, or a notes app you will actually use. By the third winery you will not remember which wine you liked.
- A card for shipping. If you are flying home, check whether the winery ships to your state before you fall in love with a case.
- Reading glasses, if you use them. Tasting sheets are printed small and tasting rooms are dim.
- A bag with a strap. You will be standing, holding a glass, and taking photos.
Austin Wine Car
We bring the cooler
Bottles ride safely in the back, water is on board, and nobody has to carry anything between stops. Three wineries, from Austin.
Not ready to book?
What to leave at home
- Perfume and cologne. It genuinely interferes with tasting — yours and everyone else's at the table. This is the one real etiquette rule.
- Outside alcohol. Almost every winery prohibits it, and it is the fastest way to be asked to leave.
- Outside food, unless you have checked. Some wineries permit picnics in designated areas; many do not.
- Your own glasses. Every room has them, and bringing your own reads oddly.
- A tight schedule for afterward. The best part of the day is usually the stop you decided to stay longer at.
For a group
- One cooler for the group rather than five totes.
- A shared way to split the bill decided before the first stop, not at the third.
- One person nominated to keep the reservations and times, so five people are not all checking their phones.
- Something to eat in the car between stops, particularly if lunch is running late.
- Agreement on the driving arrangement, settled before anyone leaves the house.
Texas-specific
- In summer: a hat with a real brim, and more water than seems reasonable.
- In spring: something for wind. The Hill Country gets breezy on exposed terraces in March and April.
- In winter: gloves, if you plan on sitting by a firepit at five in the afternoon.
- Year round: bug spray in the car. Evenings near creeks bring mosquitoes.
- Year round: a downloaded map. Cell service west of Johnson City is patchy.