How many drivers does Unofficial Wine Tours have?

Four drivers: Gabrielle, Grant, Charlie, and Nick

What Kind of Cars do Unofficial Wine Tours have in their fleet?

Gabrielle drives a 2019 Ford Edge ST
All vehicles in Unofficial’s line up have 5 seats: meaning only 4 passengers per vehicle.
For a group of 5 or 6, if you have your own 7 seater, one of our drivers will drive your vehicle on your behalf for the tour

Who plans the tour?

That’s up to you! If you know where you would like to visit, this can simply be a designated driving service.
If you would like help with planning or to completely hand over the workload to our experienced team, Unofficial will plan you a fun, on the go flexible, type of route. With smaller group sizes, we are welcome at most tasting rooms without a reservation.
Your group can pick and choose throughout the day what feels right to visit next!

What time does the tour start?

The window of time I suggest beginning the tour is between 10:45am and 1:15pm
If opting for a tour on the day you arrive, start time can be as late as 2:30pm

Do we stop for lunch?

Some tours do not take a lunch break though you are more than welcome to! Pick up can be after a late breakfast or early lunch. Car snacks are always suggested, as a simple chip or piece of cheese or meat can make all the difference in between tasting rooms. The tour vehicle is yours for the day to bring what you want - cooler, reusable water bottles, chips!

Do most wineries have food?

Not in Prince Edward County. Only a handful of the larger wineries have a food program in place.
Wineries with food options: Broken Stone, The Grange, Closson Chase, Norman Hardie, Harwood, Sandbanks
Please note: on a busy Saturday, food service can be slow with high demand on staff all at once

Lunch spots that I recommend while on tour:

The Old Third Pasta Bar. Only open Thursday - Sunday Noon to 4pm. Conveniently located on Closson Rd
Lakeside Motel (great outdoor patio overlooking Lake Ontario)
La Condesa - lunch service is quick here & downtown Wellington is pretty close to many top wineries
In the East End: Cressy Mustard Co. - picnic table patio in the sunshine. Mustard sampling while you wait.

Weather in Prince Edward County

We are an island in Lake Ontario. It is colder here than you would anticipate, especially when the wind is blowing.
Wellington is right on the Lake, it gets chilly. Bringing an extra layer on the tour is highly recommended.
Same goes with wearing sunscreen during the warmer months.

Are we drinking inside or outside?

A little bit of both. There are some tasting rooms with great air conditioning that you’ll want to stay in and enjoy.
Other operations are strictly outside in the elements.
Gravel, grass, sunshine, and the occasional bug or hornet are to be expected.

How Does Your Booking System Work?

A $75 deposit is collected through PayPal while using the online booking platform on this site.
OR send an e-transfer of $75 to gabrielle.poisson@gmail.com to solidify your reservation. Your booking will be completed on our end and your e-mail address will be linked to the Google Calendar event created.
With proper notice, the deposit is fully refundable. Life happens! We understand.

Specializing in “Mom’s Day Off”

Have Gabrielle show up with fun, flexible route options for your wife to pick and choose from throughout the time together!

“Gabby made us feel like we were in the right hands right from the start! We saw 6 unique wineries plus a distillery. She really made our day, and helped guide us in the right direction with her abundant knowledge of wine tastings and tours! She kept us on track which can be hard to do with several wine tastings in a day, we came home with a couple of boxes of delicious wine and a few referrals on where to go in the county for the rest of our time here. Would highly recommend Gabby at Unofficial Wine Tours and will definitely contact her again next time we are in the area—Thanks again!!”
- Kristina Jones, November 2017

“We had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with Charlie for an afternoon touring Kinsip, Garage Time Brewing, Strange Brewing, Matron and Slake. What a great time! Charlie is knowledgeable, engaging and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with him. Booking was easy and we look forward to touring with them again when we return to the County.
Thank you again Unofficial team!” - Andrew Campbell, October 2021

“We had a brilliant day with Gabby. She was fun, intelligent company, knowledgeable and accommodating. She introduced us to local wine, cheese, mustard and beer. Having her (really competently) drive you around in your own car is a rest treat. I can’t imagine that there is any better way to sample the treasures of the County.”
- Jocelyn Blink. July 2019