Planning a wine country getaway? Whether you are heading to Napa, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Oregon Washington or another wine region on the West Coast, there are so many wineries to chose from. How will you decide where to go? Are you looking for unique experiences? Do you want to be treated like a VIP? Then what you need is a Priority Wine Pass.
Priority Wine Pass is a membership program that gives you access to customized offers for wine tasting experiences. You do not need to join wine clubs. You do not need coupons. You do not need to download apps. You do not need anything more than the Priority Pass Membership Card which you can carry in your wallet or show digitally on your phone.
Priority Wine Pass was founded in 2012 by Jamie Cegelski who envisioned connecting customers to wineries and providing unique experiences. Instead of walking in to a tasting room and paying for a wine flight, Priority Wine Pass provides its members with exclusive and unforgettable wine tasting experiences at more than 400 wineries in California, Oregon and Washington.
A typical wine tasting trip will include approximately four or five winery visits, with the average winery tasting costing between $15 and $50 per person. With a Priority Wine Pass, members will save money! For example, a winery can offer a two for one tasting. You pay for one tasting and save the money on your companion’s tasting.
Many of the Priority Wine Pass offerings are two-for-one wine tasting discounts. However, it varies from winery to winery and can include a free winery tour, a free flight of wine, a discount on wine purchases and more. There are also many wineries offering free experiences. For example, you can head to Charles Krug, Napa’s oldest and most iconic winery, and enjoy a free tasting and tour, saving you $65. Visit Sterling Vineyards in Calistoga where you have to take an aerial tram to the tasting room. With a Pass, the tram ride and tasting are half off. Or you can check out Teachworth Estate Winery in Calistoga where you will get one complimentary tasting with the owner or winemaker and access to purchase some private reserve cabs from 2011-14. Bouchaine Vineyard in Carneros is offering a complimentary walk through the vineyard tour and tasting which is not available to the public. And, the club Blue Note in downtown Napa is offering a complimentary glass of wine and dessert at any Blue Note event.
A Priority Wine Pass will also get you other exclusive tasting experiences, such as cave tours, VIP tours, unique food pairings, additional pours and more. For $65 (normally $90), you can learn how to taste wine with Level 3 Sommelier Victor Orozco who hosts private morning lessons where you can learn about the ways of tasting and then can go out and use those skills at the wineries during the day. Or receive a special rate of $100 per couple (normally $135) for the Judd’s Hill Wine and Food in Balance Seminar.
No matter where you go, with a Priority Wine Pass, you will save hundreds of dollars while wine tasting. And you will be introduced to numerous new wineries you have likely never visited. A Pass will also get you discounts at some of the top hotels in Napa, Sonoma and other major wine regions in California. You can also get discounts on car services, often enough to cover the cost of the card.
A Priority Wine Pass costs $59.99 per year. But, with code “napavalleylife”, you can save $20. That means that for $39.99, this entire world of wine will be unlocked and you and a friend will have access to all of these experiences and more.
Written by Allison Levine
