Wine Tasting Team Building Trips

What better way to improve relations between your team than with some great wine and good food on a wine tasting team building trip?

Here at Grape Escapes, our expertise lies in organising unforgettable corporate trips. We will take care of the smooth-running of the entire event including your travel, your accommodation and most importantly, your memorable wine tasting team building itinerary!

All of our corporate itineraries are completely bespoke and tailored entirely to your requirements, however we have listed below some of our favourite unusual wine tasting team building activities, depending on your budget.

To see exactly how a Grape Escapes wine tasting team building trip would pan out from start to finish, have a look at our sample itinerary for a Team Building trip to Provence.

Low Cost, Great Value Wine Tasting Team Building Activities

• Open a bottle of Champagne with a sabre: You will be taken out into the Champagne vineyards, where you will be welcomed as the guests of a boutique Champagne maker. As well as having a tour of the property, you will learn the Napoleonic art of Sabrage (the art of opening the Champagne bottle with a sword). Since you will each open a bottle you will then need to drink at least some of the Champagnes that have been opened. Learning Sabrage is a tremendously fun and festive activity and not only is it a fantastic photo opportunity, you will also have acquired a new party trick to entertain your friends and family at home with! You can see Sabrage in action on our You Tube channel.
• Bordeaux Wine and Cheese Workshop: This mouth-watering and insightful wine tasting team building activity takes place at a Grand Cru Classé Château in Bordeaux. Following a private guided tour of the breathtaking estate and cellars, you will taste three of the Château’s wines, perfectly paired with a selection of local cheeses.
• Take Part in the traditional Spanish tapas run in Rioja: Spend the evening taking part in the traditional tapas run in the Calle Laurel in the quaint Spanish town of Logroño. As the Guardian’s Food and Drink journalist Norman Miller reported, “Almost 50 tapas bars are crammed into a single block about the size of four tennis courts.” To avoid competition, each bar specialises in just two or three dishes, therefore you will have the opportunity to sample a whole host of colourful creations as you work your way along the street. Your Grape Escapes Tour Manager will of course be on-hand to steer you towards the best bars.
• Provençal Picnic in the Vineyards: Following a full tour of the estate of a premium Provence wine-maker, an extensive tasting session will ensue. A gourmet picnic lunch will have been prepared for you here, and this can be enjoyed in a picturesque spot in the Château’s grounds.
• Aerial Ropes Course in the Champagne Countryside: For this fun-filled treetop activity, you will be taken to a unique tasting destination- located at the top of the treetops in the Verzy forest. Here, you will admire the Champagne countryside with a flute of premium Champagne from the very highest point in the Marne Valley. However, to get here, you will need to complete a circuit of an aerial ropes course! For the braver group members, you may wish to embark on a Tyrolean circuit which allows you to descend the hillside on a zip line

Our Most Popular Wine Tasting Team Building Activities

• Fiat 500 Tuscan “Booze Cruise”: The Fiat 500 is an emblematic symbol of Italian culture, and therefore what better way to explore the breathtaking Tuscan vineyards? The morning will be spent driving through the beautiful Chianti countryside as part of a guided convoy of iconic Fiat 500 cars, stopping at panoramic view points before heading to an award-winning producer of Chianti wines. Here, you will be taken on a full tour of the beautiful Renaissance villa and cellars and the visit will conclude with tastings of their wines and extra virgin olive oils. After a traditional light Italian lunch at the winery, you will be taken back to the city by mini-coach.
• Traditional Tuscan Cookery Class: A local Chef will take you to the market to select products and will then take you to a great cooking location to teach you about Italian cuisine. Why not split into teams for some friendly competition? You will then taste the fruits of your labour together over a convivial lunch.
• Go-Karting: A great idea for a team building event, this activity includes 10 minutes of timed practice (qualifying to set grid positions) then a 20 minute race with a glass of Champagne for each group member and medals for the top three placed karts.
• Gourmet River Cruise in Bordeaux: A unique way to discover Bordeaux! On this guided river cruise, you will be taken along the port whilst learning about the city’s maritime past and the history of the thriving wine trade. A fantastic three course lunch with drinks will be served on board.
• Sunset Barbecue in the Chianti Vineyards: Enjoy an enchanting evening in the Chianti vineyards, starting with a visit of an authentic Tuscan winery, followed by a wine tasting. You will then discover the farm’s historic chapel. A mouth-watering traditional Tuscan barbecue, accompanied by music will be waiting for you at the end of the tour.

Luxury, VIP Wine Tasting Team Building Experiences

• Gala dinner as the guests of a top Bordeaux Château: You will be warmly welcomed at a prestigious Château in the Bordeaux vineyards for a full tour of the majestic estate and cellars, and a decadent four course dinner will be served in the Château’s opulent dining room. Each course will be perfectly paired with one of the Château’s Grand Cru Classé wines.
• VIP Spanish Cookery Experience in San Sebastián with one of the world’s top 10 gastronomy guides: Gabriela Ranelli, who is known as one of the top 10 gastronomy guides in the world will accompany you throughout the day on a once-in-a-lifetime VIP foodie tour. She will firstly take you on an extensive tour of the city’s markets and specialist gastronomy shops to purchase fresh produce for lunch. The Basque country is famous for its ultra-exclusive private gastronomy clubs, and the afternoon will be spent with Gabriela at her own club, where she will lead a hands-on cookery demonstration. The tapas in San Sebastián are considered true art forms, and Gabriela will teach you some of her favourite creations. You will then taste your creations alongside a selection of local wines over an entertaining lunch at the club.
• Dine in the cellars of a world-famous Champagne House: The highlight of any luxurious team building trip to Champagne would be a VIP visit at one of the region’s large, prestigious Champagne Houses, such as Moët and Chandon, Taittinger or Veuve Clicquot. As well as having a behind-the-scenes tour of the magnificent, impressive cellars, a gala dinner will be served, alongside a selection of Champagnes from the estate. Why not enjoy a spot on dancing after dinner with a DJ, or we can even arrange for you to be entertained throughout the meal by CanCan dancers, mime artists or a traditional French accordionist.
• Ferrari Race in Florence: You will be taken to a private venue on the outskirts of the city for a morning spent racing Ferraris. This thrilling activity will offer a real competitive aspect to the trip, in the form of a circuit with skittles and start/finish posts. The VIP Ferrari “Time Speed Distance“ competition depends on the abilities of the driver, rather than depending on the speed that the vehicle can achieve (for example, a circuit has to be done in 20 exact seconds. If is completed in 19 or 21 seconds, there is a 1 second penalty). Along the circuit, speed traps are positioned to determine actual speed and the pilot’s ability is calculated through his capability in following the time instructions given before the race. Timekeepers record each run and present a rank at the end of the race in an awards ceremony. The Competition will also be assisted by a photographer for once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunities.

Give us a call on +44 (0) 1920 46 86 66 or e-mail info@grapeescapes.net to start planning your wine tasting team building trip with our team of experts.