Wine passports explained.

Unfamiliar with the concept? A wine passport (sometimes called a wine pass) is essentially a package of discounts and special offers from participating wineries. You purchase access to the offers from the pass sponsor, which aggregates and markets the offers. Once you’re the proud owner of your new wine passport, you’ll be extended the discounts or special packages when you visit the participating wineries.

Why purchase a wine passport? Two words: “smart” and “math.”

It’s a smart idea to take advantage of special offers and discounts from participating wineries, and a great way to explore new regions! With so many small and boutique wineries popping up, just figuring out where to jump in is a challenge. We use our wine passport as a kind of road map for exploration, and, saving on tasting fees or enjoying specially-priced “members only” experiences is a smart way to learn and discover new favorites.

The “math” behind your purchase of a passport can be especially compelling. When you’re evaluating a pass, pick some samples of wineries you would likely visit, and the cost of tasting fees at those wineries. Now, compare it to the cost of your pass, plus the discounted tasting fees you’re entitled to. Personally, we were shocked by how much more money we’d have for purchasing the new wines we discovered by saving on tasting fees! Here’s a hypothetical sample so you can get an idea:

There are so many wine passports available – some are specific to regions, (and even for certain weekends!), all will have an expiration (of course, some are structured as the same offer (such as a 2-for-1) for up to x number of participating wineries, and some offer a large variety of different discounts or even specially-priced, exclusive experiences.

One final heads up – do make sure you understand the terms of the pass itself and read the offers from participating wineries you plan to visit carefully! All of the pass sponsors and participating wineries want happy customers, and knowing whether the offer is only good certain days of the week, or in certain locations (for wineries that have multiple tasting rooms) will make sure a good time is had by all! (Which is the point of it, right?)

As purchases of many passes (all of which we’ve found valuable!) are favorite (and the one for which we are an affiliate) is Priority Wine Pass! It’s good for a full year from your date of purchase, it has over 300 participating wineries across California, Oregon and Washington, AND, it costs only $49, BUT ONLY if you use promo code WINERY at checkout! Jump in, you’ll have fun! 🙂