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‘The perfect pairing’

Windsor entrepreneur launches Vintage Vino Tours — a wine outing unlike any other

CAROLE MORRIS-UNDERHILL carole.morris-underhill @saltwire.com @CMUnderhill

Like fine wine and cheese, pairing vintage vehicles with touring Annapolis Valley's wine country just makes sense.

So says the entrepreneur behind Vintage Vino Tours.

“As fun as a bus atmosphere can be, I think folks are looking for a smaller, more intimate, personal and exclusive experience that they can enjoy with friends or family,” said Brennan Fitzgerald, who held a soft launch of the business in June.

Vintage Vino Tours officially opens to the public the second week of July.

Fitzgerald said there are two customizable tours available each day — one during the daytime, the other at night.

Participants select which places they want to visit and where they want to eat within a 25-minute radius of Wolfville. A tour typically consists of visiting three wineries, cideries or breweries.

“It's really flexible and customized to an individual's preferences,” said Fitzgerald, noting if a guest is “becoming one with the patio furniture somewhere,” they can opt to stay longer instead of following a strict itinerary.

There are currently a handful of companies offering wine tours. What sets Vintage Vino Tours apart, Fitzgerald said, is its flexibility, stylish classic vehicles and the atmosphere that accompanies it.

“Forget the big bus, forget the rowdy guests, forget the strict schedule. We do tours a little different,” he said. “Our tours can be relaxed or they can be as energetic as you like. They're really catered to an individual's own desires for their day.”

The main vehicle involved in the tour is a 1947 Ford Super Deluxe — Fitzgerald likens it to “a Bonnie and Clyde bank robber car” — and he has access to a 1958 Chevy Delray and hopes to add a 1952 Pontiac Chieftain to the mix soon.

“It's a nice old vintage car,” said Fitzgerald of the Ford.

And it certainly turns heads.

immediately Fitzgerald said people take notice when he arrives — and guests often get dolled up to participate in a tour, though that's not necessary.

“Folks tend to wave when they see a vintage car go by. I don't know what it is about waving at a car, but folks love waving and so we're always waving back and it's one of my favourite things about the tour,” Fitzgerald said with a laugh.

He said his guests basically become mini celebrities.

“It's such a unique and fun experience in and of itself.” Fitzgerald, who lives in

Yarmouth Windsor, grew up in and still has family in the area. He moved out west when he was 10. In August 2019, he returned to the Shelburne area to get married to Anastasia Narkevich. By November of that year, the couple relocated to Nova Scotia and he began a job with the Valley Regional Enterprise Network. He left his position in November 2021 to start Vintage Vino Tours.

He said this is his first “deep dive into entrepreneurship” and he's excited to see where

business. the future leads for his

“I think a vintage car and wine tour is the perfect pairing. It's like wine and cheese or like Tidal Bay and really great local seafood,” he said.

Fitzgerald said he thinks there will be room for a variety of wine tours in Nova Scotia as each one offers the guest a different experience.

“I think that the tours will be really popular with locals and tourists alike. We provide,

I think, a really authentic and a quality service and that will resonate with both,” he said.

The target demographic,

celebrating he said, is people special occasions — like an anniversary, birthday or promotion — as well as small corporate outings.

“They're quite intimate experiences obviously being between two and four guests, but I think that's kind of the market that we're going after.”

A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE

For Lorrie Churchill, who was vacationing in Nova Scotia in June, she wasn't sure what to expect with the tour, but she's pleased she gave it a try.

“You don't have to be a wine connoisseur — it's much more than that. And it's so

customize fun because you can

it and make it your own,” she said.

Churchill, who isn't a wine drinker and not familiar with the Annapolis Valley's burgeoning wine industry, dressed up in a Marilyn Monroe-style dress and picked out which places to visit. Among the highlights was a trip to Luckett Vineyards — with the iconic red phone booth where she called her aunt — and a meal at Maritime Express Cider Company in Kentville.

Churchill said Fitzgerald made her and her friend feel pampered the entire time.

“I've been in sales and customer service for years so I really appreciate details. Everything, right down to the last detail, you could tell it had been so thought out,” said Churchill.

For example, it was a hot day when the women took the tour and each time they returned to the car, Fitzgerald presented them with cooled

lemongrass wet towels to freshen up with. He also had snacks in the car, and when

wildflowers, they spotted a field of he pulled over so they could take photos.

“So, I think the takeaway that I would want people to know is don't just assume you're going to get a wine tour. You're getting so much more for your money,” she said.

Churchill, who lives in St.

Albert, Alta., said she can't wait to do it again, and is planning to return in September to celebrate her 50th birthday in style.

“I think even though it's vintage, it's a very modern, new thing,” said Churchill.

GO ONLINE

To find out more about Vintage Vino Tours, check the business out on social media or visit vintagevinotours.ca.

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2022-07-05T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-07-05T07:00:00.0000000Z

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