Uncorked provides tours of local wineries and more
Jodi McIntyre (from left), Aaron Paul and Stacey McIntyre sit inside the shuttle bus that’s outfitted with custom purple upholstery in a booth-like configuration. {Vikki Broughton Hodges/Davidson Local}
Visitors and residents alike can now hire a designated driver to take them to local wineries, a cidery, a microbrewery and an upscale whiskey and cigar lounge for tastings.
Uncorked Touring Company opened about a month ago to allow groups of friends, family members and coworkers to safely enjoy stops at tasting rooms in Davidson County and leave the driving to them.
Aaron Paul and Stacey McIntyre moved to Lexington this past summer to launch the business. The couple had been in Austin, Texas, and enjoyed visiting wineries in the Hill Country, but there were already tour operators there and the rapidly growing area has become increasingly expensive.
Jodi McIntyre (from left), Aaron Paul and Stacey McIntyre stand in front of the Uncorked Touring Company shuttle bus that takes people to Davidson County wineries as well as a local microbrewery, cidery and whiskey and cigar lounge. (Vikki Broughton Hodges/Davidson Local)
Originally from Vermont, Aaron said they decided to look for opportunities near wineries on the East Coast. On a “Cork Talk” podcast, Stacey first heard about the Southern Gateway Wine Trail, which includes several Davidson County wineries that are part of the Yadkin Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA), North Carolina’s first federally designated wine region. She did more research online and discovered a wine region ripe for their business plan.
After spending the summer visiting wineries and other places on their tours, as well as dining uptown, the couple began networking with the owners of businesses they wanted on the tours as well as the Lexington Tourism Authority and other business groups.
“We really fell in love with the place and the wine and we want to help expose these places to everyone else,” Stacey said. “Everyone here has been so receptive to working with us. They’ve been welcoming and encouraging.”
In addition to a love of wine, the co-owners bring specific skill sets to the new business. Aaron, a military veteran, has a background in logistics and finance while Stacey has a background in marketing and digital design.
She will keep their website and social media platforms updated. Just recently, Jodi McIntyre, Stacey’s sister, moved from Wilmington to join the business as operations manager in charge of booking and customer service. Aaron and Jodi drive the van, which they had customized with purple upholstered seating and a long skinny bar with cup holders in the middle. “We were going for a booth vibe with the cozy, pub-style upholstery — not just a shuttle bus,” Stacey noted. Aaron said the tours are a fun way to celebrate birthdays and bachelorette parties as well as team-building outings for employers.
Uncorked offers private group tours to four wineries for a minimum of six and maximum of 10 people at $160 per person on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The tour leaves from downtown Lexington, 333 S. Main St. (the city’s electric car charging station) at 10 a.m. with the first stop at Childress Vineyards around 10:30. With the stop lasting until noon, people can arrange to have brunch at the Childress Bistro, do a wine tasting and visit the gift shop. Aaron noted the winery has agreed to reserve a table for the group as needed. Costs for brunch and tastings at Childress are not included in the tour fee. However, as part of the tour fee, members of the party can choose either a wine tasting or a glass of wine at the next three stops — Weathervane Winery and Junius Lindsay Vineyard in northern Davidson County and Curran Alexander Vineyards in the western area of the county. A featured glass of wine from one of the vineyards visited and water are complimentary. The stops in the afternoon each last for an hour to an hour and a half with the party returning downtown by 5:30. “Because they’re close together, we’re able to give people a lot of vineyard time on our tours,” Aaron noted.
On the first Sunday of each month, the same itinerary is available for a ride share wine tour when couples or groups of less than six can share a tour with others. The cost is $150 per person.
Another option offered by Uncorked is a “Boozy Field Trip Tour,” which begins at 11 a.m. and features hour-long stops at Bull City Ciderworks in Lexington’s Depot District; a winery stop at either the Old Homeplace in northeastern Davidson County overlooking Lake Thom-A-Lex or Curran Alexander; Goose and the Monkey Brew House, also in the Depot District and ending with Smoke and Oak at 127 W. Center St., which has an extensive bourbon, scotch and whiskey collection as well as cigars. This tour is also for six to 10 people and costs $100 per person with one complimentary libation.
For an hourly fee, Uncorked also offers wedding and other special event transportation services. They are currently working with The Holt House event venue in Lexington.
Since the tours end up back downtown around dinner time, Uncorked has a suggested list of restaurants and places to have a drink on a card they hand out to customers, which also includes the Lexington Tourism Authority website for those wanting to explore the area further.
“We really want to help Lexington grow,” Aaron said. “I think it’s cool to open people’s minds to what Lexington has to offer,” Stacey added.
For more information, visit the website at uncorkedtouringcompany.com.
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