The Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Grapevine, Texas is becoming nationally known for its family-friendly attractions. Legoland, Great Wolf Lodge Waterpark, Sea Life Aquarium, and the Gaylord Texan Resort are all located nearby. But if you’re looking for a more adult kind of fun–the kind that involves crushing some tasty wines with friends–Grapevine has that, too.
For DFW locals, Grapevine is a convenient day trip or staycation. For out-of-town oenophiles, it can be a destination unto itself. We looked beyond the ordinary tasting and shopping activities to find these five delightful experiences for wine fans.
1. Cruise Around on a Wine Bus
New to the area (or to wine)? Grapevine Wine Tours offers a breezy overview of area wineries and of downtown Grapevine’s main drag. The wine bus picks up guests at mid-cities hotels, and each guided tour lasts about 4 hours.
You will visit three locations total: A winery, then another winery, then a third place for a 3-course meal (where there’s also a wine flight). Along the way, your driver/guide will tell you stories about Grapevine and Texas history.
The locations on this tour rotate, so you won’t know in advance where you’re going. The tour company works with numerous area wineries and chooses them based on availability. Lunch or dinner will be served at one of the most popular American or Italian restaurants in Grapevine.
All the restaurants serve crowd-pleasing food and the wineries can usually accommodate varied tastes in wine. You can purchase additional tastings and bottles at any of the wineries. If you’re picky, you can sometimes call ahead and find out where the tour is going. (On my most recent tour, we went to Bull Lion Ranch Winery, Landon Winery, and Farina’s Winery & Cafe for dinner.)
I’ve personally done this tour with friends, and it’s a great introduction to the wineries of Grapevine and the whole tasting experience. The wineries will be expecting you and will have a table or section reserved for the tour group. (It feels like a VIP experience–especially on nice-weather weekends when Grapevine gets busy.) The larger wine bus can hold up to 24 guests, so depending on the size of your party, you may be sharing table space and snack boards with another group.
Hopping around wineries is a lot more fun when you don’t have to worry about directions, downtown parking, and drafting a sober driver. With a wine tour guide you can stay safe and make new friends, too!
Includes 2 tastings with light snacks, 3-course prix fixe menu with wine, and transportation from select area hotels. Ages 21+ only, advance booking required. (Grapevine Wine Tours has been in business forever and they are experienced pros. Check out their comprehensive FAQ for the answers to literally every question you could have.)
Where: Grapevine Wine Tours
When: Lunch tours daily, dinner tours Monday through Saturday.
Cost: $134/person for lunch or $144/person for dinner. Does not include tax or booking fees or gratuities. Non-drinking adults (21+) can accompany the group for a discounted rate. Call the tour company for details.
2. Bottle a Custom Wine
How cool would it be to serve your own custom blend without buying a bunch of homebrewing equipment and driving your partner/family mad? Grape Vine Springs Winery offers the opportunity to blend and bottle your own unique wine creation.
A blending class is a novel option for family reunions, team-building, and wedding parties. Do you really want to do axe-throwing again? Or another escape room? Hmmm…come to think of it…I know axe-throwing and wine-tasting don’t mix, but someone really ought to make a wine-themed escape room. (Oh wait–they already have.)
Your class fee includes a detailed consultation where you will taste unblended wines and determine the perfect formula for your bespoke batch. When you’ve settled on the perfect balance, enjoy a glass with a cheese plate.
Your recipe will then be sent to Grape Vine Spring’s production facility in Fort Worth, and a custom blended bottle of wine will be ready to pick up in approximately 2-3 weeks. If you really love your wine, then why not order extras? You can serve the bottles at your next shindig, hand them out as party favors, or keep them at home and pour your own “house wine” to guests. If you’re not up for the whole blending class experience, they also offer custom labeling for their stock wines in quantities from 1 to 1000 bottles.
Where: Grape Vine Springs Winery
When: Flexible scheduling, email to reserve.
How much: $65/person (4 person minimum).
3. Become a Wine Genius with a Tasting Class
Lifelong learners, take note: It’s never too late to go to wine school. If you’ve ever wanted to be more confident talking about wine–or enhance your enjoyment with food pairing and tasting techniques–Winestein’s is there to help.
This downtown Grapevine bottle shop + tasting room is devoted to making wine fun and accessible, no matter where you are in your wine journey. After a class or two, even wine noobs will be able to swirl, sip, and (optionally) spit with the best of them.
Wine FUNdamentals is a popular introductory class that’s offered about every month. In this 2-hour tasting experience, you’ll sample popular varietals and learn easy tricks for decoding a wine label and pairing wine with food. The class includes six tasting pours (3 reds and 3 whites, plus a 5-oz glass of your favorite), small bites, and a surprise wine-related souvenir to take home. Winestein’s also offers beyond-the-basics classes on special topics like Cabernet and Italian wines.
Where: Winestein’s Tasting Room
When: Recurring dates (check the calendar for upcoming classes)
Cost: $79/person
4. Hop Aboard the Jazz Train
Speaking of “wine journeys,” you know what goes good with wine? Trains! I mean, jazz! Actually, both. You’ll feel like you stepped back into another era when you board the Grapevine Vintage Railroad. Be greeted on the platform by a live jazz band before embarking on your journey to the other end of the track and back.
Dress casual, or in your Jazz-Age finest, and enjoy this musical experience aboard a vintage 1920s rail coach. Ticket includes hors d’oeuvres from a local cafe paired with Texas wines by Landon Winery, Bingham Family Vineyards, and Messina Hof. (You’ll receive six 2-oz pours with your ticket–additional wine is available for purchase.)
The Jazz Train rolls out from the station seasonally on three Saturdays in April. Grapevine Vintage Railroad produces a holiday train too, but it’s nearly impossible to get tickets unless you plan a year in advance. (Also, downtown parking during the Christmas season can be gnarly. Also, Dallasites, as a rule, get really stressed out and rude during the holiday season. Maybe it’s because we think Santa can’t see us misbehaving all the way from the North Pole? Maybe it’s because there’s malls everywhere and you can’t escape them? I don’t know, but it’s a thing, and I’m embarrassed for us.) The Wine Fairy recommends the Jazz Train for better timing and chiller vibes.
Where: Grapevine Vintage Railroad Jazz Wine Train
When: April 12, 19, and 26 of 2025 (check the website for future dates)
How much: $65/person (21+ only)
VIP table (seats up to 4), includes plated meal and VIP parking: $395
5. Sip Wine in a Historic Train Station
Harvest Hall is a new-ish (2021) European-style food hall. It’s Grapevine’s answer to Plano’s Legacy West Food Hall and Dallas’s Trinity Groves. With soaring ceilings and vintage rail-station style, it’s a picturesque place to enjoy casual chef-driven cuisine.
Eight restaurant partners offer bowls and bites ranging from Thai to pizza to barbecue. Out-of-towners will love that Harvest Hall connects directly to DFW International Airport Terminal B via the TEXRail commuter train.
The Harvest Hall main bar–imaginatively named Main Bar–offers happy hour from Sunday through Thursday with $5 wines by the glass and food specials. Disappointingly, the wine list is more Paso Robles than Texas High Plains, with not one Texas wine on the current list. (I mean, I adore Paso, but Texans got to represent! At least they have local beer, and the cocktails slap.)
Also connected to Harvest Hall is Marriott’s wine-themed boutique hotel, Hotel Vin. Drop in for drinks at Bacchus Kitchen + Bar, the Rioja Rooftop Terrace (seasonal), or the secluded Magnum Speakeasy. (This whiskey-centric bar seats just 18 and often closes for private events–reservations are recommended via OpenTable.)
Other Options for Wine Lovers
Many of the best Grapevine wine experiences require a bit of planning ahead. In the past couple of years, the DFW area has seen an influx of new residents from California, who bring with them a love of wine culture and an appetite for premium culinary experiences. That’s awesome for the food and beverage business, but it has made same-day reservations largely a thing of the past.
If you do find yourself in Grapevine without plans, never fear! Main Street is lined with friendly shops and restaurants, most of which are able to offer wine tastings and flights to walk-in guests.
Grapevine’s wine tasting rooms used to be known for sticky-sweet, often flavored wines made in bulk from California juice (I’m looking at you, D’vine Wine). But I’m happy to report that that is also changing, and many of the most award-winning and exciting Texas wines are now poured here.
Whatever you choose to do with your day (or weekend) in Grapevine, I wish you a fabulous trip filled with wine and Texas sunshine! To find out what wine-related events are coming up next, check out the Visitors Bureau link below.
Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau: Texas Wine in Grapevine
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.
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