Tracie Pabst, Owner | Wine Country Concierge
The Spirited Grape
Your go-to wine country experience itinerary planner
Creating memories from wine country experiences
Founder - Tracie Pabst
About The Spirited Grape
Tracie Pabst, wine and travel lover, is founder of 'The Spirited Grape' has been traveling to wine country, both domestic and international, and enjoying wine for over 15 years. Tracie has attended many sommelier-lead classes and has been educated by other wine experts to include winemakers and vineyard owners. She likes to host wine parties and share how wine and food pairings can add a new level of appreciation for wine. Tracie's passion to share her knowledge with others and provide joyful experiences is what makes her wine country getaways different from others. The Spirited Grape provides the opportunity to enjoy “unique to you” wine country experiences, creating memories with family and friends. Tracie works directly with the wineries, allowing the opportunity to provide an amazing experience during your stay.
Tracie will remove the daunting task of selecting from hundreds of wineries and booking appointments to make the best use of your time each day. In addition to winery visits, which may include, private tours, private tastings, and winemaker dinners, she will plan other activities and options for accommodations based on your preferences. No stress with plan preparation, leave this to Tracie!
The Spirited Grape creates wine country experiences in:
California – Lodi and Amador County, Napa, Sonoma, Temecula
Washington – Walla Walla, Woodinville
Oregon – Willamette Valley
More locations continue to be added and if there is a specific place you would like to visit, please ask!
Services
Wine Country Itinerary Planning
Let me get to know you and your wine preferences so I can create a custom wine country experience itinerary tailored to you.
Wine Tasting Tours
Sit back, relax, and allow Tracie to take you to the best local wineries around the Twin Cities area while
enjoying an afternoon viewing the countryside of Minnesota and Wisconsin.
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Tours are typically between 5-6 hours
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Comfortable Luxury SUV Transportation
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Visit to 3 wineries, with a tour and a tasting flight of wine at each stop included
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Water and snacks provided
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Cooler available for your wine bottle purchases
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Fun and knowledgeable tour guide
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The Spirited Grape swag bag for each guest
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Custom pick-up and drop-off within the free service area
The Spirited Grape can host between 4 – 6 people at $150 per person. Food packages are available to build into your private tour for an additional cost.
A deposit of $200 is required upon signing the Private Tour Agreement to reserve the date and time of
your tour. The deposit will be applied to your tour price and is non-refundable. Everyone on the tour must be 21 or older, with a valid ID.
Testimonials
"If you have ever thought about going on a winery trip, Tracie Pabst, owner of The Spirited Grape, is definitely the way to go. I have gone on three winery trips, two with Tracie, and one that she planned for me. Each trip was effortless, included fabulous and very different types of wineries, and virtually every detail was taken care of! Tracie even plans great options for food and lodging. Tracie is extremely knowledgeable about wine and has a personal relationship with many of the wineries. We were often able to meet with the wine maker, making it a very personal and memorable experience. Tracie is friendly, flexible, and will help you experience the kind of trip you are dreaming of. If you are looking for a great winery experience, I highly recommend any trip that Tracie puts together!"
- Renette McParland
"Tracie is an absolutely phenomenal planner. Her relationships with the various winemakers we visited made our trip to Walla Walla unforgettable. Tracie ensures that all details are well thought out; our Airbnb location relative to the wineries, efficient routes to wineries to maximize our time and visit as many places as possible. If you need anything wine related - trip planning, wine pairing tips, or connections to wineries - Tracie is your expert! I cannot recommend The Spirited Grape enough."
- Maggie Eisfelder
"Tracie is amazing! The Spirited Grape is a must use if you are a wine lover and need any assistance planning your next wine excursion. Tracie is professional, responsive and provides the best quality of service. I highly recommend The Spirited Grape!"
- Kendra Hassan
"Tracie was an absolute joy, and really knows her stuff! We had an incredible experience wine tasting in Jerome, Arizona for a bachelorette party with her as our guide. Tracie provided us with an overview of the town's unique history, as well as recommendations for good places to eat and shop. I'm always wanting to learn more about wine, and sometimes the process can be daunting, not knowing what questions to ask or what to look for in a good wine. Tracie enlightened us with each wine tasting, helping us all identify what we like and how to choose wines for a tasting. She was warm, personable, fun, professional and knowledgeable. Highly recommend booking a wine experience with Tracie!"
- Jackie Walther
"I was lucky enough to get to experience one of Tracie's trips to Jerome, AZ, and I can't recommend her enough! Not only did she find a wide variety of tasting opportunities, but she also helped me curate each tasting to my own personal preferences by identifying wines we knew I would like while also encouraging me to try some outside of my normal comfort zone. Tracie's knowledge (of not only wine but the whole town we were visiting), fun and personable attitude, and attention to detail made the whole experience unforgettable. I highly recommend booking a wine experience with Tracie!"
- Mackenzie Allison
"Tracie set up the entire trip for us – all the wineries, restaurants, fun events, and even found us the most amazing place to stay. We had an incredible time, all the fun without the stress of trying to figure out where to go. My favorite part of the trip was the experience of visiting the wineries. I love wine so that’s not a stretch, however, every place we went we felt like movie stars. At each winery, we either got a private tasting, we were able to meet the winemaker, or we tasted vintages typically reserved for wine club members. At three wineries we received a wine glass to take home, a nice memento of our experience.
We do not have the opportunity to go on vacation often, so I always put a lot of effort into planning a memorable experience. I feel like this wine country trip that Tracie created was so much better than anything I could have planned for myself. It was exactly what we were hoping for - fun, memorable, and planned perfectly."
- Kelly Merriman
"Where do I even start?!? First off Tracie is amazing.
Not only as a wonderful, caring, fun person but she is so well versed in wine and taught me a lot. Before I met Tracie I thought I had a sophisticated taste in wine. After spending a the day with Tracie in Jerome I learned so much I didn’t know I didn’t know. Tracie was able to help me understand the differences in wines and help me choose the what I like. She curated a tasting for me that was perfect at the original Jerome Winery. I would HIGHLY recommend Tracie and her services. Going to wineries can be extremely intimidating and Tracie is able to create an amazing experience for you.
Utilize Tracie for her knowledge and experience with wine and you’ll make a life long friend along the way!"
- Megan Seelos
"Not only does Tracie know everything there is to know about wine, she is also an amazing planner! I am very new to wine, so her help with choosing which wines to try at each winery was critical. She also researched all the wineries in town to ensure we would go to the best ones. Finally, she is such a fun person! I had a wonderful time experiencing the wineries with her. It will be hard to go to a winery without her. Highly recommend!"
- Alyssa Wigand
"I have had the pleasure of learning about wine from Tracie for the last couple of years. It has not only been very informational but also so much fun. Tracie's knowledge of wine is incredible, but paired with her exuberant personality the experience is always priceless. I am so excited and looking forward to going on a wine experience trip with her next year. Thank you Tracie for for all that you have done to make our wine tastings such a huge success. You are a joy to be around and I am more then grateful that I have been able to enjoy all of our time together."
- Sheila Nadeau
"Tracie put an amazing itinerary together for me at a recent trip to Temecula, Ca. I’m an amateur to wine tasting but I do know I love red wines. I explained what I was looking for. She even set me up on a couple tours where I met a couple winery owners Phil Bailey from Bailey Vineyards and Dave from Vindemia wines. I learned a lot. I’m looking forward to asking Tracie to organize another trip for me. I highly recommend using her services."
- Scott Harstad
Winemaker's Dinner
An exclusive dining experience in your home with family and friends where a private chef will create a multi-course dinner, paired with wine, and the opportunity to meet one of the winemaker/owners of the wine you are enjoying.
Your private dining experience will include:
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Prix fixe menu of tasting options to create your multi-course menu
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Wine pairings with each course
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Meet and Greet with Winemaker/Owner in person or via Zoom from wineries The Spirited Grape partners with for an exclusive dining experience. Selections include boutique wineries from Wisconsin, Minnesota, California, Oregon, and Washington.
We look forward to hosting you in your home for an exclusive dining experience you won’t want to miss!
4-Course Winemaker’s Dinner starting at $195 per person*
Other Winemaker's Experiences
Sparkle & Shine Winemaker’s Brunch
Wines are award-winning premium white, rose and sparkling; lovingly created in small batches paired with a 3-course brunch at $100 per person*
Dessert Decadence Experience
Wines express flavors complimenting rich and luxe desserts with white, red and dessert wines paired with a 4-course of desserts at $75 per person*