Imbibing in the Great Outdoors
Wings and Wine Festival | Veneta, Ore.
Secret House Winery will host the fourth annual Fern Ridge Wings & Wine festival, an event to learn about migratory birds and local wines. The winery will pour free wine samples and members of the Lane County Audubon Society will lead hourly birding walks of the winery grounds. A special three-winery tour (Secret House Winery, Sweet Cheeks and King Estate) with birding will start at 1 p.m. (tickets required). There will be talks about wildflowers and bats, and exhibits, food, raptors and an art show, too. Bring a picnic and the kids. Go to wingsandwinefestival.com for details and to RSVP.
WHEN May 9, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
WHERE 88324 Vineyard Lane, Veneta, Ore.
HOW MUCH $35, for three-winery tour; fees vary for other events
Vineyard Walk & Click | Glen Ellen, Calif.
B.R. Cohn Winery hosts walk-and-shoot tours through its Olive Hill Estate vineyards. David Sharp, a local photographer who works in the winery's tasting room, leads the walks and will talk about the region's terroir and give pointers on lighting and photographing of close-ups, flowers and vines. The walk through the rolling hills is not strenuous, and a box lunch is included in the fee. RSVP at brcohn.com.
WHEN By appointment, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
WHERE Tasting Room, 15000 Sonoma Hwy., Glen Ellen, Calif.
HOW MUCH $45, $10 extra for wine tasting
Casting & Cabernet | Greenwood, Va.
Pollak Vineyards will host guests for a wine tasting and an introduction to fly-fishing. Wines will include the recently released Pinot Gris, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Meritage. Local outfitter Albemarle Angler will provide gear, casting instruction and tips for every skill level (or, BYO fishing gear). Pack a picnic, too. Directions and information at pollakvineyards.com.
WHEN May 3, Noon to 4 p.m.
WHERE 330 Newtown Rd., Greenwood, Va.
HOW MUCH $20
Horses, Dogs & Wine | New York
Outdoor Bound Adventures, a Manhattan-based travel company, offers day-trip wine adventures to the Hudson Valley and Long Island's North Fork. The monthly horseback-riding and wine-tasting trip includes a two-hour ride and a tasting at Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery in Warwick, N.Y. Pack your pooch for the "Dog, Beach & Vine" trip to Long Island. Dogs run on the beach and owners taste wines at two wineries. Go to outdoorbound.com for fee details and to RSVP.
WHEN Horseback, April 26, May 10, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Dog, May 3, 8:20 a.m. to 6 p.m.
WHERE Buses depart from locations in New York City
HOW MUCH Horseback, $139; Dog, $120
Sonoma Vineyard Walks | California's Sonoma region
Zephyr Adventures, a Montana-based travel company, hosts vineyard travel adventures around the world (Italy, Spain, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, Burgundy, California and Oregon). The company offers private Sonoma vineyard walks for one, three or five days by appointment. The one-day walk includes a hike through two vineyards (Alexander Valley Vineyards, Michel-Schlumberger, Montemaggiore or Quivira Vineyards & Winery) and two tastings, lunch and your own private guide. Book tours at sonomavineyardwalks.com.
WHEN By appointment
WHERE California's Sonoma wine country
HOW MUCH $125, one-day; $105 each, for groups of 10 or more, one-day
Hike & Taste | Kenwood, Calif.
Kunde Family Estate offers several hikes through its vineyards. Sonoma Valley docent Bill Myers leads a "hike and taste" tour that focuses on the winery's winegrowing practices and includes a wine tasting (bring your lunch). Jeff Kunde leads the Eco-Tour hike and teaches visitors about sustainable winegrowing (includes lunch). Dogs are welcome on the July 11 Eco-Tour; bikes later in the season. Check the calendar for year-round hikes; kunde.com.
WHEN Hike & Taste, April 25, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Eco-Tour, July 11, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
WHERE 9825 Sonoma Hwy., Kenwood, Calif.
HOW MUCH Hike & Taste, $25; Eco-Tour, $45
Tuscan Trek | Italy's Tuscany region
Husband and wife team Claudio Bisio and Patricia Thomson started "La Dolce Vita Wine Tours" in 1999. The Tuscan Trek is one of the most popular and includes six days of daily walking tours and tastings of Brunello, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Rosso di Montepulciano, Vernaccia and some Super Tuscans. Fees include most breakfasts and dinners, all wine tastings and wines with dinner and ground transportation during tour. Other upcoming walking tours include Piedmont and Cinque Terre, the Alps and the Amalfi Coast. Details at dolcetours.com.
WHEN May 24-30
WHERE Montalcino and San Gimignano, Italy
HOW MUCH $2,795