These tours brings great wines, oenophiles together
A choice of three luxurious rides await those who sign up with Crush Wine Tours. Owner John Bracken said bringing wine and wine lovers together for memorable experiences is a passion of his. Photo submitted.
John Bracken no longer owns Crush Wine Bar & Tasting Room. But he’s still involved with wine.
He sold his restaurant last year to Nancy Anderson, who has since opened her own, Hazel’s on Main, in the same location.
The sale allows Bracken to focus more time and energy on his passion, Crush Wine Tours. It’s a business he started five years ago and is now growing.
Bracken has added a 25-passenger limo coach to a fleet that already included a 14-passenger limo bus and 8-passenger limousine.
“The limo bus is something we’ve had since 2019. We started with that. Later that same year we bought a stretch limo for smaller groups,” Bracken said. “And then last year we added the big … limo coach.”
The limo coach is shorter than a Greyhound bus, but large enough to carry 25 passengers and their luggage.
The coach “has grown our capacity… yet is still small enough to get in and out of tight winery parking lots and driveways,” Bracken said.
Still, it’s large enough “to transport large groups of people, and their luggage, to and from the Portland airport,” he added.
According to the company’s website, amenities in the rides include:
Stretch limousine: powerful stereo system, three access doors to prevent scooting across seats, and complimentary water bottles.
Limo bus: Classy, tall ceilings, handrails, big screen TVs, powerful stereo system, and complimentary water bottles and ice.
Limo coach: Easy step ups into vehicle, handrails, three flat screen TVs, powerful stereo system, underneath storage for luggage and coolers, and complimentary water bottles and ice.
Bracken describes the rides as high on style.
There is no need for a designated driver. So everyone in a group can enjoy the fun.
Two different styles of tours are offered.
“One of them is the private kind. We come to pick you up wherever you want to get picked up, like at home or a restaurant. The place you want to wind up at the end of the tour, where you can eat, drink some water, and sober up,” Bracken said.
The other option, the joinable-tour, offers the possibility of bringing different parties together.
“The join-able tour program is public. Anyone can sign up for seats. Three seats. Four seats. However many seats they need, for their tour group,” Bracken said.
According to Bracken, the bus leaves whether there are two people on board for the join-able tour, or if it’s at capacity.
Patrons have their choice of visiting two or three wineries. They have their choice of 24 wineries.
Bracken decided to focus more on tours than his brick-and-mortar restaurant because it aligns with his idea of experiencing more of the region’s offerings.
“Finding out that the tours were in line with my passion is one of the main drivers for me. I want to do well and be successful. I also want to experience as much as I can that this world has to offer,” Bracken said. “It dawned on me one day that the tours are in line with that; they are an experience and something that will create memories. For some people, it may be a once-in-a-lifetime event; for others, it may be something they start doing every birthday because they love it so much.”
Go to crushwinetours.com for more information or to book a tour.
