Mount Tamborine Wine Tasting Tour from Brisbane or the Gold Coast

A great trip around.

Had a happy trip to the wineries Barry our guide was great informative and helpful . Had lunch at George’s in the mountains which was also terrific.

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Great trip

We had a brilliant time going between wineries, very well organised trip with a Great guide, Barry.

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Direct breach of contract and zero value for money

We paid $720 for a group of four for a Full Day Mount Tamborine Wine Tour on Sunday 26 April, but the experience was such a disappointment that we ended up at a local bottle shop as soon as we got home just to have a proper drink and laugh /cry about how badly we had been ripped off. I have done this tour twice before and it was great, but the service being delivered now is a shadow of its former self. We were taken to exactly one actual winery. The second stop was pitched as a winery but was really just a retail bottle shop that only sold wine. Even if you were to count that as a second location, visiting only two wine spots on a full day wine tour is not sufficient for a $180 per person price tag. Across both locations, the samples were so small that if we had poured every sample from all four of us into one glass, it would not have even amounted to a single full glass of wine. The biggest letdown was being dropped on the main street for two hours and told to find and pay for our own lunch. I reached out to the company directly to resolve this. They tried to claim that this tour does not include lunch anymore, which is factually incorrect. Our booking confirmation explicitly states, "your driver will confirm your lunch selection with you" and gives instructions on how lunch venues handle dietary requirements. Since I raised this with them, I noticed they have now amended their own website, yet many other referring sites and recent reviews from only weeks ago still clearly state that lunch and 4 to 5 winery visits are included. Since I provided the company with the proof from our confirmation email, they have completely ghosted me. They also attempted to use RSA regulations to justify the microscopic wine samples. RSA is about safety and preventing intoxication; it is not a legal mandate to serve tiny drops for a group of four over a six hour tour. It is a shame to see a company I used to recommend deliver such a diminished experience. Being left to pay for our own meals and visiting a bottle shop instead of wineries was a total waste of money. Please check your confirmations carefully, as the service currently being delivered does not match their advertising or the confirmed inclusions on the ticket.

Response from the operator: We do not agree with the claims made in your review and would like to clarify a number of inaccuracies. Your booking was for our Public Full Day Mt Tamborine Wine Tour. This tour includes visits to three venues with tastings and scheduled free time on the mountain for guests to purchase lunch at their own discretion. It does not include lunch. This has been clearly outlined in the tour inclusions at the time of booking. Your statement that we changed our website after your complaint is not true. The tour your friend booked clearly stated three venues with tastings and did not include lunch. Your friend booked directly on our website. To book this tour you would have gone via the page outlining the public tours and what’s included as well the booking page which also clearly stated the inclusions. Your statement that we “ghosted” you is also incorrect. We responded to your email within 48 hours and clearly explained that your booking was for our Public Tour, which does not include lunch. Because the tour included the three advertised venues and tastings, we advised that a refund would not be issued. You then sent a second email threatening what you would do to our business reputation if your group was not refunded, which appears to have led to this Tripadvisor review attempting to discredit our business. Not receiving the refund or outcome you wanted does not mean you were ignored. We responded to your complaint, provided clarification regarding the tour booked, and made our position clear. We will not engage further with threats or demands for compensation when the services booked were delivered as advertised. You have also mentioned for your second stop we took you to a bottle shop that only sold wine. The “bottle shop” you are referring to is actually the cellar door at Cedar Creek Estate Vineyard & Winery, one of the oldest established vineyards on Tamborine Mountain and like all wineries, they sell their wine. You also complained about the size of the wine tastings provided during your tour. As explained previously, all tastings are served in accordance with current Australian Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) guidelines. While RSA laws are designed to prevent intoxication, they also set service guidelines for licensed venues, including wineries conducting tastings. RSA training dictates that wine tasting pours should be small, controlled samples, generally around 20ml to 30ml per serve. We have since spoken directly with the staff at the venues your group attended, and they confirmed that your tastings were served in line with these guidelines and standards provided to all guests. The venues also confirmed that no concerns or complaints were raised by your group regarding tasting sizes at any point during the day. Had this been raised at the time, staff would have had the opportunity to address your concerns. Yes, our website and standard booking confirmation emails which are sent to all guests regardless of whether they book a Public or Private Tour reference that lunch venues can cater for dietary requirements. Naturally, that information applies to tours where lunch is included as part of the package. You stated that you had previously completed this tour when lunch was included. That is correct. In the past, our Public Tours did include lunch and were a higher per person price ; however, they no longer do so and have not for quite some time. You mentioned that many other guests posted positive reviews about enjoying a two-course lunch. That is correct because, those guests booked and paid for tours that included a two-course lunch. All Private Tours include lunch, which is reflected in their higher tour price. We appreciate feedback, however it is important that reviews accurately reflect the product that was actually purchased and delivered on the day. What was delivered matched exactly what was booked and paid for, with no variation from the advertised inclusions.

via Tripadvisor

Andy is a great guide

From the moment Andy picked us up, we knew it was going to be a fun day. He was informative, had a great sense of humour and nothing was too much trouble. Coming from NZ it was great to hear about the local area. We wanted to change our tour slightly to include a distillery and a pub and it was seamlessly accommodated. Andy’s energy and his positivity made our day one to remember. The wine was not the hero of the day but the distillery and the choices of drinks was fun! Also Angie at the distillery was amazing and a great host.

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Great day trip from Brisbane to wineries

Andy picked up on before the scheduled time. We had 1 other stop and heading to Tamborine. First stop had nices views and some nice white wines. I did not care for the reds. Second stop had a lot happening and was a much busier winery. Had small pours of 5 wines that were good overall followed by lunch (we were given several options to pick from). Dessert was lemon cake with blueberry icing (too sweet for me). We were able to stop at a lookout of a valley. Last winery stop was my least favorite. Final stop was a distillery that was interesting. Bus seats were not that comfortable.

Response from the operator: Hi Robert, thanks for your feedback. As is usually the case, guests don't like every wine they try, we all have different taste buds. We don't control what food is served at venues. Yes, the mountain roads are quite a bumpy ride. Regards Barry

via Viator