Collingwood: Blue Mountains Wine and Cider Tasting Tour

The best part of this Collingwood tour is its variety. In four hours, you visit a winery, a vineyard, and a cider house and distillery, tasting the products that suit the Blue Mountains region: wine from local grapes, cider from local apples, and small-batch spirits. It gives you a useful snapshot of the area without asking you to plan several rural stops yourself.

I like the small group of up to 12 people, which should make tastings more personal and keeps the van from feeling like a large excursion bus. I also like the combination of wine and cider, plus a light charcuterie lunch at vineyard settings. The main consideration is pace: three venues in four hours means each stop is focused rather than leisurely, and anyone wanting a long meal or a slow cellar visit may find the schedule brisk.

Key points to know

• Three different tasting stops: Visit The Roost Winery, Georgian Hills Vineyard, and Spy Cider House and Distillery.
• A full tasting lineup: Sample four wines, three wines plus a cider, four ciders, and a 1.5-ounce pour of homemade spirits.
• Charcuterie included: The Roost and Georgian Hills pair tastings with a light charcuterie plate.
• No designated driver needed: Air-conditioned van transport connects the venues and returns you to Blue Mountain Village.
• Small-group format: The tour is limited to 12 participants and conducted in English.
• Non-drinking options: You can bring non-drinkers, with tour choices available with or without alcohol tastings.

Starting at Blue Mountain Village

Your meeting point is beside the Village Market in Blue Mountain Village. This is a practical place to begin if you are already spending time at the resort area, though you will want to confirm the exact starting time when booking because the tour runs for four hours and departure times vary by availability.

From there, Canadian Craft Tours handles the driving. That matters more than it may first appear. Rural tasting routes are difficult to enjoy if one person must count every pour and stay behind the wheel. The air-conditioned van lets you focus on the scenery, the food, and the tasting notes instead.

The group size is limited to 12. I consider that one of the tour’s stronger features. Smaller groups usually make it easier to hear the guide, ask questions, and move through tastings without the stop feeling like a production line. A compact group also suits the intimate character of smaller wineries and cider producers.

The tour is in English, and the guide leads the tastings and shares the background of the three venues. One guide was praised for bringing high energy to the drive, taking care of the group, and photographing participants along the way. Since no guide names are provided, you should not expect a specific guide on every departure, but the guide’s role is clearly more than simply driving the van.

The Roost Winery: four wines and a generous first stop

The first destination is The Roost Winery. Here, you taste four wines with guidance from your tour leader and pair them with a charcuterie plate.

This sounds like a simple opening stop, but it sets the tone well. Starting with wine and food gives you time to settle into the day before moving on to cider and spirits. The charcuterie also turns a series of samples into a light meal, which is useful on a four-hour outing where the focus is tasting rather than a full restaurant lunch.

The Roost seems particularly suited to visitors who prefer a more personal setting. The stop has been described as an intimate experience, with attention to the food as well as the wine. That personal quality can make a difference if you are new to wine tasting or would rather ask straightforward questions than listen to a long technical presentation.

You receive four wines here, so this is not just a single sample before moving on. The exact varieties are not specified, and the available selection may change. I would approach this stop with curiosity rather than a fixed expectation about grape types or sweetness.

The charcuterie is one of the most praised parts of the outing. It is described as beautiful and mouth-watering, which suggests more than a token plate beside the tasting glass. Still, keep your expectations in proportion: the tour calls it a light lunch. If you need a large meal, plan to eat before or after the tour.

Georgian Hills Vineyard: another food pairing with wine and cider

Next comes Georgian Hills Vineyard, where you receive a guided tasting of three wines and one cider. A second charcuterie plate accompanies the tasting.

This stop gives you a useful comparison with The Roost. Instead of tasting only wine, you can see how cider fits into the region’s drinking culture. The Blue Mountains area is presented as suitable for both grapes and apples, and this part of the tour makes that connection easy to understand through tasting rather than a lecture.

The three-wine lineup is smaller than the four pours at The Roost, but the added cider keeps the stop varied. If you are traveling with someone who likes cider more than wine, this may be one of the more appealing parts of the day. It also prevents the itinerary from feeling like the same tasting repeated three times.

The second charcuterie plate helps spread the food across the afternoon. That is a practical touch, especially if the tastings are close together. Food can also help you pace yourself, though you should still drink responsibly. Intoxication is not allowed, and Ontario’s legal drinking age is 19.

Georgian Hills is also where the tour’s regional theme becomes clearest. You are not just sampling unrelated drinks. You are trying products tied to local fruit growing, with wine and cider presented side by side. For someone deciding between a wine-only outing and a broader food-and-drink tour, this mixed format is a strong reason to choose this one.

Spy Cider House and Distillery: the most playful finish

The final stop is Spy Cider House and Distillery. The tasting here includes four ciders and a 1.5-ounce serving of homemade spirits.

This is the widest change of pace on the route. After two vineyard-focused stops, you finish with cider and spirits. The cider tasting gives you four different pours to compare, while the spirit sample adds a final touch for anyone interested in distilling as well as fermentation.

The stop has also been described as entertaining. That makes it a useful finale, since the day is not ending with another quiet, similar wine presentation. The exact entertainment is not specified, so you should not book it expecting a particular show or performance. Think of it as a lively venue within a tasting route rather than a separate entertainment attraction.

The 1.5-ounce spirit serving is larger than a tiny taste, so pace yourself. By this point, you may already have sampled seven wines and several ciders. The tour includes a designated driver in the form of the van, but that does not mean you should treat the itinerary as a drinking challenge.

If you prefer cider to wine, Spy may be your favorite stop. If you are primarily interested in vineyards, the earlier venues will likely carry more weight. Either way, the final stop broadens the experience and gives you a better sense of the area’s small-producer food and drink scene.

Why the four-hour schedule works, and where it feels tight

Four hours is a sensible length for a tasting trip from Collingwood. You get three venues without giving up an entire day, and the return to Blue Mountain Village makes it easy to fit the outing around other plans.

The tradeoff is that the schedule must keep moving. You will not have unlimited time at each venue, and the tour is not designed for long independent exploration. The guide manages the route, tastings, and transfers, so you are buying convenience and variety rather than complete freedom.

I would choose this tour if you want a structured afternoon and do not want to research producers or organize transport. I would choose a longer private outing instead if your priority is lingering at one vineyard, taking extensive photographs, or buying time for a large meal.

The air-conditioned van is another practical advantage. Weather in Ontario can vary, and the van gives you a comfortable break between stops. It also removes the need to nominate one person as the driver, which is particularly valuable when the itinerary includes wine, cider, and spirits.

What the $152 price includes

At $152 per person, the tour is not a bargain basement tasting, but the price covers several separate services: an English-speaking guide, transportation, wine, cider, and spirit tastings, plus a light lunch.

The value depends on how you would otherwise arrange the day. Three individual venues may require a car, a designated driver, careful route planning, and separate tasting fees. Here, the transport and coordination are built in. You also receive food at two stops, which helps make the cost easier to justify.

The small-group size improves the value for people who care about a more personal outing. You are not simply paying to be carried between venues. The guide introduces the stops and leads the tastings, and the compact group allows room for questions and group photos.

Still, the price may feel high if you are not interested in drinking. Non-drinking options are available, but the core experience is built around tasting. A non-drinker may enjoy the food, countryside, company, and transportation, but should compare the alcohol-free price option carefully before booking.

Who should book this Blue Mountains tasting tour

I would recommend this experience to couples, friends, and small groups staying in Collingwood or at Blue Mountain Village. It works especially well for people who want a relaxed day out but do not want to arrange a private driver.

It also suits mixed groups. One person may prefer wine, another cider, and a third may enjoy spirits. Because the tour includes all three, you do not have to choose a single style of drink for everyone.

The tour is less suitable for wheelchair users, since it is not listed as wheelchair accessible. It is also not a good match for anyone who dislikes scheduled group outings or wants a full meal rather than light charcuterie.

Bring a moderate appetite, comfortable clothes, and a willingness to pace yourself. The guide may take group photographs, a thoughtful touch if you want a record of the day without asking someone in your party to handle the camera.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want three contrasting stops, included transportation, and enough food to support an afternoon of tasting. The Roost’s personal feel, Georgian Hills’ wine-and-cider pairing, and Spy’s cider and spirit lineup give the four hours a clear sense of progression.

I would skip it if you want a slow, single-vineyard visit or a substantial lunch. For most visitors based in Collingwood, though, the mix of local drinks, charcuterie, small-group transport, and a lively final stop makes this a practical way to sample the Blue Mountains region without worrying about the drive home.

FAQ

Where does the tour begin?

Meet the Canadian Craft Tours guide in Blue Mountain Village next to the Village Market.

How long does the experience last?

The tour lasts four hours.

How many people are in the group?

The group is limited to 12 participants.

What drinks are included?

You taste four wines at The Roost Winery, three wines and one cider at Georgian Hills Vineyard, four ciders at Spy Cider House and Distillery, and a 1.5-ounce serving of homemade spirits.

Is food included?

Yes. The tour includes a light lunch with charcuterie plates at The Roost Winery and Georgian Hills Vineyard.

Is transportation included?

Yes. Air-conditioned van transportation between the meeting point and the three venues is included.

Can non-drinkers join?

Yes. Tour options are available with or without alcohol tastings, so non-drinkers can join the outing.

What is the legal drinking age?

The drinking age in Ontario is 19. Intoxication is not allowed on the tour.