Sedona Wine Country Tours most popular trip is the Wine, Dine and Romance tour. It includes three wineries, a gourmet lunch and a rose.
Tour guide extraordinaire Laura Vandergrift, owner of Sedona Tours and guide service, is a historian, amateur archaeologist, geology buff and wine expert.
SEDONA - Anyone can take you on a tour of the Verde Valley's vineyards.
At the very least they would need a vehicle, a valid drivers license and knowledge of, or a map to, the valley's wineries.
But there is a big difference between taking a ride and going on a tour. The former will get you from point "A" to point "B." The latter, if done well, will get you an experience you would not have had on your own.
If you want a unique experience -- if you want things done right, you should consider Laura Vandergrift.
Vandergrift owns, operates and is in fact the sole employee of what is arguably Sedona's most experienced tour service, Sedona Tours and Guide Services.
She has been guiding visitors and locals alike throughout the southwest for over 20 years. She is a member of the Arizona Guides Association, a wine expert, local historian, former National Park ranger and an amateur archaeologist.
Over the years she has guided literally thousands of visitors, mostly for other tour companies. Two years ago she went out on her own, simply because she believed she could deliver a better, more personalized product.
She offers a variety of tours, but understand no two trips are alike.
"I really gear each tour toward what the customer wants," she says.
Should you choose Vandergrift, you can expect a history lesson or two, anecdotes about local characters, a short dig into Verde Valley archaeology and geology, and as much as you want to know about the local wines and wineries.
In short, expect to be impressed. She knows her stuff.
She offers a walking tour of Sedona and an excursion to Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well. But her real forte is touring of the valley's wine country.
Her most popular tour is the Wining, Dining and Romance tour, an intimate trip to three local wineries along with a gourmet lunch and a rose for your sweetheart.
She also offers an all girls day out tour she calls Wild Women Wine Tours and a general tour open for negotiation called Wine, Weddings and more.
For a complete list of all her tours, pricing and other information try her Web site www.sedonawinecountrytours.com or call Laura at (928) 554-4072.
