TOUR AGENT (Australian): Rafferson Travel. What can I do for you?
TOURIST (Australian): Uh, hello. I’m here traveling in Melbourne this week. I’m from Sydney, actually. I found your travel agency online when I was searching for winery tours.
TOUR AGENT: We do several different tours of wineries in the region. Is there a particular winery you’re hoping to visit?
TOURIST: No, not really. I just thought it would be a fun thing to do. And, uh, I like wine, so…
TOUR AGENT: Brilliant. Well, I couldn’t recommend the tours more highly. With any of them, you get a very thorough education in the art of wine making, and you get to sample the products.
TOURIST: So, what’s the itinerary for these tours, exactly?
TOUR AGENT: At around 9 a.m., an experienced local wine expert takes you by bus to one of the wineries. The buses depart from our travel agency in the city centre.
TOURIST: Are they public buses?
TOUR AGENT: No, they are luxury buses with air conditioning. You’ll appreciate that on those hot days!
TOURIST: I’m sure.
TOUR AGENT: When you arrive around 10 a.m., you first meet the owner or manager of the winery, and then immediately take a tour of their vineyards. There you’ll see how the grapes are grown and harvested.
TOURSIT: That would be lovely.
TOUR AGENT: Then at about 11:30 a.m. you go into the winery to learn about traditional winemaking methods, which is what most of the wineries in this area still use today. Most of the places even display some of the antique copper winemaking tools used by pioneers back in the day.
TOURIST: Oh wow. So it’s truly an historical education.
TOUR AGENT: That’s right. And by about 12:30 everyone’s a bit thirsty, so you move onto the cellars for wine tasting. Uh, they provide some snacks at that point as well.
TOURIST: Do we have a meal in there somewhere?
TOUR AGENT: Yes, just after the tasting. At 1:30 p.m. you are served a four-course lunch with pairings of wine from their cellar.
TOURIST: This sounds fabulous. I’ll most definitely want to join one of the tours.
TOURIST: But what time do we return to the city centre?
TOUR AGENT: Around 4 p.m. usually, but it depends on traffic.
TOURIST: OK. That still leaves the entire evening, so that’s an advantage.
TOUR AGENT: Yep. And we find that after spending an entire day together, tour participants often want to have dinner as a group somewhere in Melbourne. We’ve seen a lot of friendships form from these excursions over the years.
TOURIST: Uh, so, how many people are on each tour?
TOUR AGENT: I’d say we typically have between 12 and 20 people, but the maximum number is 24.
TOURIST: OK. Are most of the people who join the tour tourists as well?
TOUR AGENT: Actually, interesting that you ask this question. I’ve found that there are often just as many locals joining as tourists.
TOURIST: Why do you think that is?
TOUR AGENT: Well, for one, you have the advantage of the local expert. If you go on your own, you miss out on the education about winemaking. And I think that’s a huge draw for most people.
TOURIST: Right.
TOUR AGENT: But another reason is that it’s more affordable to go with a group tour. Between the transportation costs, the wine tasting and the meal, you’d be paying quite a lot if you went on your own.
TOURIST: So, how much does the tour cost?
TOUR AGENT: It’s $120 per person. That’s all-inclusive.
TOURIST: That seems quite steep.
TOUR AGENT: Not really. The wine tasting itself at most wineries is around $80 to $100. And just the petrol you would need to drive to and from the wintery would cost well over $20. Not to mention the lunch, which is usually $60 in and of itself.
TOURIST: That is quite a bargain, then. How does one go about signing up for the tour?
TOUR AGENT: We have a tour going tomorrow, if you’re interested. I could put you on the list, as there are still 5 spaces left.
TOURIST: Yes, please. What do you need from me?
TOUR AGENT: Your name?
TOURIST: Marlene Becker. B-E-C-K-E-R.
TOUR AGENT: And how would you like to pay? A 50 percent non-refundable deposit is required.
TOURIST: Can I bring some money by this afternoon?
TOUR AGENT: Sure. Just remember our office closes at 5 p.m.