Vacation Getaway Winery NYC NJ Affordable Girls Trip

Looking to get the heck out of Jersey for a few days to relax, replenish and refresh?

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That can be a loaded question with everything going on with gas prices and inflation but I do have an affordable suggestion that I experienced myself.

It is a winery tour in Jamesport, New York!

In case you didn't know, I live for wine.

Myself and my two best friends, Genesis and Nadia, took a birthday celebration trip last year and we are talking about doing it again this year!

I have to say...if you love wine, are on a budget and NEED to get out, this is the answer.

The drive is just under three hours and will fly by once girl talk ensues.

We booked a room at the Shorewood Inn which is located right in the middle of all the wineries we were scheduled to visit.

Here is the cool part: we booked a driver for the day so no one had to be the designated driver.

The company is called North Fork Designated Driver (YouDrinkIDrive.com) and for just $50 an hour plus tip, a driver will pick you up at your hotel, drive you and your friends around in your own car to the different wineries and then will drop you off.

They were pretty flexible too. We ended up extending our original reservation so we could have the driver bring us to the beach, to dinner and of course, the liquor store!

Now let's get to the juicy part: the wineries we visited.

First, we visited Raphael Winery.

The three of us split a white wine flight for just $25 - I can't find their menu online to see if this price has increased since.

It automatically came with a small snack pack because you can't order booze without food in NYC. This stop was light because it was only the first one but the interior was gorgeous!

Next we visited Sannino Vineyard.

This location was a solid 10/10. There was indoor and outdoor seating available but I was so thankful to be out in the sun.

We ordered tw red wine flights ($35 each) and a white wine flight ($35) -- and no, it was not difficult to finish them all.

The sun, the wine, the view and the company made this spot a relaxing little getaway all on its own.

We also ordered their warm, soft pretzel with mustard for $18.00 but for an additional $5.00, we tried this sriracha honey that was sweet but spicy. I strongly recommend.

The final spot Shinn Estate Vineyard.

This spot I would have to say was my favorite.

Nadia and Genesis tried two different flights of wines that included whites, reds and roses. One was the Red Flight which cost $30 and the other was the Summer Flight which cost $26.

I, however, decided to go for a homerun and ordered a bottle of rose that we all ended up sharing for $42. The food purchase here was pretzel nuggets with hot cheese dip for $13. It hit the spot.

The set up offered both indoor and outdoor seating but once again, so glad we were able to sit outside.

We also asked our driver to bring us to a close by beach before calling it for the day and it was SO relaxing.

And just to put it into perspective, this was the view as we were being driven back to our hotel at the end of the day.

I would say between the three of us, the total amount spent was between $350 to $400 each which is a chunk of change but is a steal for the royalty treatment we received.

Not to mention, there was only three of us.

If you have four, five or even six people in your group total, that cost can easily be cut in half.

The most expensive part with this type of trip will always be the wine and food you order at each winery.

You can cut costs by splitting with friends or minimizing the amount of wine you drink.

But who on earth wants to go on a winery tour and limit your wine intake?! NO ONE!

This little getaway really helped me to escape and relax.

And like actually relax....like I did not have a care in the world and I did not realize how much I needed it until I was there.

So it might be worth making a reservation, taking the drive to get dressed up with those who are close to you.

To learn more about North Fork Designated Driver, CLICK HERE.

To learn more about Raphael Winery, CLICK HERE.

To learn more about Sannino Vineyard, CLICK HERE.

To learn more about Shinn Estate Vineyard, CLICK HERE.

I hope you enjoy! And remember....pinky out.

But if you need an escape and want to remain a bit closer to home, take a look at these options:

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