The popularity of food trucks endures, and wineries around the country have taken note. From a bicycle that can carry 16 bottles to a rehabbed school bus with wines on draft, artistic vino vans are increasingly serving wine on the go. And makers of beer, cider and spirits are cashing in on the trend, too. Here’s where the booze is cruising.
Chai Vin & Cie
Quebec’s first mobile wine truck once just served ice cream, but a savvy communications firm that promotes wine and eno-tourism turned the 1988 Grumman truck into a road-ready tasting room last year. Selections change weekly, offering between six and eight wines, many of which are sourced in Quebec.
Hanging out near downtown Montreal? Don’t miss Vélo Vino, a wine bike run by Chai Vin & Cie that can hold up to 16 bottles.
Originally conceived for the over-the-top Neiman Marcus Fantasy Gift Guide by interior designer Brad Ford, the Woody Tailgate Trailer is made from repurposed Bulleit Bourbon casks and once retailed for more than $150,000.
Bourbon lovers have caught glimpses of the trailer at NFL tailgating events, private parties and premier spirits festivals across the country like Tales of the Cocktail, held in New Orleans each July.
Outfitted with leather furnishings from Moore & Giles and a flat-screen TV, the Woody serves samples of Bulleit Whiskey and Rye in an upscale environment. It also offers custom cocktails like the New York Sour, comprised of Bulleit Rye, lemon juice and simple syrup.
To follow the Woody as it slings whiskey from coast to coast, check the Woody’s Instagram account.
Located in a small section of Lot A at AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, The Yard is a year-round food and drink village created out of recycled shipping containers.
A former school bus was converted into Off the Grid, a wine bus parked at The Yard. The eatery serves a rotating selection of wines on tap (largely from Sonoma, Napa and Washington State), alongside beer from Anchor Brewing Company and small bites like fish tacos and garlic-lime potato wedges.
Next month, Potter’s Craft Cider will debut its 31-foot Airstream Sovereign Land Yacht Tasting Trailer, which will serve as both a mobile taproom and retail outlet.
“We will have the ability to park semi-permanently, adjacent to the Greenwood Gourmet Grocery [in Crozet, Virginia],” says Tim Edmond, co-owner. “It’s conveniently located on the way to the majority of the breweries and wineries in our area.”
Edmond and his business partner, Dan Potter, plan to bring the trailer (which sports two bars) to festivals, events, weddings and downtown Charlottesville, Virginia. At pop-up tasting events, the duo will offer draft cider and sample their upcoming Sapling Series, small-batch ciders that include barrel-aged projects, sour and funky ciders, blends and infusions.
Once a frequent fixture at 3302 SE Division St. in downtown Portland, Oregon, this beautifully restored 1972 Citroën H van now mostly works private events run by the Union Wine Co. team.
“Whether it’s wine in a can, keg, or at the tasting truck, we’re always looking for new and accessible ways to introduce people to wine,” says owner Ryan Harms. “We saw a place for wine in Portland’s thriving food-cart scene and are excited to have our truck join the community.”
Under the glow of artfully exposed light bulbs, the winery pours its popular Underwood, Kings Ridge and Alchemist bottles from the truck’s wooden bar.
When not serving as a tasting station for visitors, this 28-foot 2010 Airstream trailer hits the road to promote Virginia wines across the state and in nearby Washington, D.C..
The Airstream places a particular focus on introducing Virginia wines to farmers markets, including FreshFarm Markets’ Ballston and Crystal City locations and Mosaic Central Farmers Market. Fans can catch a glimpse of the wine trailer at urban festivals, too, like Richmond, Virginia’s Fire, Flour & Fork culinary event in October.
“Woody is the name of our 27-foot-long mobile bar on steroids,” says Sean McBride, senior brand sales ambassador. “We have 16 taps inside pouring eight different Deschutes Brewery beers all around our distribution footprint.”
Since Woody spends 10 months traveling the country each year, you can find the 7,000-pound cedar trailer, designed to resemble a giant beer barrel, at top beer festivals and outside fun beer bars. The mobile tasting trailer even gets its own birthday celebration: toast Woody with a cold one at the Fremont Oktoberfest in Seattle this September.
1
2The Bulleit Woody Tailgate Trailer
3Off the Grid at the Yard
4Potter’s Craft Cider Tasting Trailer
5Union Wine Co. Tasting Truck
6Early Mountain Vineyards Airstream
7Deschutes Brewery Woody
