What to Wear to a Winery: Outfit Ideas for Every Season

I often drag one of my dearest friends, Greta, to wineries. We have a long-distance friendship, but she’s usually willing to drive or fly to meet me for wine tasting (which is, surprise surprise, one of my favorite things to do!) One time we were wine tasting, she looked at me and said, “I wish you had a blog post about what to wear to a winery.” I did, technically. It was from 2015, and I was wearing stilettos. Cringe.

Since that post in 2015, I’ve visited over 200 wineries across five countries, gotten my WSET Level 2 Certification in Wine, and ruined exactly one white dress. So, I’m here to answer the age-old question: what should you wear to a winery? Here’s the actual answer — what works, what doesn’t, and why.2

What to Wear to a Winery: The Short Version

The four rules that matter, in order: don’t wear white, wear something you can sit down in, leave the stilettos at home, and bring a layer.

Is there a dress code at wineries?

Most wineries have no formal dress code. Tasting rooms in the U.S. are overwhelmingly casual — jeans are fine, sandals are fine, and nobody is turning you away for a sundress.

The exceptions are worth knowing: a handful of estate wineries with fine-dining restaurants ask for smart casual at dinner, and some members-only tasting rooms lean dressier. If you have a reservation somewhere that felt expensive to book, it’s worth checking their website. But for a normal day of tasting, comfort wins.

Can you wear jeans to a winery? Yes. A dark, well-fitting pair is one of the most reliable things you can wear, especially in fall, and especially if you’re doing a barrel or cave tour where it’s cooler and dustier than you expect.

What is Vineyard Chic?

Vineyard chic means polished but practical: a flowy midi or maxi dress, a flat or low-block-heel shoe, natural fabrics, and one statement accessory. It’s the middle ground between garden-party dressy and weekend casual: put-together enough for photos in the vines, comfortable enough for four hours outside on uneven ground.

In practice: linen, cotton, and floaty prints over anything structured or synthetic. A hat. Real shoes.

The Four Rules

Don’t wear white

I’m going to be real with you: there’s a good chance you’ll spill something on yourself, or that someone else will spill something on you. If you’ve ever been at a winery on a Saturday when three bachelorette parties roll in, you know this is sometimes entirely out of your hands.

I stick to prints or slightly darker colors. And I keep either a Tide-To-Go pen or Wine Away in my bag every single time. If you don’t need it, someone else in your party probably will. Stay ready!

Wear something you can sit down in

This is the one people get wrong most often. In peak season, tasting rooms fill up, and the only open seat might be a blanket on the lawn. Wineries almost always have more outdoor seating than indoor.

Jeans or longer, flowy dresses and skirts let you sit down comfortably and get back up without a production. I avoid anything very form-fitting; it turns fussy by the third pour. If you’d rather wear pants, denim works, and wide-leg trousers are genuinely great here.

One honest note: my stomach bloats a little over a day of wine, cheese and snacks. A bit of room at the waist is always welcome; another reason to skip the form-fitting ensembles!

Skip the stilettos

You will almost certainly cross a gravel parking lot, and you’ll probably want to walk out into the vines. Heels sink. In fall and winter I wear boots with a chunky heel; spring and summer, it’s sandals.

Have fun with accessories

The big hat in your closet? Wear it. The blanket scarf? Bring it. Wineries are one of the few places where being slightly extra reads as correct rather than try-hard, and a hat does real work when you’re outside for four hours.

Winery dresses: what actually works

A midi or maxi dress is the single most reliable thing you can wear to a winery. You never know whether you’re getting a proper table, a barrel seat, or a spot on the lawn, and a longer dress handles all three.

Prints hide spills. Flowy beats fitted. Natural fabrics breathe when the afternoon gets hotter than the forecast said it would.

Go with a shorter dress only if you have a reservation and a guaranteed seat. Or if it’s a zillion degrees out. Just pack a pair of safety shorts to keep it cute.

What to wear to a winery in summer

Summer is when the midi/maxi rule earns its keep. Check the forecast for the specific AVA, not the nearest city: elevation changes things more than people expect, and a valley floor can run ten degrees warmer than a hillside estate.

Bring a layer, regardless of the forecast. In California’s dry climate, especially, a hot afternoon can turn into a genuinely cool evening fast. A light cardigan, pashmina wrap or a jean jacket in the car has saved me more times than I can count.

Flat sandals will always do the trick, and if hats are your thing, they’re great for sun protection. And don’t forget to reapply the sunscreen in between tastings!

What to wear to a winery in fall

Fall might be my favorite time to go wine tasting. It’s harvest season, so the whole place is working — you may see nearly-ripe fruit still on the vines, or catch the tail end of crush. If you meet a winemaker in October, they may or may not need a hug, depending on how the season went.

Temperature-wise, it’s the sweet spot: summer can be too hot at most U.S. wineries, winter too cold for outdoor seating. Just be careful in California: September and October are typically the warmest months of the year here.

What I wear: a midi dress with a chunky-heel boot, or dark denim with a sweater. A scarf that doubles as a blanket if you end up outside past sunset.

What to wear to a winery in spring

Same logic as summer, with more layering. Spring is unpredictable in most wine regions: bud break is beautiful, and the weather is moody. A midi dress with a jacket you can take on and off all day is the move.

What to wear to a winery in winter

Don’t write winter off for wine tasting. Yes, it’s off-season, but it’s one of my favorite times of the year to visit regions that might be packed at any other time of the year.

The thing nobody mentions: in a lot of wine regions, winter is the rainy season. That matters more than temperature. Dress weatherproof, and this is the one time of year I’d genuinely skip suede — boots, bags, jackets, all of it. Wet suede does not recover.

The other thing nobody mentions is that winter is when tasting rooms actually have room for you. When I went to Napa in winter, there were plenty of indoor tasting options, and visiting during the slow season was a real advantage. You get more time with the person pouring, and you’re not fighting for a table. We did see rain. It didn’t matter, because we weren’t relying on outdoor seating.

What I’d wear: something in a fabric that can handle a downpour, a real coat, and a boot you don’t mind getting wet. A sweater dress with tights and boots works. So does denim with a heavier knit. Bring an umbrella you don’t care about losing.

What to wear to a winery lunch or dinner

If you’ve booked a seated lunch or a dinner at an estate, you can dress up a little more than you would for a walk-in tasting — you’re guaranteed a chair, which removes most of the constraints. This is where a mini or a more structured dress finally works.

Still: real shoes. You’re often crossing the same gravel to get to the dining room.

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• California Wine Guides: Carmel Valley Wineries / Lodi Wine Country / Temecula Wine Country
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