By Ian Stalker
Tipsy Wagen Tours uses a vintage vehicle to carry oenophiles in search of a great vintage. Even non-wine connoisseurs are welcome. The Palmyra-based company’s 1972 Volkswagen Bus— dubbed Mable—takes guests on tours through Virginia’s celebrated wine country.
Mable’s life began as a taxi in Brazil before Katie and Ken Galan, who were on the hunt for their next adventure, rechristened her as their signature Tipsy Wagen. Mable features six doors and two pop-out front windshields. She comfortably seats eight.
“My husband and I are always looking for fun and unique experiences wherever we go,” Katie says. “After we experienced a wine tour in California, we knew we wanted to bring a unique experience to Virginia wine country.”
In the tour bus space, there are lots of options, all of which the couple researched. “But when we found Mable, we knew that it was right for us. She is beautiful and brings a nostalgic factor,” Katie continues, adding that the name Mable has a Latin origin. “It means lovable.”
Katie says Mable is in “top condition” for the tours that take about 3.5 hours and traverse Virginia’s Wine Country, where “the wine is “amazing,” and stops at three area wineries are included. TipsyWagenTours.com
This article originally appeared in the August 2024 issue.
