By Ian Stalker
Tipsy Wagon Tours uses a vintage truck to transport wine lovers in search of a great vintage. Non-wine connoisseurs are welcome, too. The Palmyra-based company’s 1972 Volkswagen bus – called Mable – takes guests on tours of Virginia’s famous wine country.
Mable’s life began as a taxi in Brazil before Katie and Ken Galan, looking for their next adventure, renamed her their signature Tipsy wagon. Mable has six doors and two fold-out windshields. She can comfortably seat eight people.
“My husband and I are always looking for fun and unique experiences wherever we go,” says Katie. “After experiencing a wine tour in California, we knew we wanted to bring a unique experience to Virginia wine country.”
There are many options in the tour bus space, all of which the couple researched. “But when we found Mable, we knew she was the one for us. She’s beautiful and brings a nostalgic factor,” Katie continues, adding that the name Mable is of Latin origin. “It means lovable.”
Katie says Mable is in “top shape” for the tours, which last about 3.5 hours and travel through Virginia’s wine country, where “the wine is incredible,” and include stops at three area wineries. TipsyWagenTours.com
This article originally appeared in the August 2024 issue.
