What to Wear to a Winery – Outfit Ideas for Wine Tastings and Events
As summer washes over Auckland and the weather improves, winery season will soon kick into full swing. Whether you head to the Marlborough region for a pleasure trip or your workplace ends the year with a winery retreat on Waiheke, there’s one important question you need to answer: What should you wear?
Knowing what to wear to a winery is easy when you have the right background information. These are semi-formal venues with more outdoor air, so both full-length dresses and summery attire are welcome.
Let’s learn what to wear to a winery, so you can enjoy your summer spritz in style.
Do wineries have dress codes?
As with restaurants, the answer to this question is sometimes.
Wineries are a bit of a middle ground when it comes to dress codes. They’re in-between spaces, usually with indoor, outdoor, and hybrid areas that invite a more relaxed vibe.
Depending on the winery’s reputation, you might find a dress code on their website or social media. If the venue doesn’t indicate what to wear, the event you’re going to is the next best hint.
Most of the time, smart casual to semi-formal will be your best bet. You can lean into summer or spring formals or cocktail party attire, depending on the event; otherwise, a tailored sundress or a polished two-piece will never steer you wrong.
When in doubt, the golden rule is: if you’d wear it to a nice garden party, it’s likely welcome at a winery.
What not to wear to a winery:
Generally speaking, hitting either end of the formality spectrum – unless an event dress code specifies the outfit – is best avoided. Too casual or too formal might make you stick out in the wrong way; an elevated look with some personality is best.
Let’s get into some outfit inspiration for that garden-party, wine-tasting, end-of-year fun vibe.
What to Wear to a Winery (Ideas By Occasion)
A casual wine tasting with friends.
Heading to a winery with a few friends is one of the best ways to spend a Saturday. As long as you’re meeting the semi-formal bar, you can wear anything you’d like, but we have a few recommendations to get you started.
Lean breezy and easy, but with polish. A linen sundress in a solid colour or a floral midi dress works beautifully. Dress it up with accessories, bringing along a clutch and a statement necklace to scale the ‘fit more toward ‘special afternoon out’.
For colour, soft neutrals and warm tones are great for a tour through the cellars, while relaxed natural pastels (like greens, pinks, and blues) fit right in while walking through the orchard rows.
Keep your footwear in mind. If you’re touring the grounds, you’ll likely be walking across grass or gravel. Dress up your outfit of choice while keeping it casual with block-heeled shoes, ballet flats, or strappy sandals. A low wedge is also comfortable and always welcome on a casual winery trip.
A lunch event.
Lunch at a winery is a bit more formal, closer to a garden party than a casual drink with friends. You’ll likely be spending time in the on-site restaurant or down in the cellars, which calls for something with a more defined silhouette.
When considering what to wear to a winery lunch, start with a garden-party base and add a little personality. A wrap dress in an earth tone or a midi with more structure at the waist will serve you well. Have fun with colours; warm, bright shades (like red, terracotta, or coral) suit lunch events perfectly.
You can also play with accessories to pull your look together. A wide-brimmed hat is a great choice for practical sun safety that still creates a statement.
A corporate retreat or work event.
Work-related functions shift the tone slightly more toward the professional, but that doesn’t mean you have to compromise your personal style. Heavy formal wear would be a bit unwieldy at a winery, but something more tailored than a sundress is a great choice.
Think collared, sleek, or structured (or better yet, all three). Length and colour matter here, as you don’t want to go too short, and you may want to lean toward solid colours for a professional vibe. Colours like navy, cream, and sage all show up beautifully in those end-of-year corporate retreat photographs.
An evening at the vineyard.
Finally, you’ve got evening events. Knowing what to wear to a winery at night might not come naturally, as wineries are typically daytime visits. But events hosted in winery restaurants, cellars, or marquees after the sun goes down offer a real chance to style out.
Full-length dresses and more formal, romantic silhouettes work beautifully. Flowing or sleek shapes work well, like a silk maxi or a fitted floor-length gown.
Consider deeper, jewel-toned shades to complement the darker time of day. An evening spent at the winery is made even better when you’re wearing deep burgundy, forest green, or sapphire. When in doubt: commit to a formal look you love. Confidence is key; we already know you’ll look fantastic.
Style out for your next winery trip this summer with Stylestarter.
Now you know what to wear to a winery; the only thing left is to find the dress. Luckily, we can help.
From cocktail gowns to full-length dresses, our dress-for-hire range includes everything you might need to enjoy a winery trip as your best self. Browse our range to find the perfect dress for your next event.