Great Wolf Lodge Launches 'Wine Down' Service

For parents who want a little bit of pampering while their “pups” are frolicking in the waterslides of the Great Wolf Lodge resorts, there is now an assortment of grown-up beverages to choose from via its new Wine Down initiative.

This particular wine, cheese and dessert pairing program is available at the Williamsburg, Virginia and Grapevine, Texas locations and will be rolled out across14 other properties later in the year.

Chris Hammond, Great Wolf Lodge’s Corporate Director of Food and Beverage, said that the brand decided to partner with The Wine Group in Livermore, California after sampling a number of their offerings.

“We chose the Wine Group as a partner because it is one of the largest wine distributors in the country,” he said in the phone interview. “From their portfolio, we chose the wines we thought would be the best and looked at pairing possibilities,” he added.

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Current offerings are bundled into $35 packages.

—The “Rekindle the Bonfire” package includes a bottle of Chloe Prosecco and dark chocolate-covered strawberries marked with white chocolate paw prints.

—The “While the Pups Sleep, Chardonnay” pairing features brie, dried apricots and crackers and a screw-top Cupcake Chardonnay.

—The “Time for Some Cabernet” option will give you a platter of cured meats with Mediterranean green and black olives along with a Concannon Cabernet Sauvignon from Monterey County.

—The Pinot Noir option features the chocolatey, velvety texture of Love Noir.

You’re not restricted to these food pairing options, however. You can mix and match according to taste.

The idea originated organically after understanding guest needs and the realization that while the lodge was so committed to providing bedtime stories and yoga programs for the younger set, “we didn’t have something specifically for adults.”

READ MORE: 5 Ways Great Wolf is More Than Just a Waterpark

“The wines we selected are approachable and quite popular,” Hammond said. Each $35 package comes with a keepsake wine opener, and guests can select a delivery time within the 8-11 p.m. window. They will get a text message to alert them that the delivery is outside the room, rather than risk waking up kids.

The brand is just a few weeks into the program and the response has been positive, says Hammond.

Future possibilities include craft beer pairings.

There are other resorts—like Disney’s Napa Rose Chef’s counter at its Grand Floridian hotel—that offer wine pairings for guests. Napa Rose also has custom-label Pixar wines from John Lasseter’s own vineyard.

Great Wolf’s program is yet another reminder that a family experience does not need to sacrifice fine taste for the grown-ups.