Local StoriesApril 29, 2026

Exploring Life & Business with Orson Hall of Wine Tours by Design, LLC

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Orson Hall.

Hi Orson, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am the Founder and Owner of Wine Tours by Design. Originally from California, born and raised in San Diego with a degree from University of California at Davis, 45 minutes east of Napa Valley. I have connections to many in the wine industry. My first career was in IT as a Project Manager (PMP) where I developed my skills in planning and organizing with attention to details.

I have always loved wine and the world’s wine regions. My company offers an array of wine events, organizing private tours of north Georgia, the West Coast and Europe. Based on the client’s requirements, each tour is uniquely designed with the client’s requirements in mind. I have organized and led 7-day tours of Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles and Santa Barbara County plus tours of France, Italy and numerous day tours of north Georgia. Many Georgians don’t know that we have 120 wineries in this state. Successful tours are ones where the venue has delicious wines and is a wonderful experience. My goal has always been to visit wineries with both.

My company also teach a Wine Workshop where you learn the practical basics of wine, something that is not taught in Georgia.

All my events are private, not public, i.e., a client calls us to organize a tour or Wine Worships for them and their friends. I was the Organizer for The Atlanta Wine Meetup for 8 years and doubled the membership before passing the torch.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have been some struggles along the way but I have found ways to minimize risk. We initially organized public and private wine parties, tastings, wine and chocolate pairings and wine tours of Georgia and California. It was just too many offerings and we weren’t making a profit at times so last year we rebranded the company from Wine Parties by Design to Wine Tours by Design, dropped our former marketing company and went with a new company that is specializes in our offerings. We also have a new website: www.winetoursbydesign.com.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
For West Coast and European wine tours, we try to exceed expectations every time by providing all the information that our clients need such as as an extensive Descriptive Itinerary, daily itinerary cards, maps (if needed for their “Day of Relief”) and reservations for lodging, restaurants, venues, and transportation. Many of the tour dinners include industry people and we have at least one dinner at a winery. We charge one price that covers all expenses. We have one requirement for our clients: be ready each day at the designated time. Everything else is taken care of. We use custom Sprinters on our West Coast tours and the same for 6 or more clients in Georgia. One of us takes the tour with the Georgia groups and generally with the European and West Coast tours.

Our Georgia Tours are unique in that we charge one price for all expenses, serve sparkling wine on the trip to the initial venue (legal if a business), provide lunch, an array of snacks, unlimited water and a canvas tote bag. We also provide our clients with a Descriptive Itinerary and Itinerary cards for the day. We pick up and return our clients at a location of their choice and encourage them to have someone they know drive them home from the return location.

Our Wine Workshop shares tips and information that novice drinkers need to know to enjoy a delicious glass of wine. I hear all too often wine drinkers say a wine is “too dry”. Our class discusses what this means, how to turn that glass of wine into a glass that they enjoy. A similar class with this information is not offered by any other organization in the Atlanta area. We serve Old and New World wines to contrast the styles, pour a sparkling wine to open their palates and serve one or two 30” charcuterie boards. The classes are held at a client’s location of their choice.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I do my best to minimize risks since that is the job of a Project Manager. It carries over into my wine business. Risks can be minimized by identifying and either dealing with them or have a plan to minimize.

The more planning that is involved in a Tour or Workshop, the less risks are an issue.

On the next page, prices depends on the number of clients on a tour or at a workshop. Workshop prices are generally $50-60/pp.

Contact Info:

Website: https://www.winetoursbydesign.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/winetoursbydesign/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OZHall/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orsonhall/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/wine-tours-by-design-suwanee?osq=Wine+Tours+By+Design

Woman standing behind a counter with a screen displaying a Riddling Rack and Wine Tours logo in a store or tasting room.

Table with various jars, bowls, and plates of food, drinks, and snacks in a room with maps and posters on the wall.

Assorted fruits, berries, nuts, and cheeses on a round platter with small bowls of toppings.

Group of people standing outdoors in front of trees and parked cars, some holding umbrellas, on a sunny day.

Five women sitting around a table in a restaurant, smiling and holding glasses, with large windows and outdoor scenery in the background.

Barn-style building with a pathway leading to entrance, surrounded by plants and outdoor seating, under a blue sky.

Five women standing outdoors in front of a garden and historic building, posing for a group photo.

Group of people sitting at a long table on a patio with large windows and a view of the ocean.

People sit at tables near large windows in a modern restaurant or cafe with industrial ceiling design.

Group of women sitting at a long outdoor table, smiling and raising glasses in a toast, with green trees in background.

Stone building with wooden door, outdoor seating with umbrella, potted plants, and a sign with a snake and grapes.

Two people sitting outdoors near a fire pit, clinking glasses of red wine, smiling, with cars and trees in background.

People gather in a decorated venue with a curved ceiling, chandeliers, and a large screen, some seated and others standing.

Five people in a wine cellar holding glasses of wine, surrounded by stacked wine barrels.

Large house with multiple sections, surrounded by colorful trees and gardens, with a parking lot nearby and rolling hills in background.

People gathered inside a circular room with a high, wooden, domed ceiling and large windows.

Bride and groom standing outdoors with a scenic hilly landscape in the background, bride holding a bouquet, bride's veil flowing.

Elegant banquet hall with a high ceiling, staircase, and decorated tables with chairs, floral arrangements, and lighting fixtures.

Group of fifteen people standing outdoors on a dirt path with trees and greenery in background.

Group of people standing and talking indoors with large barrels in the background.

People sitting at a table with glasses, bottles, and a flower arrangement, raising glasses in a toast.

Water flows from a narrow opening between rocks into a pool, with mist and rocks visible around the water source.

Two children standing next to a yellow sign in a forest, with large trees and green foliage around them.

Six people stand on a grassy area near the ocean, some taking photos, with waves and cloudy sky in background.

Group of six people sitting around a wooden table with food and drinks, smiling and enjoying a meal in a lively restaurant.

Group of ten people standing outdoors in a vineyard with grapevines and hills in the background.

Group of people raising glasses of red wine at a long outdoor dining table under a wooden pergola.

People gathered around a long table in a wine cellar with barrels on walls, tasting and discussing wine.

People sit around a table in a room with large windows, trees visible outside, and wooden ceiling with a chandelier.

Woman inspecting large container of dark purple grapes in a winery or processing facility.

Group of ten people standing outdoors with greenery and hills in the background, smiling at the camera.

Flower field with pink and purple flowers, windmill in background, partly cloudy sky, traditional buildings nearby.

Gray barn-style building with sign, red umbrellas outside, people sitting and standing, green lawn, blue sky with clouds.

Group of people sitting on couches outdoors in a garden, listening to a woman speaking, with trees and houses in background.

Two children sit on a large red Adirondack chair outdoors, with a building and American flag in background.

Group of ten people standing outdoors in a vineyard with hills and blue sky in the background.

Nurse in uniform talking to a group of women on a sidewalk outside a building.

Five wine bottles with different colored labels on a wooden surface outdoors, trees and sky in background.

Group of nine people standing in a winery with large wooden barrels in the background, holding glasses.

Group of nine people in a winery with large wine barrels in the background, holding glasses of wine.

Group of people sitting around a table with food and drinks, celebrating indoors with a flower centerpiece.

Cheese, grapes, cured meats, and olives on a round wooden platter with wine glasses in background.

Interior view with tall columns, barrels against a brick wall, and a person partially visible on the right.

Underground tunnel with barrels stacked on sides, concrete walls, and a pathway leading into the distance.

Stone tower with surrounding buildings, illuminated at dusk, with trees in the background.

Three men inside a plain room with white walls; two seated on a bench, one standing in a robe with hands clasped.

White windmill with black roof and blades, surrounded by greenery and mountains in the background.

Group of eight people sitting around a wine-tasting table with wine bottles on shelves behind them.

Pedestrian street with palm trees, shops, and people walking on a sunny day.

Ice cream flavors in a display case with labels including Nutella, Kinder Bueno, Snickers, Oreo, Cookies, and others.

Ancient stone aqueduct with multiple arches spans over a river, surrounded by green trees and a partly cloudy sky.

Interior of an airport with people walking and sitting, wooden arched ceiling, digital screens, and check-in counters.

Narrow street with buildings on both sides, three people walking in the distance, cloudy sky above.

Group of people sitting at a long outdoor table with food and drinks, smiling and socializing.

Bottle of red wine and a glass filled with red wine on a reflective table, with blurred background of plants and a person.

Group of ten people standing in a cellar with large wine barrels, smiling and posing for the photo.

Group of people sitting and standing outside on a stone patio near a stone building, some waving and smiling.

Group of people gathered around a kitchen counter, listening to a chef demonstrating cooking techniques.

Wine barrels stored in a tunnel with artificial lighting, large clay jar, and plastic containers on pallets.

Multiple wine bottles stored horizontally on metal racks against a wall, with some bottles stacked on the ground.

People sitting at a long table in a restaurant, holding wine glasses, with shelves and staircase in background.

People gather around a white table with bottles and a bowl in an industrial setting with large tanks and metal structures.

Group of six people sitting at a bar counter with glasses and drinks, smiling and engaging with each other.

Six wine bottles on a wooden table with a basket and a sign in the background.

Group of ten people sitting around a dining table with food and drinks in a cozy room with artwork on the wall.

Man in gray shirt and green shorts standing next to a large spherical object in a workshop.

Stone building with large glass doors and the word 'VITICCIO' on the wall above.

Woman smiling, wearing glasses and apron, holding a plate of raw meat in a restaurant setting.

People standing on a terrace overlooking a city with a river, bridges, and historic buildings, trees, and cloudy sky.

Group of people standing in a wine cellar with large barrels on the wall behind them.

Woman in pink sweater smiling, holding a glass of champagne, with greenery in background, and two other glasses in foreground.

Group of people gathered around a table with binoculars and a brochure in a stone-walled room.

Group of people sitting around a long table with food and drinks, indoors with large windows and a view outside.

Man taking a photo with a smartphone next to large glass bottles on shelves outdoors at night.

Yellow building with black shutters, blue door, and potted plants on stairs, with a gravel ground.

Person preparing food at a dining table with bowls of olives, blueberries, and various ingredients, in a bright room with a window.

Smiling man with gray hair in blue shirt surrounded by fruits and food on a dining table.

Table with empty glasses, bottled water, a plate with lemon slices, and a plate with sliced cake.

Image Credits
Picture of clients at Dierberg Winery in Santa Barbara County, California.
Photo taken by me or someone in my company.

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