Local StoriesMay 18, 2026

Inspiring Conversations with Stacey McIntyre of UNCORKED Touring Company

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacey McIntyre.

Hi Stacey, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Aaron Paul and Stacey McIntyre moved to Lexington in the summer of 2022 to launch the business. The couple had been in Austin, Texas, and enjoyed visiting wineries in the Hill Country, but there were already tour operators there, and the rapidly growing area has become increasingly expensive. Jodi McIntyre, Stacey’s sister, moved to Lexington in 2022 from Wilmington, NC to take the position of Operations Manager for UNCORKED Touring Company.

Originally from Vermont, Aaron, an Army veteran, and Stacey, a freelance digital designer, said they decided to look for opportunities near wineries on the East Coast. On a “Cork Talk” podcast, Stacey first heard about the Southern Gateway Wine Trail, which includes several Davidson County wineries that are part of the Yadkin Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA), North Carolina’s first federally designated wine region. With some research, the couple discovered Lexington, North Carolina provides a perfect location and opportunity to start UNCORKED Touring Company. It was refreshing to be part of a growing community, and offer something new to this area of North Carolina.

At the heart of UNCORKED Touring Company is a passion for sharing wine and creating memorable group experiences. The company’s signature ‘boozy bus’ features a custom U-shaped design that encourages guest interaction and fosters a lively, communal atmosphere. Unlike a standard shuttle, the UNCORKED bus boasts comfortable, pub-style booth seating, providing a cozy and engaging setting for guests. UNCORKED’s curated tours are popular for birthday celebrations, bachelorette parties, and corporate team-building events, offering a fun and distinctive way to explore North Carolina’s wine country.

As UNCORKED goes into our fourth year of business, there are things we have stood by, such as, only serving local North Carolina wines on our bus. We want to be part of the wine industry, and that starts with supporting our local growers and makers. With that said, therey are things we have changed, such as streamlining our tours into wine regions. Our customized Wine Tours bring our guests to Davidson County Vineyards, aka: Violet Wine Tour. Surry County Vineyards, aka: Orchid Wine Tour. Yadkin Valley Vineyards, aka: Lilac Wine Tour. We let our guests choose 3 vineyards to visit on their tour, and provide bottles of wine at each destination, and on the UNCORKED bus. Our Boozy Field Trip is a tour to help promote visitors to Lexington, and to support our local businesses. This tour allows guests to choose 4 of 8 Lexington locations to visit on their tour. Everything from vineyards to a retro-arcade bar.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Our commitment to working with our local vineyards has made us change our business model and approach slightly. We originally wanted to offer wine tastings to each member of our tour groups, but quickly realized how difficult it is for the vineyards to keep the attention of large groups. In addition, our clients were there to enjoy each other’s company, so in 2023, we changed our wine tours to have bottle service over wine tastings. It has been a much better experience for our guests, and the vineyards. We have also added a Wine for Two experience in our UNCORKED SUV. We were finding a lot of requests for people who wanted a safe ride, but a more intimate experience with just a friend, or spouse. Our Wine for Two has been a popular addition to our tour offerings. The biggest challeges we face are rising costs of wine and wine tasting experiences. We have seen an increase in vineyard costs, and needed to adjust our rates to accommodate the increase. Mostly, we find the biggest challenge or obstacle for our business is people being able to pick a date that their group can all get together. Life is busy – we like to offer a day off from the chaos, and make it about being out with friends, making memories.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
UNCORKED Touring Company stands out as an experience because of our customized, purple, boozy bus. We like to say “getting there is half the fun” and our bus experience delivers every time. As soon as our guests step onto the bus, they know that UNCORKED has provided them with everything they need to have a memorable experience. Our bus, our service, our knowledge of local vineyards and wine and our commitment to local North Carolina wine industry are all things we are very proud of.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Moving to Lexington, North Carolina from Austin, Texas, was a huge change in lifestyle, but one we embraced and really enjoy. Immediately, UNCORKED joined our Chamber of Commerce, we went to all community events, city meet-and-greets, we worked with Lexington Tourism Authority & Visitor Center on how we can spotlight Lexington. We also spent a lot of time in the beginning months, introducing ourselves face-to-face with each vineyard we work with. We wanted to know their input on working with tour groups, any advice they had for us, and to agree on a plan that works best for both parties.

Pricing:

170 per person Custom Wine Tours
100 per person Boozy Field Trip

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: VoyageRaleigh is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.