Breakaway Tours

What Breakaway Tours does

Breakaway Tours Wine and Events is a privately held, founder-owned tour operator and corporate event planner headquartered on California's Central Coast, founded by Jill Tweedie on July 4, 1995. The company delivers private, luxury wine tours and off-site events across three contiguous California wine regions — Paso Robles, the SLO Coast, and Santa Barbara County — covering more than 250 wineries in Paso Robles alone, with capacity to host groups ranging from 2 to over 750 guests. Its go-to-market is sales-led, driven by a custom proposal/RFP system (Zoho Forms) and phone-based inquiry handling that produces bespoke itineraries with door-to-door transportation, winery appointments, VIP tastings, vineyard tours, concierge services, and optional add-ons such as Hearst Castle visits, distillery tours, ziplining, and team building activities.

The underlying technology is service-delivery infrastructure rather than software: a fleet ranging from SUVs to Executive Transits, Mini-Coaches, and full-size luxury tour coaches, operated by commercially licensed, insured, drug- and alcohol-tested drivers. Pricing is fully custom — varying by pickup location, region, guest count, duration, and dining preferences — with payment required in full two weeks prior to the tour date; tasting fees ($25+ per person per winery) are passed through. Gift certificates are sold through the FareHarbor booking platform, but the core sales motion is consultative and proposal-based, supported by content marketing, email, social media (Instagram, Facebook, TripAdvisor, Yelp), and active participation in regional wine festivals.

The customer base spans leisure travelers, social groups, corporate groups, and incentive travel, with an enterprise logo list that includes Google, Chevron, Bank of America, Amazon, Ford, Pepsi, Liberty Mutual, Merrill, Aflac, Allstate, PG&E, Kraft, Campbell's, and others. Breakaway Tours is bootstrapped with no external institutional funding and is led by founder/owner Jill Tweedie (Court of Master Sommeliers Level I; WSET Level II with distinction) and co-founder Erik Tweedie. The company holds California Transportation Passenger Service License #TSP022571S and won SLO CAL's inaugural Visitor Destination Experience Award in 2016.

Name

Breakaway Tours

Legal name

Breakaway Tours Wine and Events

Website

https://breakaway-tours.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Breakaway Tours is a founder-owned, private tour operator founded in 1995 that delivers private luxury wine tours and corporate events across California's Central Coast — Paso Robles, SLO Coast, and Santa Barbara County — serving leisure travelers, social groups, and corporate clients including Google, Chevron, and Bank of America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine Tour and Corporate Event Planning Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Other (4879)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Culinary & Wine Travel Agencies (THAKAFAH), Private Culinary Experiences (Chef’s Table, Home Dining, Market-to-Meal) (THAJALAH), Culinary & Wine Itinerary Planning (THAKAOAJ)

Keywords

• Wine tour operator
• Corporate event planning
• Luxury ground transportation
• Central Coast tourism
• Private wine experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Paso Robles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Wine Tour Services: Custom private wine tours across Central Coast wine regions including Paso Robles, SLO Coast, and Santa Barbara County. Tours include winery appointments, VIP tastings, vineyard tours, concierge services, and ground transportation. Tasting fees are not included in tour price and range from $25pp/per winery and up, payable directly or arranged in advance for corporate groups.
2. Corporate Event Planning: Off-site corporate retreats, team building activities, Hearst Castle tours, and corporate gifting services for meeting planners and corporate groups.
3. Ground Transportation: All ground transportation needs including SUVs, Executive Transits, Mini-Coaches, and full-size luxury tour coaches for groups of any size.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Breakaway Tours delivers private, luxury wine tasting tours and corporate events on California's Central Coast, covering Paso Robles, SLO Coast, and Santa Barbara County wine regions. Each booking is a bespoke itinerary built around winery appointments, VIP tastings, behind-the-scenes vineyard visits, and concierge coordination, with door-to-door ground transportation provided by commercially licensed and insured drivers. The company also plans corporate retreats, team building activities, Hearst Castle excursions, distillery tours, and private group celebrations for groups ranging from 2 to over 750 guests.

Product overview

Breakaway Tours Wine and Events is a tour operator and corporate event planning company offering private, luxury wine tours and events on California's Central Coast since 1995. The core offering consists of Wine Tours covering three major wine regions (Paso Robles, SLO Coast, and Santa Barbara County), supplemented by Distillery Tours, Corporate & Group Events, Hearst Castle Tours, and Transportation Services. Additional modules include Beyond Wine 101 (educational experiences), Gift Certificates, and Team Building Activities. The company operates as a single unified service rather than a modular software platform, combining curated winery itineraries, concierge services, and ground transportation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wine Tours Private, luxury wine tasting tours covering Paso Robles, SLO Coast, and Santa Barbara County wine regions. Bespoke itineraries with winery appointments, VIP tastings, behind-the-scenes vineyard tours, concierge service, and door-to-door transportation for groups of 2 to 750+.
• Distillery Tours Craft spirit tasting tours in Central Coast wine country, featuring craft distilleries such as Re-Find Distillery in Paso Robles, with educational focus on craft spirits and cocktails.
• Corporate & Group Events Corporate event planning and group tours including team building activities, VIP experiences, off-site corporate retreats, and corporate gifting services for meeting planners and corporate groups.
• Beyond Wine 101 Educational wine experience program offering deeper wine education and tasting experiences than standard tastings.
• Hearst Castle Tours Escorted Hearst Castle tours with narrated guides, tickets procurement, and administrative assistance for groups, often combined with wine tasting experiences.
• Transportation Services Standalone ground transportation services with commercially licensed and insured drivers and vehicles, ranging from SUVs to Executive Transits, Mini-Coaches, and full-size luxury tour coaches, with drug and alcohol testing for drivers.
• Gift Certificates Gift certificates for Breakaway Tours' wine tour experiences, available for purchase through the FareHarbor booking platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5-Star rated service

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Paso Robles Wine Country AlliancecoreOthersMember of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, the primary marketing and promotional organization for Paso Robles wine region wineries and tourism.
• SLO Coast Wine CollectivecoreOthersMember of the SLO Coast Wine Collective supporting the San Luis Obispo Coast American Viticulture Area (AVA).
• Santa Barbara County VintnerscoreOthersMember of Santa Barbara County Vintners Association promoting Santa Barbara County wine region.
• SLO CALcoreOthersMember of SLO CAL, the official tourism organization for San Luis Obispo County.
• San Luis Obispo Chamber of CommerceminorOthersMember of San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce for local business community engagement.
• Travel Paso RoblescoreOthersMember of Travel Paso Robles, the official destination marketing organization for Paso Robles.
• Paso Robles & Templeton Chamber of CommerceminorOthersMember of local Chamber of Commerce supporting Paso Robles and Templeton business community.
• Pismo Beach Visitors & Conference BureauminorOthersMember supporting Pismo Beach tourism and visitor services.
• Central Coast Tourism CouncilminorOthersMember of regional tourism council promoting Central Coast California tourism.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Appellation Excursions: Napa Valley wine tour operator specializing in private, customized excursions with sommelier-guided tastings. Comparable in educational, sommelier-led premium tour positioning and private custom itinerary structure to Breakaway's offering.
• Pure Luxury Transportation: Napa Valley-based private wine tour and luxury transportation operator running chauffeured wine experiences with custom itineraries. Closely mirrors Breakaway's luxury private charter, bespoke itinerary, and ground transportation model across a competing California wine region.
• Platypus Wine Tours: Operates small-group and private wine tours in Napa and Sonoma with a similar model of curated winery itineraries and door-to-door transportation. Highly comparable in service design, target customer (leisure and small corporate groups), and educational tour positioning to Breakaway's California Central Coast offerings.
• A Vino Adventure: Napa-focused private wine tour operator providing custom itineraries, VIP access, and chauffeured transportation. Directly comparable in bespoke private tour positioning, premium customer base, and chauffeured-transportation-led service model.
• Cellars Wine Tours: Sonoma County operator offering small-group, hosted wine tours with curated winery visits and transportation. Comparable to Breakaway in private/small-group wine tour format, educational guide-led experiences, and California wine country focus.
• Sonoma Vintage Tours: Sonoma County wine tour operator offering private and small-group experiences with curated winery visits and transportation. Directly comparable to Breakaway's curated private tour model in a competing Northern California wine region.
• Northstar Wine Tours: Sonoma County private wine tour operator offering customized itineraries, luxury vehicles, and door-to-door service. Comparable in private bespoke tour format, chauffeured experience, and California wine country focus.

Broad incumbents

• Viator (Tripadvisor): Global online tour and activity marketplace distributing thousands of wine tour operators including many Central Coast experiences. Represents a broader distribution and competitive channel that affects Breakaway's direct sales approach and pricing.
• GetYourGuide: Global tours and activities marketplace offering wine tasting experiences across California's wine regions. A broad incumbent distribution and competitive platform relevant to Breakaway's customer acquisition and pricing dynamics.

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/breakaway.wine.tours
• Instagraminstagram.com/breakawaywinetours
• Xx.com/BreakawayTours_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Breakaway Tours